I’ve been on a long hiatus, developing a parallel project on sustainability, migration, and decolonisation in collaboration with the Black&White: The Migrant Trend platform. The following is based on a remote interview I did on 12 November, 2021 with Nyambo MasaMara, who is one of the case studies of this new project. Please, do not cite without permission. MasaMara is the …

Among its many legacies, colonialism bred a unique fashion culture across the African continent, one that owes its dynamism and innovation to its inner complexities. Designer Wanda LePhoto has been exploring the cultural syncretism of contemporary sartorial expressions in his native South Africa for a long time. “Black Renaissance” is the latest collection of LePhoto’s eponymous brand, peeling back the …

Twyg is a not-for-profit media company founded by Jackie May, a writer and former editor at Marie Claire and The Times and now a full-time sustainability advocate. Twyg officially launched in February 2019 to promote an eco-conscious fashion and lifestyle in South Africa. The company, a member of the Union for Concerned Fashion Researchers, is aligned with the U.N. Sustainable …

Anthony Bila is an acclaimed South African photographer/director, whom I have followed since I began my research and virtually met last year while working on the documentary “African Catwalk” for Italy’s broadcaster, RAI. Bila is one of the first artists that I blogged about and is featured in the documentary, where he describes his practice as capturing the changes happening …

arteBOTANICA launched early this month in Johannesburg to send a message of social responsibility in the setting of the Cradle of Humankind, at Nirox Sculpture Park. Creative director Manthe Ribane, of Dear Ribane collective, chose ethical fashion as the inaugural theme of this annual event that promises to “reveal the exuberant aesthetics and joie de vivre of contemporary Africa”. Ribane lined up some …

Vusie Shabalala (@vusieshabba), the Soweto-based stylist whom I wrote about in July, has just released the first part of a new visual project entitled “Skin color matters” on Instagram. Vusie anticipated it to me in August and I’m happy to share a sneak peek on Afrosartorialism. Racism and colorism are a topic that the 25-year old stylist feels strongly about. …

I’ve been hard at work promoting African Catwalk across Italy and to a couple of universities abroad, in hopes of showing it to as many people as possible. I have been able to more or less schedule two or three screenings that will take place in the fall. So far, so good. Paolo Pisacane (the director) and Gianmarco Altieri (screenwriter) …

African Catwalk is the documentary on South Africa’s fashion that will air on Italian national television tonight at 11:55 p.m. Watch the teaser <https://video.corriere.it/moda/viaggio-dentro-moda-africana/60667f0a-a7db-11e9-87b1-16eba1cb2125> and post your feedback in the comments!

African Catwalk, directed by Paolo Pisacane and produced by Todos Contentos y Yo Tambien for Italy’s National Broadcaster (RAI), is a fashion documentary shot at South African Fashion Week Johannesburg in March 2019. African Catwalk uses the revealing lens of fashion to lead us through the intricacies of the country, its society, its contradictions and its boundless energy. It follows …

Vusimuzi Terrence Shabalala, or Vusie Shabba as he prefers to be called, is a fashion stylist, events organizer, influencer, innovative, dreamer of 25. He was born in Soweto Meadowlands and has been based in Braamficher since 2007. Who is Vusie Shabba and what is your history? I grew up participating in a lot of life skills activities, I grew up …