Jimi King on African Fashion and Art
September 5, 2016 § Leave a comment
Jimi King
You can’t call Jimi King a “fashion designer,” even though he is quite a successful one. You can’t really call him an “African artist” either, even though he is an artist, and most definitely a proud African. Like many individual artists in the art and fashion world, Nigerian artist Jimi King is uncomfortable with labels. “I don’t like to be boxed in,” he revealed in an interview with Afrofusion TV on a recent visit to the Washington, DC area during his 2016 summer tour. Given the length and breadth of his experience, it’s understandable. In addition to fashion (wearable art, as he calls it) King does painting, sculpture and music (drumming). He has been a regular in Paris at the UNESCO Africa Week and Bazaar for the past five years, and participated in Africa Fashion Week London during the « Read the rest of this entry »
African Arts and Fashion on Display in DC
May 26, 2016 § 4 Comments
AAFWDC Founder Uche Ibezue (l) with Maria, makeup artist.
When Uche Ibezue of Omak Designs started African Arts and Fashion Week DC, her idea was not simply to bring attention to the nation’s capital as a fashion force. Grabbing the attention of the fashion market, both national and global, was an abiding aspiration. Last week, the third annual AAFWDC featured a panel discussion and fashion showcase, and many of the burning issues regarding African fashion were raised.
A few years ago it was nice to see a number of celebrities wearing African print designs to red carpet events worldwide. Famous names like Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Solange Knowles and her sister Beyonce, Angela Simmons, and even Gwen Stefani were all spotted in gowns and complete sets that were made from African prints like Ankara and Kente. The popularity of those designs has since trickled down to the young ones, the rebellious youth that are always finding innovative ways of expressing themselves. In that vein, a young lady “broke the internet” when she created a stunningly beautiful African print gown, posted it on Instagram, and « Read the rest of this entry »
Kadiatu Kamara and EbonyM Magazine – Fashion and Print Match
December 31, 2012 § 2 Comments
Evelyn Beckley founder of EbonyM and Kadiatu Kamara, designer
When EbonyM Magazine founder Evelyn Beckley decided to launch her new society publication, her choice for the cover feature? Former model and new fashion designer Kadiatu Kamara. So it seemed to follow that both young ladies would choose to do a joint debut, with Kadiatu taking the opportunity to introduce a new fashion line from her boutique. A 2008 Mis West Africa UK, Kadiatu moved back to Sierra Leone in 2011 and opened Vivid Emporium, located in the Aberdeen area of Freetown, Sierra Leone. The show, held on December 27th, was an invitation-only « Read the rest of this entry »
Mother Africa and her Talents
June 12, 2012 § 2 Comments
Mother Africa and her Talents was a night of African Fashion and music last Sunday, with a diverse array of fashions from designers around the diaspora. MCeed by talk show host Sinota Odu, and radio personality David Vandy, it was headlined by Sierra Leone singer Shady, and featured performances that ranged from pop to Gospel to dance. According to founder Fatmata Koroma, the annual event which takes place in the Washington, DC area aims to showcase the beauty, sophistication and diversity of African style and African culture. Be sure to check out the gallery/slideshow of photos that Afrofusion took at the event. Bless…
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- Sierra Leone’s Papa Tee performs
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- Liberian Actresses
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- Designer Seray Grande with her models
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- Gospel singer Giileh
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- Sinota Odu, one of the MCs of the show
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- Sierra Leone’s Papa Tee with MC Sinota Odu
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- Fashion Designer with her models
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- MC David Vandy with Sinota Odu
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- Fashion designers and their models
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- Models from the show
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- Models from the show
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- MC Sinota Odu
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- Sierra Leone’s Shadrach (Shady Baby)
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- Shady serenades the crowd
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- Danielline Moore’s sister!
Related articles
- Sierra Leone fortunes change as diamond trade brings back investment (guardian.co.uk)
Côté Minou Fashion Show at Cafe Asia, featuring Zouk artist Kaysha
December 18, 2010 § Leave a comment
The Fashionistas at Côté Minou are all set to bring you a dazzling showcase of African fashion tonight at Cafe Asia in downtown Washington, DC. It’s a show that celebrates the 5th anniversary of BCBG Productions, an event planning and promotions company that has brought Zouk/Kizomba star Kaysha over from France to perform at the show. Côté Minou was started in 2006 by two ladies from Cameroun, Stephanie Mouapi and Maryanne Mokoko, with the idea of establishing Africa’s place on the world’s fashion map. And they’ve grown steadily since, with several fashion shows and other events in the DC area that have made them a household name in African fashion. Kaysha is a French/Zairean musician whose latest album, “Works of Art” was just released this past week. Kaysha’s breakout hit, Bounce Baby, featured a sample of “Oulé” by Martinique super group Kassav‘ back in 1998. Since then he has branched out into producing, and has started his own record label, Sushiraw. Kaysha will be performing Saturday December 18 in Washington, DC at Cafe Asia, 1720 I Street, and next week will be in New York. For more details on the event, click here. An exciting night of African Fashion and music awaits! Bless… 
Reggae Superstar Jimmy Cliff Delivers Message of Hope to Sierra Leone
November 14, 2010 § 3 Comments
Jimmy Cliff blesses the mic
Perhaps Jimmy Cliff‘s performance of his hit song “I Can See Clearly Now” at the end of the Ms. ECOWAS Peace Pageant should have given the audience an indication of the slant his closing remarks would take. The reggae superstar took on a serious tone as he delivered a call to Sierra Leoneans to “never let foreigners come in and take what is yours.” He had made similar comments on
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