We have all seen the social media posts of celebrities draped in designer clothing from head to toe while simply running their daily errands, in awe of the sheer opulence of it all. We have dreamt about owning and experiencing garments and grails that serve their purpose not only through their prime function – as…
It is no secret that the global retail industry, especially fashion retail, has struggled for sustainable growth over the last decade. In what has been coined as the ‘Retail Apocalypse’, writer Bobby Stephens mentions that industry pundits acknowledge that close to 8 642 retail stores will have to close in North America alone. Propagated by…
If it’s not Playboi Carti for Givenchy, then it’s Tyler the Creator for Louis Vuitton, or even Travis Scott for Dior Homme — the list could go on and on. But is there anything else you notice within these listed rapper meets brand collaborations, aside from the fact that the world’s biggest luxury fashion houses are…
“My ethos as a designer is so heavily influenced by my upbringing and the Tsonga community. They celebrate themselves through the textures and colours of their clothes and are very proud of who they are.” — Rich Mnisi for Paper Having recently concluded his residency — Nyoka — at Southern Guild, Rich Mnisi collaborates with…
Somewhere in Kilimani, a district located on the outskirts of Nairobi, an unsuspecting studio hides within the city’s concrete jungle. Here you’ll find Studio18, a design hub that’s blossomed into the heart of Kenyan streetwear. The creative space serves as the workshop, office and chillspot for the four fashion entrepreneurs behind the popular streetwear brands…
In kilt with Black History Month in America, the month of February ushered in the New York Fashion Week Autumn-Winter 2022 season — with a mixed batch of digital and live shows taking place all over the city. With the return of Black creative mavens such as Shayne Oliver and LaQuan Smith to the NYFW…
Just a couple of days ago, I was fortunate enough to lock into an email exchange with an emerging Brazilian stylist and model — Juliana Santos — all the way from São Paulo, Brazil. Juliana is a 25 year old Black, Brazilian femme who studied fashion at Senac, an esteemed institution — after graduating…
Mijo is a modern interpretation of the age-old story of King Midas. King Midas was a wealthy king who had everything he could possibly want. In greed, when offered to be granted one wish by Dionysus, he wishes that everything he touches turn to gold — an impending recipe for disaster. As promised, everything he…
Is print really dead? Was it ever really dead to begin with? If you ask Antoine Grégory — fashion stylist, consultant, brand director of Theophilio and founder of Black Fashion Fair — I’m certain the answer is a conclusive “no, print was never dead.” Black Fashion Fair is defined as a conceptual retail, educational and cultural…
90s nostalgia has been permeating mass popular, media and fashion culture(s) for a little over a while now — with a little over a while being 5 years or so. Perhaps this has something to do with the global spread of Pan African media cultures through the rise of Nollywood and subsequent new media cultures…
*This essay forms part of Bubblegum’s Collaboration with Bag Factory and their visiting curator from Uganda, EM Mirembe. Aiduke is a pop-up clothing shop that opened on 4th December 2021 in Muyenga, one of the more well-off neighbourhoods in Kampala. For now it lives in an innocuous room at the entrance of Tank Hill Park, an airy wood-roofed…
In every industry, there are many contributors whose labour goes un/under recognised. It’s not until very recently that I started to notice the incredible and inspiring work that stylists contribute (Thank you Styling Hollywood). Unlike the designer — whose name is often directly linked to the garments and fashion houses — the work of the…
