THE COLLEGIATE 100 TAKE ON DANDYISM

This year, the Collegiate 100 introduced their leadership team with portraits inspired by the Met Gala’s celebration of Black dandyism, blending tailoring and modern minimalism to honor tradition while signaling a new era of collegiate style.

September 23, 2025

Writen by Cymphani Hargrave and Miles James
Photographed by Miles James


On a quiet Sunday afternoon inside Howard University’s historic Founder’s Library, the student leaders of the Collegiate 100 gathered like a living gallery. Crisp blazers met perfectly pleated trousers and mirror-shined dress shoes, each look punctuated by eye-catching, gold accessories that turned the outfits into the organization’s own modern take on Black dandyism. 

On the campus of Howard University, having a sense of style has always been important to the student body. Walk across the Yard and you’ll find every expression of fashion at once: sharp tailoring sitting comfortably next to relaxed, inspired layers. Box-fresh Jordans stride alongside polished loafers, while vintage varsity jackets and crisp white tees meet pleated trousers cut with a dandy’s precision. Between the gold chains and pearl studs catching the Yard’s sun, you can feel how Black students here blend heritage into however they choose to style themselves.

A notable group of student leaders are the Collegiate 100. Founded on campus in the early 2000s as the collegiate arm of the national 100 Black Men of America, the chapter has long been a training ground for young Black men committed to mentorship, community service, and leadership. You’ll see them on the Yard at recruitment fairs, hosting career workshops for first-years, mentoring local high-school students, or simply showing up with the sort of composure that makes leadership feel tangible.


This year, through the sharp styling and creative direction of Kylan Mabry, a proud member of The Collegiate 100, and the portrait-style visuals of photographer Miles James, the Collegiate 100 chose to step in front of the camera with their own take on the Met Gala’s recent celebration of Black dandyism. The result was a series of portraits that felt equal parts historic and contemporary.


This type of styling has always carried more weight than the cut of a jacket or the shine of a shoe. For generations of Black men, dressing with precision has been a subtle form of protest in the face of stereotypes that sought to diminish intellect and worth. On Howard’s campus, student leaders have long understood that how they present themselves can speak as loudly as their words or their work. It’s a lesson that is quickly reinforced. Though many of these lessons are learned before they even arrive on campus. Growing up, many young Black adults are shaped by traditions passed down at Sunday services, family gatherings, and community events — places where the way you carried yourself, the press of your shirt, the shine of your shoes, all spoke to respect for yourself and for those around you.

As fellow students and a creatives at Howard, watching the Collegiate 100 present themselves this way felt like more than just a photoshoot. In those portraits, we saw the continuum of Black student leadership: the way we’ve always used presentation as both armor and invitation. It’s a tradition that belongs to all of us who step onto the Yard and want to be remembered not only for what we do, but how we choose to show up.



It leaves us wondering: what stories do our clothes tell about leadership and legacy — and how will we keep rewriting that story for the next generation?