Every year, the Afropunk Festival in Brooklyn presents a welcome alternative to tired festival style. It’s not strictly a jorts-free space, but with a crowd that self-defines as nonconformist, even the jorts tend to be styled in mind-expanding ways.
This year, the 11-year-old festival added a fancy dress ball to the weekend’s lineup of concerts and parties, giving participants yet another reason to break out their finest. Featuring performances by Grace Jones, Cakes da Killa, Mike Q, and Bill Coleman, the event raised money for the AFROPUNK Global Initiative, which promotes diversity in the arts and media. Click through the slideshow for some of the best looks, including sweeping gowns, printed suits, electric-blue lips, and one enormous veiled hat.