The Nue Black Aesthetic: Design Museum unveils major exhibition celebrating Black creativity

London’s Design Museum has unveiled The Nue Black Aesthetic, a major new exhibition showcasing 16 contemporary Black designers who are reshaping fashion, architecture, furniture and beyond.

Opening on 6^th November, the exhibition brings together more than 100 objects, with highlights including a Bianca Saunders suit worn by Usher at the 2023 Met Gala, LABRUM’s Pan-African-inspired Arsenal away kit and furniture made from synthetic hair by artist Taiba Akhuetie.

Guest-curated by journalist and author Charlene Prempeh, the show features leading creative voices including Saul Nash, Samuel Ross and Ini Archibong, whose spectacular new chandelier made from hand-blown Murano glass forms the exhibition’s finale.

Across six sections, The Nue Black Aesthetic explores the relationship between identity, heritage and creativity, challenging the idea of a single Black aesthetic. Alongside the contemporary works, pieces by designers including Yinka Ilori and Althea McNish trace the evolution of Black design over the past seven decades.

One of the UK’s most extensive exhibitions dedicated to contemporary Black design, the show invites visitors to reconsider who shapes design culture and how personal experience influences the objects and spaces around us.

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Image: Strange Notes, 2025, by Giles Tettey Nartey. Courtesy of Giles Tettey Nartey

The Nue Black Aesthetic is at the Design Museum from 6^th November until 8^th August 2027. For further information or to book, visit the exhibition’s website here.