I recently picked up the 10-year anniversary issue for one of the most consistently inspiring magazines, Trace Magazine. For as long as I can remember, the editors at Trace have been putting out quality , insightful product, while reporting on unconventional people and places. One of Trace’s strongest points is in it’s ability to highlight style as it exists in different parts of the world. The magazine was one of the first publications which I found that represented Africa in a modern, stylish manner. It might have to do with the founder/editor Claude Grunitzky’s Togolese background or his understanding of what he calls “transculturalism”. He says, “Modern transculturalists are people who can move and learn and function by discovering and influencing cultures that are not their own”, and that has been the focus which has enamored the magazine to progressive people all over the world. They’ve been able to stay relevant for 10 years now and still keep their edge. In the publishing industry, that’s an enormous feat. The 10-year anniversary issue includes an interview with supermodel/entrepreneur Iman where she expands on her feelings about the “I Am African” campaign controversey. Congratulations guys on another inspiring issue.
Tommy Hilfiger and the chaos of NY Fashion Week
It’s that time of year again when any and every person in the fashion industry turns their attention to the tents at Bryant Park for New York Fashion Week. As a veteran of the chaos that descends upon an already chaotic New York City, I too have begun to feel the anticipation of what the Fall 2007 season will bring. For those of us who work in some capacity in the fashion industry it’s a week of constant excitement and anxiety all in one. Beyond the flashing bulbs of the press and celebrities there are a herd of organizers who bear the brunt of making sure the shows go on without a hitch. And with that pressure comes attitudes and personalities which continually make things difficult. From pretentious publicists, to over zealous security guards, to the narcissistic creatives, fashion week is never without it’s drama. But it’s those same personalities which make it all worth it in the end. Those personalities (and the talent behind it) keep you on your toes and fuel the press which in turn sells products which employ us the following season. Now we can all agree that some of the drama is unwarranted, but that’s what makes fashion , well, fashion. It’s the over the top events that create the fantasy which we all buy into when we consider shelling out $500 for a pair of designer shades (well I wouldn’t, but you get what I mean). Now don’t get me wrong, that’s not all there is behind the scenes. As much as there are trying people involved, there are a slew of people who are there to work and support each other to create a healthy industry. Every season I meet amazing people who are a piece of the puzzle needed to make a show or collection successful. Fashion week is always full of ups and downs and each season we all dread it, but as soon as it’s over we wish it weren’t. It’s an overload of creative energy and inspiration that can’t be matched. For a week every six months, we all come together to create an event which influences many other industries throughout the world. As much as fashion week won’t end world hunger, it’s a crucial element behind numerous people who will. And it’s seeing master designers like Giorgio Armani, Diane Von Furstenburg, and Chado Ralph Rucci at work which has drawn me every six months for the last 3 years to the tents at Bryant Park. Who needs school when you can learn from the best when they’re at their most vulnerable. Here’s to all those Africans, from models to tailors to publicists to security guards, making it happen so those masters can shine.
Africa’s Second Life
On Friday I picked up the February 2007 issue of Inc. Magazine and began reading the cover article on Philip Rosendale, CEO of Linden Lab and creator of Second Life. Though my initial experience with Second Life some months ago was not the best, I have been quite intrigued by it’s possibilities as a business platform. Reading stories about American Apparels successful store opening and concerts and chats by artists such as Talib Kweli, all in taking place in Second Life, has had me trying to get my head around this virtual world. I must admit that one of the reasons I abandoned my Second Life persona was I (the second life me that is) ran into a brick wall, literally, and couldn’t get around it. Funny as it may sound, that’s exactly what happened. Reading Mr. Rosendale’s explanation of Second Life the ability it gives you to create a whole new identity and/or brand extension, has got me thinking about getting over that wall.
What does this have to do with Africa you ask? Well one of the things that drew me to Second Life in the first place, besides the business opportunities, was the ability to create your perfect world as an extension of your real world. From a development perspective I see Second Life as a tool which can allow African’s to extend and re-invent ourselves in a world where anything goes. I know that sounds all Matrix-like but bear with me for a second. If Second Life can allow you to create an ideal personality, visit anywhere, and communicate with anyone without the restrictions of geography, government, or language, then it can certainly level the playing field for re-branding Africa. This is not a far fetched notion as Sweden has already announced it’s opening of a Second Life embassy. In a recent article, Mutumwa Mawere, a Zimbabwean born South African businessman, wrote “I am acutely aware that it is difficult to take nationalism out of many Africans but the Second Life offers us an opportunity to go beyond the confines of where one is born to the reality that through others a better Africa is a not a pipe dream.” This statement I guess is key in exploring the possibilities of Second Life. While I’m not one to take on a non-African personality, I think that involvement in Second Life could possibly allow Africans to realistically compete with anyone else without the limitations of the real world, and ,as Mr. Mawere, notes, possibly create a new African identity. Of course I’m saying all this from an office space in NY City with a T-1 connection, but as the global tide changes I think we all need to think outside the box and look to new ways of creating a second reality.
