Last month an article on Afrosartorialism appeared in Italian in Il Giornale delle Fondazioni. I’m especially happy about this feature because this is Italy’s principal platform focusing on cultural governance and innovation. I have been in touch with the author, Claudio Calveri who is digital strategy at DeRev Lab and expert of cultural innovation, since the beginning of my research. …

Last month Vlisco&Co unveiled a multimedia project on Igbo culture that includes a collaboration with artist Yagazie Emezi and designers Fruche and Gozel Green. In “Present and Forgotten – An amalgamation of Igbo culture ” Yagazie revisits a topic that is dear to her heart: preserving Nigeria’s ethnic memory and knowledge. For Vlisco she created a series of shots of culture-sensitive styles …

I have meant to do reports on individual African countries for some time. Referring to African fashion in the singular doesn’t capture the market’s diversity and it doesn’t take into account the different speeds at which the industry is evolving in each country. It also reproduces assumptions that the styles from the continent fall into an homogeneous category, overlooking, among …

  I added a Resources page with links to relevant articles and books on African fashion and style. It is meant to be updated as my research evolves. Any suggestions are welcome. Enjoy and share!

This May Burberry released the final part of its 2018 Pre-Fall ad campaign featuring and art directed by the British-Ghanaian model Adwoa Aboah. The portfolio is set in the model’s homelands: Juergen Teller shot the first installment in London, Aboah’s place of birth, moving then to New York where she is currently based.       This last series follows the …

Last week Christie Brown released the campaign video of the Spring Summer 2018 “Conscience” collection. The ad, directed by Papa Oppong Bediako, received raving reviews for its stunning visuals. As of today, it’s been watched over 7000 on Instagram.       The Ghanaian luxury womenswear label directed by Aisha Obuobi and worn by style icons the world over, including …

The passing of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has saddened the world. Messages of grief are pouring in, reflecting the esteem and respect she inspired in millions the world over. Ever the fearless activist and campaigner for racial equality and freedom, Winnie was also an icon of style, albeit an unlikely one, for some. Since meeting Nelson in 1957 aged 22, her entire …

Having been out of the loop for 12 months means I get to do a lot of catching up – in fact, that’s all I’ve been doing these last months. While I was busy making friends with wee Ella a lot of new creatives have come into the spotlight, and I relish the overdose of visuals I get just by …

The peer-reviewd journal Africa and Mediterraneo is looking for interdisciplinary essays with a focus on sustainability, development, and entrepreneurship in African fashion. The journal is seeking contributions that offer a detailed analysis of the methods and experiences of “ethical fashion” implemented in Africa, as well as their theoretical and practical position in the global market, which grows more and more competitive by the day. The …

#OwnYourCulture is a social media movement that seeks to “decolonize fashion, one necklace at a time”. It showcases ‘traditional’ ornaments as fashionable pieces, in a bid to show the fashionable-ity  of traditional jewelry and reconnect to what fashion was and looked like in Africa before European colonization. Fashion consultant Chepkemboi Mang’ira of the blog MissVavavum launched #OwnYourCulture on Instagram  in 2015, asking users to style a traditional cultural piece with contemporary clothes.   Since …