Social Season

01/01/2026 - 31/07/2026

MACK 
Studio E, Ground Floor 
Emperor House, Dragonfly Place 
SE4 2FL London

https://mackbooks.co.uk/   

 

Debutante balls were once rites reserved for white European nobility with the purpose of introducing young women to polite society and potential suitors. In the wake of emancipation towards the end of the nineteenth century, African Americans adopted this tradition as a means of social upliftment, community building, and education. This debut book by Brooklyn-based photographer Miranda Barnes explores the rich history of Black cotillions in the US through an immersive collection of photographs made at debutante balls in Detroit between 2022 and 2025. 

This poignant and elegant body of work documents the community, camaraderie, and anticipation of this custom and the moment of transition it hinges upon. Sensitive portraits of debutantes with their elders and scenes of couples practicing their steps and dancing in formation are interleaved with studies of the distinctive material world of the cotillion: opulent corsages, taffeta ball gowns, morning suits, and tiaras. 

Social Season offers a glimpse of a unique tradition and introduces an exceptional documentarian of Black communities and subcultures in today's United States.