Ever the sartorial statement maker, Dapper Dan returned to his African roots at the 2025 Met Gala in a black and white zoot suit emblazoned with the mythical Ghanaian bird symbol, the Sankofa.

Because of fabric rations during World War II, owning a zoot suit, with its excessive use of fabric, was an act of protest, Square said. “It’s meant to be a provocation,” Square said.

In 1943, servicemen and police officers attacked Black, Mexican and Filipino men in what was labeled the Zoot Suit Riots. The zoot suit lives on today in the gender-fluid designs of Willy Chavarria.

In 1943, servicemen and police officers attacked Black, Mexican and Filipino men in what was labeled the Zoot Suit Riots. The zoot suit lives on today in the gender-fluid designs of Willy Chavarria.

FILE – Dapper Dan attends a special screening of “Godfather of Harlem” at the Apollo Theater on Monday, Sept. 16, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP, File) ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Fashion icons like Dapper Dan, Janelle Monáe and the late André Leon Talley are known for their distinctive approaches to sartorial style — bold splashes of color, luxurious ...