I reviewed Rose Callahan's first photographic record of the dandy, I am Dandy: The Return of the Elegant Gentleman, here. In the nearly three years since, the world of the dandy has, as Rose Callahan records, 'spread and mutated' and We Are Dandy: The Elegant Gentleman Around the World, is her record of this.
She and writer, Nathaniel Adams, have found dandies from a much wider range of countries and the sympathetically written text matches the beautifully shot portraits to perfection. My memory may be at fault, but I felt I learned more about each character in this second book and I laughed or cried with them as appropriate.
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| Photography by Rose Callahan, from We are Dandy, Copyright Gestalten 2016 |
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| Photography by Rose Callahan, from We are Dandy, Copyright Gestalten 2016 |
One darker aspect of dandyism that I don't recall from I am Dandy is how some suffer for their obsession. Sadly there are tales of bullying and even physical violence in the book which left me despairing for humanity. That there are people who feel so threatened by men who dress differently that they have to offer insults and pain is hard to understand. Sadly, I suspect that such behaviour will increase as bigotry becomes justifiable to those misled by the recent political upheavals in the UK and US. But, looking at a brighter side, here are men who live style, quality and manners. Most not only dress with care, they collect beautiful objects and live creative and inspirational lives.
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| Photography by Rose Callahan, from We are Dandy, Copyright Gestalten 2016 |
Daring to be different as a dandy takes courage, a refined artistic and historic sense and much hard work. We need to be encouraged by such men, not be afraid of them. If we all become sheep, afraid of difference, we end up scared of everything and comfortable only when we are surrounded by the familiar and unchallenging.
So, this is much, much more than a photographic record of the dandy; it's a book that shows how each of us must preserve that uniqueness that makes us human and stops us sinking into the mindless herd destructiveness of 1930s Germany. This doesn't mean all becoming dandies, it means living our lives true to ourselves as selfless members of society, ever alert to, and celebrating, difference.
Become a dandy yourself or simply trawl through for inspiration in your own search for style. Buy We Are Dandy: The Elegant Gentleman Around the World (published by Gestalten, 2016) from Amazon and help support this blog.
All images in this feature by Rose Callahan, Copyright Gestalten 2016.
So, this is much, much more than a photographic record of the dandy; it's a book that shows how each of us must preserve that uniqueness that makes us human and stops us sinking into the mindless herd destructiveness of 1930s Germany. This doesn't mean all becoming dandies, it means living our lives true to ourselves as selfless members of society, ever alert to, and celebrating, difference.
Become a dandy yourself or simply trawl through for inspiration in your own search for style. Buy We Are Dandy: The Elegant Gentleman Around the World (published by Gestalten, 2016) from Amazon and help support this blog.
All images in this feature by Rose Callahan, Copyright Gestalten 2016.
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| Photography by Rose Callahan, from We are Dandy, Copyright Gestalten 2016 |
