Shantrelle Lewis says Black dandyism isn’t fashion

By Kelvin Childs

Shantrelle P. Lewis (’00, B.A.) is arguably the foremost scholar and expert on contemporary Black dandyism, the modern global movement that captures pride in self, culture and heritage expressed through stylish clothing, accessories and swag.

Lewis makes clear that Black dandyism is about more than fashion. The garments may be colorful, even flamboyant, but they convey the wearer’s inner confidence and represent a demand to reject society’s preconceptions and be known on one’s own terms.

Lewis first curated “The Dandy Lion Project” in 2010, as the largest and first comprehensive examination of Black Dandyism through a contemporary and Diasporic lens. The internationally acclaimed photography exhibition has since traveled to museums, galleries and arts institutions around the world. It places Black dandyism in a context that reaches back 500 years and links its origins in pre-colonial Africa, a style that mixes European suits with African Diasporic swag. Her 2017 book, “Dandy Lion: Black Dandy and Street Style” is filled with numerous images that highlight contemporary celebrations of sartorialism in urban environments across the Diaspora.

So, she was not impressed that the 2025 Met Gala — a showcase for fashionistas from all over the world, often called “fashion’s biggest night out”— made its theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” which presented a cultural and historical examination of Black style over 300 years through the concept of dandyism.

“Oftentimes mainstream white institutions will do something long after we’ve made it fashionable. Modern Black dandyism was at its height 10 to 15 years ago. This past May, many people were left out of the conversation that should have been included: so many of the African dandies, the La SAPE from the Congo, from Brazzaville and Kinshasa, and the Swenkas from South Africa and the Black dandy pioneers of Brooklyn streets were excluded. There was definitely an erasure of every day working class dandies from the Diaspora, but specifically the continent of Africa,” Lewis said.

Lewis’ eyes were opened to the broadness of the Black Diaspora when she chose to go to Howard University on the advice of her high school guidance counselor, even though she had scholarship offers from Xavier University of Louisiana, Tuskegee University and Spelman College. It was at Howard that Lewis was prepared for global leadership, and where she was exposed to people from not only from all over the world, but from all over Black America. 

By spending spring breaks and summer vacation visiting her friends in Boston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York, she grew to understand the nuances of African-American cultural experiences. Although many of her fellow classmates were African-American, their culture and understanding of Blackness was much different from her Southern, more specifically, her New Orleans sensibilities. “There was this richness that I was able to experience by going home to visit my friends and spend time with their families,” she said.

“There were also friends that came from a variety of different socioeconomic backgrounds. I had friends whose parents were millionaires. I had friends who came from single homes. I had friends who grew up in the projects. I had friends who were also middle class and grew up much like myself. And so, I understood that Blackness, even within the U.S., is not a monolith,” Lewis added.

Those connections lasted beyond her days on campus to today. “My best friends, the vast majority of them, are graduates of Howard as well.” And her Howard network has supported and invested in her endeavors, such as her Netflix documentary film “In Our Mother’s Gardens” and her bookstore BEAUCOUP HOODOO in Philadelphia. 

Today, 25 years later, Lewis has a rich Howard family lineage. Lewis’ husband, Tony Oluwatoyin Lawson (’00, BBA), is founder of SHOPPE BLACK, a platform promoted to highlighting Black–owned businesses globally, and a fellow Howard graduate. Lewis’ brother Stanford Scott (’07, BBA) followed in her footsteps and attended HU, as did her sister-in-law, Nicola Lawson Omatsola (’01, BBA, cum laude), who is also a proud Bison. Currently, Lewis and her husband Tony’s daughter Folasaden (’28), is a sophomore psychology major on campus. 

Consequently, Lewis sees it as essential for alumni to contribute to the University.

“Because of the climate that we're in politically in the country, I think that it’s a responsibility for us to maintain and sustain our institutions, regardless of whether it’s Howard or our other HBCUs. I think it’s critical that the alumni who’ve benefited from attending our institutions the most, contribute financially and holistically so that they’re around for many more years to come.”

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