Dandy Wellington

Dandy Wellington is a bandleader, presenter, entertainer, event producer, and creative consultant born and raised in Harlem, New York. An ambassador of the sartorial idiom of the Harlem Renaissance and an expert in the cultural history of Black Americans, Wellington contributed to the current exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” He has appeared on legendary stages, in documentaries, books, magazines, and fashion advertising campaigns; sings with his jazz band at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center; and performs around the world. 

In this talk, Wellington will discuss his decades-long style evolution, revealing his concepts of “joyful dressing beyond the norm” and “patience over product,” the value of creating community in person and online, and the importance of personal authenticity. 

In addition to the Met, the “impeccably dressed man-about-town” and “bonafide man-of-the-world" can list collaborators and clients including AirBnB, Bergdorf Goodman, Penhaligon’s London, Hendrick’s Gin, the National Museum of African Art, the Goodwood Revival vintage car racing event, and Gage and Tollner restaurant in Brooklyn. A Jazz Age revivalist with a progressive perspective, Wellington has been featured on PBS; in The Financial Times, Country Living, Vogue, and The Robb Report; and in the books “I Am Dandy: The Return of the Elegant Gentleman” (2013), “Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style” (2017) and “Black Ivy: A Revolt in Style” (2021). 

For more information, visit Dandywellington.com.