Dover Street (African) Market by Duro Olowu
Nigerian/Jamaican designer Duro Olowu has been busy. Since wooing fashion royalty with his “stunning fluid dresses”, and winning the 2005 New Designer of the Year award at the British Fashion Awards, he has continued to take his Africa-influenced designs mainstream. Now comes news of a new Duro Olowu boutique in the ultra fashionable Dover Street Market, owned by Commes des Garcons’ Rei Kawakubo. Olowu joins cult brands like Number (N)ine, Undercover, and Visvim, and popular brands like Givenchy, Lanvin, and Thom Browne in one of the most creative fashion spaces in London. The Duro Olowu boutique is sure to be a hit when Olowu makes his debut this February 12th at London Fashion Week.
Anyone willing to sponsor a ticket for me to attend?
This week in African Style 1/20 – 1/26/07
• Oprah Winfrey defends her South African school in open letter.
• Dakar Rally takes drivers through Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and ends in Dakar, Senegal.
• Bill Gates and Africa’s green revolution.
• Fashion Television reports fromCape Town Fashion Week Spring 2007
• The World Economic Forum is under way in Davos, Switzerlad and the World Social Forum gets under way in Nairobi Kenya.
• China’s President on tour to teach Africa how to fish.
Illegal Senegalese immigrants model in Spain
In a “show of solidarity toward immigrants” Spanish fashion designer Antonio Miro caused a stir during his Fall/Winter 2007-2008 fashion show in Pasarela, Barcelona yesterday, by allowing eight Senegalese illegal immigrants to model his collection. Mr Miro, who has featured prisoners in past shows, said he wanted to draw attention to the migrants’ plight. The show also featured a battered boat, commonly referred to as a cayucos (crowded open boat), similar to the ones that transport thousands of Africans to the shores of Spain’s Canary Islands each year. At least half of almost 30,000 illegal arrivals in Spain’s Canary Islands, off West Africa, in 2006 were Senegalese. Though Mr. Miro paid some of the immigrants for the work, featuring them has immigrant rights groups divided. Representatives of Senegalese immigrants have called the move frivolous and say the designer is celebrating the dangerous trip the migrants take. Pro-migrant groups though says it’s good that someone other than NGO’s denounce the situation the immigrants are going through when they come by boat to Spain. What do you think?
Peter Beard limited edition book
Some years ago, I was walking through SoHo and came across an exhibit at a nondescript art gallery. I was struck by the large image of a man resting calmly in the gaping mouth of a crocodile. The man was laying on his stomach writing in a journal with his legs extending into the creature’s mouth. Being the ever inquisitive art student, I walked into the gallery and into my first experience with photographer/artist/writer Peter Beard‘s work. When you first happen upon Beard’s work as I did so many years ago, you are at first shocked. There’s blood, old photos, animal skin, and all sorts of other materials. Beard’s work is organized chaos at it’s best and an organic one at that. Beard first started traveling to Africa in 1955 and since then he’s been obsessed with Africa’s land, people, and animals. Beard is one of those artists who lives and breathes his work. He is easily compared to Warhol, in his art and celebrity, but his knowledge of and adoration for Africa sets him apart. Beard recently released a 500-page limited edition book of his work through Taschen books. Follow Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore’s lead and get yourself a copy. If you can’t afford it get a pair of Peter Beard sandals.
Adidas Materials of the World 2007 – Africa
Dazed and Confused Magazine make a mention of the upcoming Adidas X Materials of the World 2007 series. The series began in 2006 and Adidas is continuing it’s tour of the world with the addition of Africa for Spring/Summer 2007. BKRW debuted a few images a few weeks ago with a small description. I especially like the track jacket which has intricate beading and embroidery. The jacket design shows how traditional African crafts can be updated and modernized. I can’t wait to see the products in person.
Via Hypebeast
New (RED) sneakers in NYC and Hawaii
It was only a matter of time until the NY streetwear scene contributed to the African charity trend. SlamXHype points to Complex Magazine’s news that one of NYC’s popular streetwear boutiques, Dave’s Quality Meat, has teamed up with Converse for it’s contribution to the Product (RED) campaign. Dave’s Quality Meat (DQM) has designed a limited-edition (of course) custom Chuck Taylor which will be available at the DQM store in early February. The sneakers will retail for $100 with 10% of sales going directly to Product (Red)’s Global Fund. DQM’s owner, Dave Ortiz, adorned the re-designed Chuck Taylors with hieroglyphics and other esoteric symbols such as the ankh (to symbolize life) and the Egyptian Chnoubis serpent symbol (that represents protection from diseases and poison). Dave said, “Because Product (RED) is about ending AIDS in Africa, I wanted to tie-in symbols from Africa that would represent the fight.â€
This is the third effort from Converse for Product RED. The first was a mud cloth Chuck Taylor, and the second is a collaboration between Hawaaiian streetwear boutique KicksHI, Converse, and Hawaiian designer Sig Zane. The Sig Zane designed Converse will be available at KicksHI in early 2007. Soon you’ll be able to wear African culture from head to toe.
