BEAUTY AND FASHION - The African Mirror

Sep

2023

The power of needlework: how embroidery is helping South African women tell unspeakable stories

IN June 2020, three months after South Africa entered the first of a series of hard lockdowns to slow the spread of COVID, the country’s president Cyril Ramaphosa described men’s violence against women as a “second pandemic”. In the first three weeks of that lockdown the Gender Based Violence Command Centre, designed to support victims of gender-based violence (GBV), recorded more than 120,000 victims. Also in its 2019/2020 crimes statistics, the South African Police Services indicated that an average of 116 rape cases were reported each day. PULENG SEGALO, Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair, University of South Africa While South…

Jul

2023

By The African Mirror

House of BNG partners with Miss South Africa

BEAUTY AND FASHION

HOUSE of BNG, one of South Africa's leading MCC brands, is thrilled to announce its continued partnership with the prestigious Miss South Africa pageant. The collaboration coincides with the launch of the exciting reality series "Crown Chasers," where Bonang Matheba, the owner of The House of BNG, will serve as a resident judge. The five-episode show is set to premiere on SABC 3 this Sunday, the 9th of July at 4 pm. ABOUT HOUSE OF BNG House of BNG is a leading luxury beverage brand founded by Bonang Matheba. The brand offers a range of premium sparkling wines, synonymous with…

Jun

2023

By ANGE KUMASI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Côte d’Ivoire: Cosmetic queen strikes gold

BEAUTY AND FASHION

27-YEAR-OLD Mouahié Kouassi is in a hurry to get to her cosmetics store in the upmarket suburb of Cocody in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. She needs to urgently take stock of her inventory and review the sales from the previous week, as she's worried about a possible delay in stock deliveries. "Our production plant is undergoing renovation, and we have taken all necessary measures to ensure our products are still available in our commercial spaces. But I still need to confirm that we have enough remaining stock to fulfil client orders," she explains. Kouassi, who holds degrees in biological engineering and…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

This cowhorn luxury jewellery brand with a Bugandan name is going global

BEAUTY AND FASHION

CHARLES WACHIRA, BIRD STORY AGENCY WHAT would a vice president at SC Johnson Business School at Cornell University in the United States, an interior design ambassador in New York, and an associate professor at America's first research university, have in common? Wamwari Waichungo is Vice President for Global Safety Assessment and Regulatory Affairs at SC Johnson, Patti Carpenter is based in New York City and is global trend ambassador for Maison et Objet, a prominent French trade fair for interior design, while Marlene Williams is Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The answer is that despite…

Feb

2023

By FARAH SAAFAN and AIDAN LEWIS

Fashion meets politics in Nigerian elections

BEAUTY AND FASHION

TOO stylish for political party T-shirts and caps, some fashionistas in Nigeria are donning the colours and faces of their preferred candidates for a presidential election this month in designer outfits. Ahead of the February 25 vote, political rallies and campaign events have become catwalks for colourful printed fabrics twisted into elaborate dresses, tunics and headscarves. For many, it is also an opportunity to wear elegant spins on the traditional dress rather than more casual, Western-style clothes most city dwellers use for work and daily life. Opposition Labour Party (LP) youth leader Kennedy Ahanotu attended an event in Lagos in…

Dec

2022

By The African Mirror

Ghana’s vintage enthusiasts give new life to Western clothing waste

BEAUTY AND FASHION

FRANCIS KOKOROKO and COOPER INVEEN AS the sun set on a courtyard of shipping containers in Ghana's capital Accra, young men and women in Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead and tie-dye tees bartered over army surplus jackets and Adidas sneakers while a live deejay spun Afrobeat classics. The Vintage Gala, as 23-year-old founders Prince Quist and James Edem Doe Dartey dubbed it, brought together a movement of young vintage enthusiasts pushing back against the global fast fashion industry by encouraging their peers to shop secondhand. "If you wear clothes that were made back in the day...you're helping the environment by not…

Dec

2022

By The African Mirror

Meet Carole Lubelo, the young Liswati fashion designer on the rise

BEAUTY AND FASHION

NOKUKHANYA MUSI, BIRD STORY AGENCY IN 2015, Carole Mngometulu took a bold, risky step. With no formal training, no money, and no mentor, she started on a new journey, determined to become a fashion designer. 'I only had God and my sewing machine," she explained. Closed off from most of the world during her boarding school days, it wasn't until her final year at high school that she learned of the fashion scene in Eswatini. Then, fresh out of high school, she landed her first job at Woolworth's retail clothing store, where she sketched and sewed, during her lunch break.…

Jul

2022

By ALAN BALDWIN

Fashion Brand Hugo Boss returns to F1 with Aston Martin

BEAUTY AND FASHION

GERMAN fashion brand Hugo Boss announced it was returning to Formula One with the Aston Martin team, five years after leaving for the electric Formula E series. The deal announced at the British Grand Prix on Thursday and initially running until 2025, will see Boss branding on the F1 cars with immediate effect and the company providing team apparel from 2023. Hugo Boss Chief executive Daniel Grieder told Reuters the pull of Netflix's "Drive to Survive" docu-series, new rules to make racing more competitive and a push for sustainability were compelling factors. A 30-year friendship with Aston Martin's Canadian billionaire…

Sep

2022

By The African Mirror

FASHION: GifaarT: How the headscarf became a symbol of pride for African women

BEAUTY AND FASHION

MOHAMED NDJIM, BIRD STORY AGENCY JUST how important is the headscarf to African dress? To answer this, consider that the finale of the month-long 13th edition of the Biennale of Contemporary African Art, held in Dakar, saw the spotlight switch to a very colourful, very African and, it would appear, timeless, "personality". Hosted by Maguette Guèye and Bineta Seck, the special show was branded ‘Gifaart,' - 'headscarf' in Senegal's Balante language. The show revisited the traditional dress of several African ethnic groups, including the Lebou, Signares, Balantes, Bédiks, Coniaguis, and Bassaris, with the headscarf the star of the show. The…

Jun

2020

By The African Mirror

African Fashion Fund to offer COVID-19 Relief

BEAUTY AND FASHION

The fashion fund aims to offer relief and economical exposure to African fashion businesses AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER Ghanian businesswoman Roberta Annan has announced that the African Fashion Fund with the United Nations (UN) will invest a large portion of their funds into the businesses of African fashion designers affected by COVID-19. Annan spoke to the UN on Tuesday about the decision and how the funds will be coordinated to various African designers, brands and fashion organisations from August this year. “We must use the COVID pandemic as an opportunity to redefine sustainability – not just for Africa but for the…