Afro Dandyism dress code: How the SAMAs are localising fashion’s biggest cultural moment
The 32nd South African Music Awards have announced their red carpet theme. Here's what "Afro Dandyism" means, where it comes from, and which local designers are already fluent in it.
The South African Music Awards (SAMAs) have introduced the dress code "Afro Dandyism" for their 32nd annual event, Sun City Superbowl. This choice positions the red carpet as a prominent stage for local fashion trends and cultural expression. While the concept of dandyism is not new, the "Afro" prefix adds a unique twist by connecting South Africa to the broader conversation about Black dandyism that began with the 2025 Met Gala.
The Met Gala's theme, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," drew inspiration from the book "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity" by scholar Monica L. Miller. Miller's research explores how enslaved and formerly enslaved Black men used fine tailoring to assert their identities and defy their oppression.
The Met Gala's "Tailored for You" dress code encouraged attendees to showcase their personal and ancestral stories through fashion, with designers like Ozwald Boateng dressing celebrities in Kente-patterned suits and jewel-toned capes. However, some critics felt that the Met Gala's focus on the African diaspora left little room for African design language.
This is where the SAMAs' "Afro Dandyism" dress code aims to fill the gap, by drawing inspiration from South Africa's rich heritage of dressing to communicate status, lineage, and identity. Examples include Xhosa beadwork, Zulu regalia, repurposed mineworker and mission-school uniforms, and the tailored suits and church dress codes that are still prevalent in South African townships.
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