Originally published on VOGUE.com
“One of the five wells of Morehouse—and my personal favorite—is being ‘well-dressed,’” says G'Khyri C. Patterson, a Morehouse College senior from Houma, Louisiana, majoring in education. The wells, which also include well-read, well-spoken, well-traveled, and well-balanced, were officially coined by former Morehouse President Dr. Robert Franklin, and have long been embodied by students, faculty, and alumni—perhaps most famous among them Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who graduated from the school in 1948 at age 19.
Photographed by Jhalin Knowles
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, photographer Jhalin Knowles and videographer Miles Colbert spent an afternoon at Morehouse’s Atlanta campus, capturing students and faculty in looks reflective of both the school’s stylish legacy and their own personal flair.
“Morehouse has a long-standing tradition of excellence, and sartorial elegance is a powerful reflection of that,” says Dr. Nina Gilbert, executive director of the Morehouse Center for Excellence in Education. “It’s not just about looking good—it’s about presenting yourself as an uncompromising and prepared leader. Our students understand that their appearance tells a story about who they are and where they're headed.”
Among graduates who have continued to champion fine tailoring, bold style, and elevated dress—both personally and professionally—are filmmaker Spike Lee, actor Samuel L. Jackson, artist Sanford Biggers, and fashion editor turned film director Mark Anthony Green. In 2019, Morehouse alums Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper founded popular lifestyle and apparel brand Eastside Golf, and in 2022 Ralph Lauren launched a special Morehouse and Spelman collection, conceived by 2013 graduate James Jeter.
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