dario.

IMAGINATION IS LIBERATION. The Institute of Black Imagination (@blackimagination ) isn’t just a place—it’s a portal. A living archive. The nexus where past, present, and future remix in real time. It’s for the dreamers, the disruptors, the architects of what’s next. Because imagination isn’t just escape—it’s strategy. It’s survival. And right now, we need it more than ever. Pull up. Listen in. Build with us. The work is vast, and the doors are open. Support link in bio. Major gratitude to the dozens of individuals who’ve dreamed with me over the years. ✍🏽: @sephsees 📸: @guarionex_jr #BlackImagination #IBI #nytimes

WELCOME TO SPACE! In a world yearning for liberation, we embark on a journey beyond the seen, expanding our consciousness into interstitial space, the in-between. Fueled by imagination, we soar, transcending earthly limits and embracing the light of freedom that whispers from celestial realms. We navigate uncharted paths, guided by the magnetic pull of ancestral dreams and the weightless grace of infinite possibilities. In this odyssey, we defy the confines designed to restrain us, unlocking the boundless potential that resides within. In a universe shaped by unknown hands, a realization dawned upon us – the cosmos is a reflection of design. The Institute of Black Imagination arises as the celestial beacon to transcend the boundaries or earth-bound thought. For too long, pre-existing design structures: the built environment, urban plans, and social paradigms have marginalized those on the outskirt’s of normalcy. However, from these shackles emerges an indomitable spirit that thrives on innovation and curiosity. As cosmic architects, we dismantle outdated structures and reconstruct the limitless possibilities. Embark on this odyssey, unlock the portal, and soar with us as we design a cosmos reflective of unity, diversity, and boundless dreams. Join us Friday, October 25, 10a-12p for a community preview of Space 001. It’s time for lift-off! Link in bio. Music by @elifola . Logo Design by @slanginc . #blackimagination #space001

If the world we live in has been designed, then who designed it? I’m so excited that I had the opportunity to join @EmCollective /@EmersonCollective ’s Demo Day; we heard from leaders who inspired and challenged us and embodied the concerted, purposeful action that will guide us on the path to shaping a just world. A more democratic world. A world that works for all of us. For a spark of joy today, watch #ECDemoDay22: /watch [full link in bio] #ECDemoDay | #ECDemoDay22 | #blackimagination

Can we get a lil more commotion for @publicschoolnyc ? The consistency. The tailoring. The subtle nudge of the menswear silhouette. The… persistence. PSNY was my first job outta grad school, and these two guys taught me everything i know, and am still learning. More than anything they taught me how to listen. Listen until you learn the language of the brand, the company, the municipality… the zeitgeist. Learn the vowels, the consonants, the syntax… until you reach fluency. But never loose your accent. We can debate the merits of the Met Gala another time. Preferably not from a smartphone.

Join us for an exciting conversation: Black Tomorrow. Art, Design and Imagination. Monday April 20 - AIGANY.com/events With @aigany @dario.studio @ekeneijeoma @callmesabla @realjonkey

Hypothesis: CORRECT. Black imagination is technology. What becomes possible when you create conditions for exploration and self discovery? What does dynamic investment look like? Years ago, Adam Saleh (@almost_adam ) described the IBI Fellowship as his “first seed fund.” And now, Complex (@complex ) announced the acquisition of Presq (@presq.studio ), the company he founded. Adam now joins Complex as Creative Technologist! We share this with pride, yes, but also with clarity. This is what happens when Black imagination is met with mentorship, trust, and catalytic support at the right moment. Adam once said the most important thing he received from the fellowship was mentorship, and that IBI was “actually an accelerator for your career.”   We do not only honor what culture becomes once the world can see it. We work to recognize it while it is still forming. Congratulations, Adam. Onward. And an incredible thank you to our community of support, including @mellonfoundation , @fordfoundation , and @siliconvalleycf for believing in our mission. #adamsaleh #blackimagination #ibifellowship

To the man who taught me how to spot style from a mile away. Happy Birthday, Bill. The streets miss you. #billcunningham

Finally got to see my four prints acquired by the J.P. Morgan Chase Art Collection (@jpmorgan )! The deals go down under the gaze of Black women in church hats. N.B. Foster + Partners (@fosterandpartners ) snapped. More thoughts in stories. 📸: @adefolakunmi 🔌: @adama.diggs #amongstfriends #jpmorgan #blackimagination

What if the archive isn’t a vault— but a generator? What if fashion isn’t merely clothing, but technology? During NYFW, “Source Code: Fashion as Technology” invited books from the personal libraries of Geoffrey Holder and André Leon Talley into dialogue with the present. We call the practice Archival Intelligence: turning inherited material into new vocabularies. Thank you to everyone who entered the room and expanded it. With foundational support from @mellonfoundation & @fordfoundation , and program support from @popcollab . Event partners: @nyfwcollections & @n4xtexperiences . Design support: @leica_camera & @studio_molo . To the Holder and Talley (@andreltalley ) estates—thank you for trusting our stewardship. To The Academy contributors—@ruba @profmonicalmiller @badcolours_ @calvary___ @vuyosotashe —and the IBI design + tech team: @gentttry @amariwyking @adamradice (plus @justinmcelderry @bharrisonbryant & Natalie Renee)—thank you. Black imagination is a technology of becoming. Hypothesis: verified. —The Institute Tag who needs to catch the one (and anyone we missed in the carousel)! #blackimagination #nyfw #geoffreyholder #andreleontalley #sourcecode

We are at a species-level evolution. In conversation with the indomitable Glenn Adamson (@glenn_adamson ) for The Magazine ANTIQUES (@antiquesmag ), I got the chance to predict the future of the United States for its 300th birthday. I speak on memory, power, and the evolution already in motion—whether we see it or not. Full article in bio. Image Credits: 1. The Priest, photograph by Dario Calmese for the Numéro Berlin “Voodoo” issue, 2019. 2. The Gaze, photograph by Dario Calmese for the Numéro Berlin issue 6, the “Amerika” issue, 2019. 3. The Shaker Retiring Room interpreted by Chloé Zhao, photographed by Dario Calmese, 2021, commissioned for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and American Wing’s exhibition “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” 4. The Altar, photograph by Calmese for the Numéro Berlin “Voodoo” issue, 2019. 5. Dario Calmese in a photograph by Guarionex Rodriguez (@guarionex_jr ) for the New York Times, 2025. #america #magazineantiques

We are so excited to share that the Institute of Black Imagination will be making its NYFW debut this week with “Source Code: Fashion as Technology” featuring selections from the archives of André Leon Talley and Geoffrey Holder! For the IBI, the archive IS the source code; the dataset that produces such iconic figures. We so often are struck by the outputs, but rarely get a glimpse into the process; what feeds the algorithm of becoming. We’ll continue to explore this notion throughout the week, via The Academy, with conversations between our founder, Dario Calmese (@dario.studio ), and industry greats like creative director extraordinaire Ruba Abu-Nimah (@ruba ) and Dr. Monica L. Miller, writer, historian, and guest curator of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at the Met’s Costume Institute. Sunday brings a special conversation on text->texile w. Calvary Roger’s, founder of @senecalabs . We also get into some vibrational technology with friday night DJ set with fashion muse, @badcolours_ and a special Valentine’s guest DJ for the brokenhearted :). More to come. RSVP link in bio. Major thanks to @popcollab and @nyfwcollections whose support helps make this possible. #nyfw #andreleontalley #geoffreyholder #sourcecode

We have not only our ancestors wildest dreams, we also have the blueprints. Me, in the pool of Madame C. J. Walker, 2016. #blackhistorymonth