FASHION | AFRICA | NOW

Enjoy the flow that Senegalese-born New York-based international known photographer, Delphine Diallo, releases as she liberally shares her journey of enlightenment; working as a talented graphic designer in the Parisian creative scene yet not able to get past the glass ceiling in the corporate art world. A climactic epiphany for change and a divinely orchestrated connection with the legendary Peter Beard saw her to collaborate on the Pirelli calendar shoot in Botswana. This turning point led to an awakening that saw her begin her own vision quest. Delphine describes herself as predominantly a student before a photographer, exploring realms of spirituality, science, anthropology and martial arts and shifting through the third, fourth, fifth and sixth dimensions, creating her own realities. Proud of her African origin and drawing from the power of her heritage, we hear how she engages with the energies of empowering black females and aims to accelerate levels of consciousness through her work. Known for portraiture and her focus on the black female body, Delphine is passionate about the reconstruction of the African woman and capturing the truth that is covered by the patriarchal white male gaze smokescreen that dominates the global visual language.

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Skander Negasi, CEO of Trade and Fairs GmbH, introduces us to the developing fashion and textile hub in East Africa. With manufacturing costs increasing in Europe and Asia, buyers are looking for new destinations. Following the successful launch of the Origin Africa trade show in 2012 in Ethiopia alongside US Aid, since then many international trade fairs, events & conferences within different industries, including textile, apparel and fashion have been organised. He is responsible for the biggest exhibition of this nature in Africa, the Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) in Addis Ababa. The ASFW hosts over 4000 exhibitors and 6000 trade buyers. This includes H&M, Hugo Boss, Mango, Zara and more; and of course smaller local boutique designers and craftsmen are included, as well as huge industrial factory equipment. The main trends Skander highlights are the digitalisation of goods, sustainable production of fabric, and the practice of African Continental Free Trade (Africans doing business with Africans). For many African designers keen to expand their retail horizons, we encourage listening to Skander’s global insights from a business and trade perspective, “Without investment you don’t get anything…this is the homework for African designers… to promote their brand and work with shops… if they always depend on supporters, then it’s going to be very very tough.”

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For our 19th Episode, we met with Seju Alero Mike, creative entrepreneur from Nigeria. She’s a hybrid of emerging talent of combined passion for the creative space and methodological expertise. In Seju’s case, it is rooted in finance. Seju is the founder and lead curator of OSENGWA; an online platform featuring contemporary African art, fashion and music conceived by artists at the forefront of today’s Neo-African movement. In 2016 OSENGWA & The Monroe Trust presented the Afro Frontal exhibition in celebration of the Grand Opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. More recently in 2020 Seju launched iRAAMi, an app which helps Africans in the diaspora find resources and experiences that connect them with the continent and one another. “We are always buying things from the West… I think it’s important that we also export. Not just physical goods but creative capital and intellectual capital”. Despite the turbulence of 2020, particularly for Black lives globally with the eruption of BLM and EndSars, but also the restrictions that came with the pandemic, Seju used the opportunity as a catalyst and leverage to establish and grow her entrepreneurial plans by moving back to Lagos, Nigeria from the US. Her eCommerce acumen contributes to the expansion of digitalisation on the continent.

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Soji Solarin is a Nigerian born contemporary fashion designer whose experience and perception on racism in Germany and world view offer a unique perspective on ‘Blackness’. Moving to America from Nigeria at the age of 13, he’s drawn inspiration from hidden figures such as the Black cowboys in America, which we later see reflected in Soji’s first collection “Negro Cowboys“. From Nigeria to Maryland, Los Angeles, lang haul to Berlin, where he’s now based, to Moscow where he debuted his Spring 2020 collection at MBFW - Soji has been able to identify and distinguish the disparities in how he’s been received as a Nigerian-born, but also more encompassing, as a Black person. “It’s very easy for white people to just like find their place and their identity… and Black people just have to search around.” The different nuances and racial climates has propelled his approach when designing his collections, to reflect the global malleability and pride of Blackness. “I would love to be part of why people see Black people in a better light.. and contribute something fruitful to the world”.

