I personally have a love for popping color, you know like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Yinka Shonibare style! As I was searching for African print home furnishing for my inspirational home decor mood board I came across a picture of this beautiful, bright, yellow chair that had been re-worked with a touch of African print fabric on Tumblr. I simply fell in love with this designers simplistic style and revitalization process of his products. Stated in his bio, North Londoner, Product and Furniture Designer, Yinka Ilori ”aims to challenge perceptions of waste through the regeneration and revitalisation of every-day furniture, where every piece deserves the chance to be loved again.” which is magnificent in my opinion! His choice of materials range from herringbone tweeds to Dutch wax and pairing of color is just as tasty! His designs are definitely for the home owners who love color and print.
You know you want to see more of his designs: www.YinkaIlori.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/yinksdesigns
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yinksdesigns
I know you may think that the beginning of the year starts off slow even though you have been writing down your goals for the new year. Now that the New Year is here, it’s time to take action! You know what they say, “Actions Speak Louder than Words”, but of course in your case actions speak louder than goals.
If you are an artist, designer, craftsman, or a entrepreneur overall you should definitely create a plan to take action in order to begin on the right foot this year.
Below are 4 areas of focus to prepare yourself and your business for the New Year:
1. “Reading Is Fundamental”
Do yourself the favor by giving yourself the advantage of gaining knowledge you need. Start reading newspapers, magazines, and even find blogs in your area of interests. Understand the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal contexts you operate in. In the long-run you will be empowering your leadership skills as your own business woman or man.
2. Improve Your Products:
Begin with researching your product and finding new ways to improve your designs. You can find ways to improve the creation of the product, design, packaging, and branding. Another way to improve your designs or rather give them a new look is to see what is currently trending. Check out accessible trend forecasting websites, blogs, and magazines that provide information on the latest trends. Take time to brainstorm, maybe take a day to sketch out or write down new ideas, and new materials you would like to work with.
3. Brand Yourself:
Find ways to promote your work ,not just on social media sites but in person. If you have someone in mind you would like to design for or do work for, find out their interests, what they buy and why they buy it. Start looking for events that relate to the product you sell or business you have
in order to socialize with the crowd who potentially could be your customers.
4. Travel
When I say travel, yes I mean internationally, but I also mean where you reside. Go visit a museum or random events that involve your focus of business. If you are a designer, maybe attend a Fashion show or museum exhibition of garments. If you are looking to step out of your comfort zone find inspiration and a fresh outlook to life, visit a new destination.
As seen in www.Craft Afrika.com
It’s definitely the perfect time for JCPenney’s(American Retail Store) release of the look-book of their collaboration with Duro Olowu,Nigerian-born Designer and First Lady-approved. It brings us great joy, and we are sure for you all as well, that we can now take a glance at what will be waiting for us in March.
The collection is filled with affordable African-inspired prints, bright colors, flowy dresses, and so much more. Not to mention, his line also consists of an entire line of women’s accessories, shoes, stationery, and decor for your home.
Stated by Olowu himself in a recent press release, “I am proud to partner with JCPenney to create and launch this new seasonal collection. Working with JCPenney has allowed me to merge my vision of style and quality with their affordability, resulting in a line that is stylish, beautifully made and accessible. It has been an exciting experience to bring this fashion and home collection to life.”
Now that the year has come to an end, we are definitely counting down the days till this flirty spring-time collection is available.
Her photographs have been published in worldwide fashion magazines but fashion
photography is not the only sphere she touches upon.
Recently, Leuba was selected as one of the representative photographer to produce a book in collaboration with Goooodie(a Chinese publishing company). In the new edition Intersections, her work was published alongside documenter Zhang Kechun.
Leuba’s work focuses heavily on African identity perceived through western eyes, appropriating the artifacts of Guinean culture and contextualizing the images to fit the westernized perspective. For this publication, Leuba took a trip to Guinea Conakry and studied the rituals artifacts used in Guinea ceremonial structures. Her work explored the concept the of construction and deconstruction of the body as well as the depiction of the invisible.
Purchase the book here: http://www.sndmr.com/intersections.html
One way African designers set themselves apart in the global fashion market is through the traditional fabrics they use to create their garments. Many westerners and Europeans have often seen African cloth as nothing but an artifact to hang in a museum, to depict their appreciation for African textile. Several African designers produce garments using these cloths from their region or country. For example you have the Adire which in the Yoruba language means tie and dye; they are woven and produced by the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria to be worn on special occasions. At the beginning of the 20th century, Adire Eleko was introduced by the Yoruba people. This new Adire was an effort to recycle old discolored cloth by re-dying them. Eleko means “with starch,” the Adire Eleko unlike the previous Adire cloth is hand painted with cassava starch before dyeing the cloth with indigo. Nigerian clothing designer Maki Osakwe (Maki Oh) whose collections always include adire pieces had this to say in an interview with Mariankihogo.com about why she uses Adire cloth.
“[The] use of natural indigo and the Adire dyeing processes is our little contribution to preserving a dying Nigerian art. Adire is one of the few authentic Nigerian fabrics we have. Traditionally, everything from the growing of the cotton to the dyeing of the fabric was (and still is) done on Nigerian soil, and this authenticity appeals to me. Maki Oh’s Adire fabrics are locally dyed in southern Nigeria using methods that have been passed down, unchanged from generation to generation. Adire has also been a staple in the collections as a means to educate the world (this includes Africans) about true African fabrics.”
Adire Eleko is just one of many fabrics used by African designers in the 56 countries on the continent. Designers use these fabrics as a symbol of their culture as stated in the quote above, infuse them with, twenty-first century designs, and creativity to create fashion forward and culturally meaningful garments. These garments can now be worn by those foreign to the cloth because of their modern appeal.
It is no coincidence that the name of this branding and public relations company is also Adiree, which came from the Yoruba word Adire (note the blue color in our logo). The founder, Ms. Adiat Disu, is Nigerian, and also comes from the Yoruba tribe. Disu believed this name would be fitting for a fashion focused company that believed in showcasing African Fashion | Home Decor | Beauty in the most luxurious light.
Calling all stylistas’, Adiree the brains in stilettos, behind the #styleme game on twitter every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!
Diesel SS13 Preview
Diesel and Edun have teamed up to turn a new leaf in Denim. Created by Bono and his wife Ali Hewson, Edun has always been a company to embrace and incorporate its founders’ love for Africa into their production and fashion pieces. After travelling to Africa this past year, Renzo Rosso, founder of Diesel and the Edun masterminds decided to collaborate to further encourage trade and long lasting relationships with African countries and the continent as a whole. After all, that is part of Edun’s mission and what’s a better way to spread encouragement than with a must have on everyone’s list — Jeans.
The collection will be available online and in stores.
Keep a look out for something brand new.
Coming in March 2013.
Link: Diesel + Edun
Did you know, there are currently 165 monarchies in Africa?
Everyone may not be official royalty but the fashion industry surely has pieces that are made for Kings and Queen. Doris And Doris, a modern African clothing designer has authentic African inspired pieces that seem to have come straight from the backs of a royal family. With their low prices for Dashiki dresses and more, anyone can indulge in the high life for one, two, or ten nights out on the town.
African pieces and designs are constantly evolving. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a few pieces that are inspired by an African Royal family in the coming years in fashion. Just a prediction. Tyra pulled it off like an empress in our shown image. We think our fashionistas can do it too.
