Inside Preto Novo’s big queer party
Chiming neatly with men’s fashion week, club night Baile Preto lit Paris up until the wee hours last week, with welcome support from PUMA. We stopped by for a dance and a catch-up with scene saviour Beto Neri.
Style
Words: Joe Bobowicz
Photography: Henry Boadu
Bookending the end of another whirlwind menswear season, PUMA and creative platform Preto Novo pulled together what was arguably the season’s sassiest (and sexiest) party so far. Held at Pamela, a venue revered for its sweaty techno and house nights, the clubnight, Baile Preto – which translates to “Black Dance” – shone a light on local, queer POC talents, as well as some London favourites including Shygirl pal Hasani and beats connoisseur Donnie Sunshine. Over the course of the evening, host Lago Cedrick got the tea from arriving guests while francophile selectors Anaïs B and Broodoo Ramses got the whole crowd dancing well into the morning.
Outside the club, a queue of air-kissing revellers snaked its way along 62 Rue Mazarine. Inside, darkened, red-lit caverns were filled with lounging scene queens enjoying espresso martinis, as scantily clad club kids vogued their way across the dancefloor. Throughout the space, the likes of Kai-Isaiah Jamal, James Massiah, Priya Ahluwalia, Saul Nash and KK Obi let their hair down after a long week, while a pole near the DJ booth called on the more confident dancers to flex their moves.
Hip-hop, trap, dancehall, Afrobeats and what can only be described as cunty remixes of mid-noughties R&B soundtracked the proceedings. There was a palpable sense of community in the space – a rarity at fashion parties.
Behind all the fun? Beto Neri, a hallowed name for those that are familiar with the Parisian club scene. Raised in Bahia, the Brazilian moved to France 10 years ago to study arts communications in Toulouse, before eventually landing in Paris, where he’s been heading up Preto Novo, a multi-faceted initiative – clothing, creative direction and plenty of killer raves – that began in 2021. Originally, it was his finsta, Beto explains with a laugh.
Its name comes from “Preto Velho” [“Old black men”], an Afro-Brazilian icon representing wisdom. “Preto Novo is like the young version of Preto Velho,” Beto says. “It’s the future, it’s the now, it’s the present, but also looking up to our ancestors and the people that opened the doors.”
Over time, Beto has observed that by working with PUMA on this night and a broader campaign, he’s been able to uplift his network, regardless of whether they’re big on socials or not. Take, for example, the Preto Novo (Love) Story film: a short pre-party scene in which Beto’s pals pull together looks, get dolled up and enjoy a gossip about who might be hooking up with who. Clad in perforated PUMA x Coperni dresses as well as sporty PUMA staples, the gang heads out.
From the direction and editing (courtesy of Diamante Kayenga) through to the actors, the campaign blends make-believe and reality. “I have brilliant friends. I have friends who are really doing something for the scene now,” said Beto. “And I was like, ‘Let’s just show how we vibe, how we kiki.”
“We are talking about a city where even someone that is really not into fashion is going to be fashionable”
Beto Neri
To Beto’s point, the night read like a masterclass in the unique sensibilities of Parisian queer, Black subculture. Beto and his friends could be seen in slick looks, Speedcat ballet pumps on foot with PUMA x Coperni oval bags hung in the crook of their forearm, side-eyeing and cackling at one another.
Beto smiled. “We are talking about a city where even someone that is really not into fashion is going to be fashionable. The Parisian scene has its own dynamic in terms of fashion. The club scene is more chic, high end. And the girls want to look fab.”
Paris has the second biggest ballroom scene after New York, Beto points out. And with that comes both a difference in style, as well as lingo. “They’re gonna say, for example, ‘gàg’ [enunciated with an acute French accent]. They’re gonna say, ‘C’est over!’” noted Beto.
While the focus of the night was ostensibly style and nightlife, it was also a reminder that each provides a crucial and urgent opportunity for young, queer Black Parisians to express themselves and find kinship. Now that Preto Novo has become a full time job for Beto, he’s come to understand his role as a facilitator, seizing opportunities with PUMA in aid of a once-fledgling scene he calls home.
“A lot of people that are very talented in my community, they don’t have opportunities,” said Beto. “They don’t know how to do things. And I just want to be like a mentor. Living in a community is something I truly believe in. It guides my life.”