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Ibaaku joins us for our #16episode all the way from Senegal - sonic poet, visual artist, composer, radio presenter and platform founder. This multi talented artist shares with us extensive insight into the African music scene. In true Fashion Africa Now style, the topic of fashion and music is explored on the African scene; Ibaaku describes  fashion and music as “two expressions that go together. For me it’s a way to give body to the music, give body to the frequency… fashion and music are really intertwined”. Starting out as early as 2001, interesting observations are made from this well-versed musician. He touches on the gaps in the African music scene and the distinction of francophone musicians with historical constructs. Drawing inspiration from hip hop, jazz, afro music, funk and reggae at an earlier age, Ibaaku recounts his transition into the alternative music scene, away from mimicking other cultures and sounds and honing his own. In 2016 Ibaaku’s album, Alien Cartoon, pioneered the afrofuturism sound across Africa and the international stage. The goal is to keep the Senegalese culture alive, African culture and black people. In doing so he has collaborated with many Artists across the continent, recently pioneering a platform to connect alternative artists in Africa.

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A career in fashion fuelled by passion, YEGA talks to Beatrace and gives the exposé on her spontaneous journey to becoming an established fashion illustrator. Luxury fashion, editorial and bespoke art, the unique combination of design, fine art and commerciality is what makes fashion illustration niche in the art form world for many Africans. This is why YEGA has found much of her success in the Middle East and Europe. Her illustrations have covered the walls in the Dubai Mall, they have been displayed in Harrods, graced the cover of Vogue Arabia in 2017 and featured in British Vogue in 2020. The traditional career ideals that many with Nigerian backgrounds face, led to a career start in law before her trajectory change to fashion illustration. “Talent is only helped when there is opportunity” - poignant words recognising the challenges in finance and representation. *Breaking ground in uncharted territory as a black female fashion illustrator, YEGA has recently founded the platform, Fashion Illustrator Africa.*

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Chebet Mutai gives an exposé from a global perspective into the fashion and textile industry all the way from Nairobi, Kenya. Her break into the fashion scene has been solution-orientated. Chebet founded the luxury lifestyle brand, Wazawazi that specialises in leather accessories, reflecting beauty and the progressive nature of Kenya, and by extension, Africa. Providing training, up-skilling, and generating economic value to the local community is at the helm of her brand. With a background in development and having worked at the World Bank, the discussion of the West promoting ‘ethical fashion’ prompts exposure to what the normality of fashion was like before this. Governance on what is deemed ethical can’t simply be applied to African fashion brands and companies when the nature and lifestyle of creativity in Africa is not exploitive. The Eurocentric assumption that “the politics of leather in Europe is the same as the politics of leather here”, when hide is a by-product and creates a whole new industry [leather production]. The dilemma of development and foreign aid to reduce poverty while the second hand clothing trade is directly detrimental to the local and Made-In-Africa textile and clothing industry is troubling to Chebet, who is determined to generate wealth and leverage her opportunities and connections for Kenya.

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The rise in black platforms promoting and celebrating Africa has been instrumental in raising cultural pride and and expectations of the Continent. Hubs of creativity, fashion, innovation business and entrepreneurship are rapidly springing forth and advancing with technology. And there are those non African who have invested their time and passion into the Continent, seeking commonality. Style anthropologist, writer, creative producer and part-time DJ, Carmen Hogg from Amsterdam, represents this through her work. Her individualistic approach has seen her frequent Ghana and Nigeria where she has established herself within a network of like-minded creatives. A sensitive, honest and thought-provoking discussion with Beatrace takes place on the erupting climate of race talks and the perceptions of her white background in the midst of Black creativity. “I love Lagos. Beautiful things happen there… My mentality matches with the mentality of Lagosians because I’m fast and direct. If I want something I’ll go for it.”

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Out of the Pearl of Africa is an erupting fashion scene. A Ugandan special with guests, Tazibone Solomon in Kampala and Ssonko Brian in Jinja, hosted by Beatrace Angut Oola out in the Diaspora in Germany, also originally from Uganda. Solomon brings a wealth of experience in Ugandan celebrity glamour, couture, media and entertainment. While Ssonko empowers local communities, artisanal production, textile innovation and advocates for sustainability. The multifaceted nature of fashion and its impact is revealed in the recounts of these two successful creatives, whose paths hadn’t yet crossed in Uganda’s burgeoning fashion scene. These two undeniably have different styles and experiences, but agree on the need for national infrastructure to support the ecosystem of fashion and emerging designers - a change in narrative! “If we all come together as designers and see how we can re-embark on this and create a general market for fashion” (Ssonko).

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