Tsemaye Binitie launched his self-titled women's wear brand in 2010 and since then has consistently delivered on his founding principles of complex minimalism. Often incomporating traditional African aesthetics into contemporary fabrics and sleek sillohettes, Tsemaye produced clothes that are well-finished and wearable by any woman who appreciates a good dress
Offiah is a fashion architect. Her designs always have strong shape and defined lines that are reminiscent of modern building structures, yet a flattering and feminine in their own right. Her most recent collection was in line with that asthetic and her attention to detail and clean finishing were icing on the proverbial cake. Check out a few of my favorite looks from her collection below:
In a short statement about the inspiration for the S/S 2016 "Geometric Fusion" collection, the brand explains that the collection is "[h]eavily influenced by geometry" and "uses tie-dye from Nike Art Gallery and digital images to create hexagon ad triangle tessellation prints." Innovative, yet reflective of culture. Fabulous! Check out a few of my favorites from the collection below:
When I started blogging almost two years ago, I never imagined that my journey would include planning fashion events. The Creative Development Reception was an idea that I developed after participating in a focus group a few months ago for the World Bank's Sierra Leone Diaspora Investment Study. The goal of the study was to collect data on the trends for diaspora investment (beyond just remittances) in Sierra Leone. After the study was completed, they planned a full day forum to discuss the results of the survey and needed an idea for a reception to close out the event. Fortunately, I was able to convince the organizers of the forum that a small fashion presentation would be both an enjoyable closeout to the forum and an excellent demonstration of the potential for sustainable development through investment in Sierra Leone's fashion industry.
The only thing better than one fashionable person is two, and today we're profiling the fierce fashion duo Mr. & Mrs. Jalloh of Philadelphia.
Sierra Leoneans look forward to food, celebrations and statement fashion at every holiday regardless of religious affiliation, and EID is no exception. Designer Adama Paris wets our fasting appetites as the Islamic holy month winds to a close with modest & elegant pieces from her EID capsule collection.
I attended my first Ghanian wedding this weekend and I was honestly at a loss for what to wear until the very last minute. I didn't know the couple so I didn't have any material to sew but I still wanted to wear something cultural. I ended up pairing a Christie Brown (Ghanian designer) necklace with a dress from the H&M conscious collection (a couple seasons old). I think it worked out fine:
We were excited to catch a glimpse of NYC based designer Laquan Smith's spring 2016 collection which debuted during NYFW this week at the Refinery Rooftop.
Aurora James, the creative director of Brother Vellies is as passionate about the impact of her brand as she is about its designs. Her shoe line expanded into purses and clothing with the launch of its Spring 2016 collection and it's no wonder that the brand is attracting major attention. In addition to garnering support from industry anchors such as Vogue and the CDFA, the brand earned the indelible gold star of attracting music/design mogul Kanye West to peruse its presentation.
In addition to intricate beadwork and fur and feather accoutrements, conscientiousness is woven into the fabric of Brother Vellies' products. When asked about choosing sustainable processes, James notes that using leather from an animal that's already eaten is an obvious preference to any alternative. With regard to charity, she notes that her focus is on empowerment through long term job creation rather than brief or intermittent brand collaborations as those may place artisans in worse predicaments than if they had never worked. The brand's items are hand made in Kenya, Namibia and South Africa. James has also mentioned that she is careful to incorporate design methods that are already in use in the regions in which she produces because this results in a more natural design process. The result of her careful development is a brand whose products embody luxury; creating value and cultural appreciation for both the consumer and the producer.
Brother Vellies shoes were also featured in the Ryan Roche presentation below:
What do you think of Brother Vellies?
All photos courtesy of Instagram.
I met Latonya last year through work and we bonded over our love of fashion and fought about my disdain for Kanye (lol)! I decided to do a feature on Latonya after observing her amazing work style on a daily basis, but fashion sense aside, what I admire most about Latonya is her unwavering determination to remain true to herself. Being yourself and expressing yourself honestly seems like the simplest concept. However, in a world where snap judgements are made about the content of your character based on whether you wear your hoodie up or down, for instance, it can be very difficult to block out the noise of societal expectations and follow your unique inner voice.
