It Was All About Dreadlocks on the Runway This Men’s Fashion Week

Dreadlocks were the stars of the runway at Assembly New York’s latest runway show. (Photo: Getty Images)

Men’s fashion week is becoming a political moment. It began with Lanvin stylist Hannah Stoudemire, cousin of basketball’s Amar'e Stoudemire, who hosted a silent Black Lives Matter demonstration in front of the main runway shows. And although he’s not showing this week (DKNY presented back in July), designer Maxwell Osborne kept things going with an open letter to the industry voicing his support for the movement. New York-based label Assembly New York had a nuanced take on that idea, with a runway show featuring only black models, all with dreadlocks.

Shows exclusively featuring black models aren’t unheard of, but an all-dreadlock show was a first. Controversy erupted in Paris last year, when the Japanese designer Junya Watanabe debuted an African-themed collection piled high with fake dreadlocks and a lineup of exclusively non-black models. If this was cultural appropriation at its worst, Assembly’s show seemed to be challenging that gaffe.

Casting working models, as well as random pedestrians found at shows earlier in the week, it spoke not only to diversity but diversity in beauty. So forget the notion of dreadlocks as unkempt, distasteful, and nappy. This show put an end to that.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Hairstylists were instructed to keep their intervention to a minimum. Aside from tidying things up a bit (and why wouldn’t you slick on a little extra polish when all eyes are on you?), the models were presented in all their glorious authenticity.

From dreadlocked vets of 20 years to some who were obviously only a few years into the process, the show was a stunning showcase of this time-intensive style. Greg Armas, founder of Assembly, revealed the beauty of the look, which complemented his collection and its time-intensive fabrics. Recycled materials were cut into smart blazers, shorts perfect for lounging, and a variety of relaxed closet staples in navy, off-white, and black. Here’s to a great theme well-executed.

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