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Dandyism from Beau Brummell, through Bruce LaBruce to Bret Easton Ellis
Georges Brummell is not only considered to be the ultimate dandy, he was also the first one. He was known by his peers, to say nothing of posterity, as “Beau,” since everything he represented was beauty. Beau Brummell dominated his world from 1794 to 1816, becoming something of a legend in his own time. He was to be used as an example of dandyism already by writers of the following generation. Descriptions of him speak of a man who would hastily make an appearance at a tea party, pose in the doorway, scan the room with his gaze, only to disappear just as quickly as he arrived. The effect was optimal. The purpose of the unpredictable, yet eagerly awaited entry, as well as the subsequent and equally rapid sortie, was to create a myth. A party was not a party without the presence of Beau Brummell, whether he was on his way in or out. This was a gestural effect, and something that Andy Warhol would bring up in the form of party-crashing almost two centuries later.

Excerpt from Dandyism from Beau Brummell, through Bruce LaBruce to Bret Easton Ellis By Jan Hietala

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