I have always felt that the land of Africa is the place that can best respect nature. Ancient Egyptian civilization in North Africa, the purest blue in the ancient capital of Morocco; under Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in East Africa is half of the equatorial snow-capped mountains and half of the grasslands where wild monsters live; Namibia, South Africa has the oldest desolate red dunes coexistence of desert seas.

If I boarded the "African Pride" train in Cape Town, I would like to explore the glorious charm of "African elements" on top of this mysterious and primitive civilization.

"Out of narrow black fashion"

In the 1960s, Mali Sidibé, a photographer from Mali, Africa, took a series of photographs focusing on the nightlife of the Mali capital Bamako, which became a window for the fashion industry to restore African elements.

When taking this group of photos, it was exactly two years after Mali's independence. This group of African young people swayed under the music of the record player. They like to wear suits, elegant robes and accessories headbands with unique prints. The stereotypes of African elements are different.

For a long time, people's appreciation of African style is mostly "strange, primitive and rough." Even when transformed into the fashion world, African style can only be interpreted as a weird headwear that made of branches, or a beast leopard print with primitive jungle style. In fact, Africa has never been absent on the fashion stage.

In the 1960s, Kwame Brathwaite founded a group called Grandassa Models. ("Grandassa" is derived from the term "Grandassaland", which was used by black nationalist Carlos Cooks to refer to Africa.) They use fashion and aesthetics as a medium to fight racial discrimination. They re-interpreted black aesthetics, African clothing elements and natural hairstyles in a very different and elegant charm, and also became an important source of inspiration for mainstream designers after many years. More importantly, this group brings together musicians, writers, and politicians, and drives the black movement, which reaches more levels.

In May of this year, Rihanna's first Fenty collection with LVMH came out. Behind many voices of controversy, we cast our eyes on Rihanna's tribute to Grandassa Models, so that in the 21st century Internet era, the spirit of Kwame can be regained, and a gentle interrogation in the name of fashion.

"The Rise of African Design Power"

In the fashion world, early African styles also belonged to colonial rulers, a tone set by French designer Yves Saint Laurent.

In the 1970s, when Yves Saint Laurent was most creative, he launched a set of African-themed clothing, which is more like Africa in the eyes of Westerners, without the towering headwear and printed dresses of aboriginal people. Yves Saint Laurent restores the plunder and expansion of Westerners in Africa. On the fashion runway, he constantly gave women the identity of men's under the times. In the African theme, he made every female model dressed as a hunter active in the African jungle.

For the Dior Spring Tour 2020 sesies, batik fabric and African lion pattern emphasize the power of nature. The printing on hazel silk and silk renders the beauty of national and contemporary integration. The collision with African culture shows a cultural tolerance that is independent and coexistent with each other.

In the fashion runway since then, African style has not become a mainstream element like Bohemian style or punk style, it always appears in the form of supporting roles around other styles. Adding some African flair to other themes is like adding an unknown mystery or spaceism from the future.

But from the moment Thebe Magugu took the rookie award, we seemed to suddenly discover that everything is different now.

T h e b e M a g u g u

This year's LVMH prize can be said to be a recognition of African fashion power, and Thebe Magugu became the first award-winning South African designer. Since the creation of the eponymous brand in 2016, he has been committed to creating clothing that blends the proportions of South Africa's traditional and modern shapes, and can focus on the needs of both beauty and functionality in women's clothing.

The fall / winter 2018 series designers replaced the fashion models with scarecrows in the wilderness, took a fashion album, and formed a personal short story: an ode to women. The unique form of expression is really refreshing. This piece of rice grass seems to be immersed in another world. Combining costumes with the legends of the African continent, we strive to show women's unparalleled beauty and wildness.

At the same time, Nigerian designer Kenneth Ize was also shortlisted for this award. They are talented and have a mission. Ize hopes to create education and employment opportunities for locals through fashion. Magugu publishes magazines while designing and producing fashion, and uses contemporary social reviews to push contemporary African design to the next chapter. This is a long and late transition, and it also marks the rise of African fashion power.

And apart from Thebe Magugu, which we know because of LVMH, what other young fashion powers in Africa?

R I C H M N I S I

RICH MNISI is a contemporary fashion brand based on South Africa in 2014. With the global perspective of an industrialized market, to explore the treasures of African memory and the world's modern cultural heritage. In the world of popular culture, the brand maintains a contemporary style and brings artistic imagination world stands firm for a common aesthetic. With its extremely minimalist structure, RICH MNISI has given birth to new levels and areas of fashion, including film, music, art and inspired inspirations from external sources of nature.

// RICH MNISI2017 spring and summer theme: "Neck". Inspired by African Giraffe, the African giraffe attracts viewers and awe with its mysterious power. The giraffe's pattern symbolizes Africa.

a w a l e s t u d i o

Awale studio is a multicultural Paris concept, founded in 2017 by Jad Fardon, through fashion and lifestyle capsules, the brand explores stories in everyday life, inspired by places that designers have visited during their childhood in Côte d'Ivoire and on the go Encounter.

Awale studio's signature fabric is made from organic cotton in Korhogo, northern Côte d'Ivoire. (Cultivated by local traditional methods, hand-spun by women in the village and then hand-woven by men) And dyes and dyed fabrics are completely realized by natural pigments. Most of the more popular jewellery also draw from African bronze craftsmanship.

Africa today is taking root on the world's fashion stage. Maybe it's time for us to look around and see what surprises are waiting for us in this mysterious intercontinental.

View more fashion African trend style: https://www.popfashioninfo.com/styles/reg_4/