African diamond facts according to Russell Simmons
As I mentioned, yesterday I attended Russell Simmons’ press conference to reveal the results of his fact-finding Africa mission. In attendance was Russell Simmons, Dr. Ben Chavis, Kimora Lee Simmons (Russell insisted she’s still his wife), Rev. Run(Run DMC), the Dipset’s “capo” Jim Jones (again I say, WTF does he have to do with diamonds beside speaking ignorantly about it? update: Jim Jones quote below), actor Jeffrey Wright (said to be doing work in Sierra Leone), Scott Rauch (president of Simmons Jewelry Company), and a bunch of DeBeers and World Diamond Council people. I must admit I was still skeptical about the purpose of the trip and what I felt the results would be. From the video released last thursday, I began to have some hopes about the degree to which Russell was going to find the facts and re-enforce my image of him as the godfather/guru extraordinare of our hip hop generation. I went into the conference with an open mind, and looking to hear from Simmons himself that the mission was a successful one. Ultimately I was disappointed by the whole event.
While news sources report about Simmons’ Green Initiative, and (get this) Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF) , which will “raise money for the development and empowerment of people and communities in Africa where diamonds ar a natural resource”, one key point resounding throughout the press conference was, why didn’t Russell’s entourage visit the countries which are at the heart of the blood diamond debate. As a representative of Global Witness and another reporter (I think she was from AOL Black voices) mentioned, the controversy surrounding diamonds relates more directly to countries like Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia, and Ivory Coast, none of which were visited by Simmons delegation. Instead the focus of the conference and the trip was on Botswana, South Africa, and Mozambique, three countries which, despite reports of displacement of Native Bushmen in Botswana, have very little to do with the conflict diamonds controversy. It’s like saying there’s no racism in America and pointing to Condoleza Rice as an example. Now, some people would say that these three countries are part of the discussion since their diamond production process is a “role-model” for other diamond producing African countries, but there are still many faults even with that. During his short speech a representative from the Debswana Diamond Company, was reminded by Simmons to disclose to the press that the company at the heart of the “successful” diamond mining in Botswana was a 50/50 ownership with DeBeers, the primary company accused of profiting from the blood diamond trade. Simmons had mentioned earlier in the conference that 85% of Botswana’s profits go back to the people of Botswana for education, AIDS treatment, general health insurance and a good portion of the profits from his Simmons Jewelry Company would be re-directed to “help Africans”. But the question kept coming up; why didn’t the delegation leave the confines of the structured Botswana tour and venture into even the smaller towns within the country where reports of exploitation and human rights abuse were coming from. Couple that with the fact that the Simmons’ DEF fund contribution will go to the same Botswana that they claim is so successful in providing for it’s people and you can see why I’m not convinced.
While I think Simmons, and Chavis can do a great deal of good in Africa, my main concern is with the timing of the whole thing. With all the stories going around and reports of the diamond industry spending $15 million on preemptive measures in regards to the effect of the Blood Diamond movie, I can’t believe that Simmons got himself in the middle of this. True, he has a business to run, AND Amnesty International approached him first, but at least he could have attempted to make the “fact-finding” mission look impartial. Everything about the whole mission pointed to a spin campaign on the part of the diamond industry, to the point where a representative from the World Diamond council got up to make a speech about how they are “appreciative of the attention” the movie has brought on their efforts with the Kimberley Process. Even Russell mentioned that he was happy that Leonardo DiCaprio was talking of not boycotting diamonds. As I exited the press conference I ran into the President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, who had reportedly just taped an interview for the Charlie Rose Show which will air tonight on PBS. Russell, I still have faith in you. Do something to make it right.
Quotes from the conference:
• Russell Simmons:
“My (only) agenda is to uplift African people … and all people”
“(I want to ) help strengthen the Kimberley Process”
“Diamonds empower Africans”
• Dr. Ben Chavis:
“The diamond industry promotes good in Africa”
“(I encourage the media to) get the opinion of people who live and work in Africa”
“…most disturbing thing to me (from the trip) was seeing that the reality (of the African diamond situation) was not being covered (by the media)”
• Scott Rauch
“This continent needs help”
• Sheila Khama (De Beers Botswana Chief Executive)
“Please cut us some slack. A lot of good has happened in Botswana because of diamonds.”
update
• Jim Jones
“As rappers we spend tens of millions of dollars a year on jewelry alone. Not just me myself, I’m talking about as a general effort. It’s a service that goes back to the African people that’s been mining all the diamonds that we wear. We should learn about purchasing from them, as opposed to just giving everybody our money because we like what we see.” source