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Mastering an age-old tradition has given Fatma Hina space to perfect her art – and generate an income

Mastering an age-old tradition has given Fatma Hina space to perfect her art – and generate an income

A crowd has assembled on both sides of a narrow street in the Swahili Town of Lamu, making it difficult to see what has drawn so many people onto the road. From the sound of the festivities and the cries of approval from the crowd, it is something worth seeing. Today's crowd is a mixture of tourists and local townsfolk, with people in Western attire mingling with those dressed in more traditional garb. They are all here to witness the Lamu Cultural Festival. In the crowd, a woman and two children mingle. The mother's hat, worn over hijab, gives her…
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Gucci opens Milan Fashion Week with De Sarno’s dressy looks for men

Gucci opens Milan Fashion Week with De Sarno’s dressy looks for men

GUCCI creative director Sabato De Sarno kicked off Milan Fashion Week with a lineup of refined tailoring for men, adding touches of sparkle to a sombre colour palette for his aesthetic reset of the Kering-owned label. Models strode down a sparse, concrete runway on chunky-soled loafers, parading floor-sweeping overcoats with long slits up the back, double-breasted suit jackets stripped of buttons and trousers cut above the ankles. Accessories included shiny Jackie handbags in burgundy, beige or pea green -- often clutched with matching gloves -- and chunky jewellery worn over bare chests. De Sarno's second catwalk outing comes as products from…
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Nigeria’s flamboyant aso ebi dressing style is popular – but it’s become a financial burden

Nigeria’s flamboyant aso ebi dressing style is popular – but it’s become a financial burden

ASO EBI – “family uniform” – is the Yoruba custom of people dressing alike for social events. The custom is rooted in kinship (ebi), an important aspect of Yoruba social life since precolonial times in what’s now south-west Nigeria. Words like molebi (kinsmen) and olori ebi (head of the family) point to the importance of kinship in this culture. The saying eni to so ebi e nu, apo iya lo so ko literally translates as “whoever deserts his kinsmen straps on his/her shoulder a satchel of misfortune”. Aso ebi expresses these values visibly: uniform dressing is intended to reinforce unity…
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This runway model is campaigning against gender-based violence in the fashion industry

This runway model is campaigning against gender-based violence in the fashion industry

ENTERING Watamu town in Kilifi County, north of Mombasa on the Indian Ocean, it is immediately apparent that an awareness of gender-based violence is widespread. The ‘RED CARD CAMPAIGN FASHION SHOW’ advertised loudly on a billboard at the town's entrance displays an image of international runway model Sharon Okubo. The RED CARD campaign is a symbolic call-out to get the wider society to get involved in penalising gender-based discrimination and violence. Started by the non-profit African Renaissance and Diaspora Networks (ARDN), Okubo is an ambassador for the campaign, working closely with models and designers who are survivors of gender-based violence.…
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Africa poised to be a world fashion leader – UN report

Africa poised to be a world fashion leader – UN report

AFRICA’S young, innovative, and growing population, a rising middle class, rapid urbanization, and increased government support are some of the factors fueling the African fashion sector, according to a new UNESCO report. The report, 'The Fashion Sector in Africa: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities for Growth,' unveiled on October 26 during the 13th edition of the Lagos Fashion Week, shows that “the continent holds all the cards to become one of the next world fashion leaders.” “The potential is enormous, not only for the economy but also for young people’s inclusion, women’s empowerment, and for African culture to resonate globally,” Audrey…
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Adidas and Puma eye chances in soccer’s fashion moment

Adidas and Puma eye chances in soccer’s fashion moment

SPORTSWEAR brands like Adidas and Puma are seeking to take advantage of a flirtation with soccer by the fashion world to reach a new customer base, building in part on demand created by this summer's successful Women's World Cup. With celebrities like Kim Kardashian seen attending matches and wearing soccer jerseys, clubs too spy new merchandising opportunities. One Premiership team has hired a creative director to expand its apparel offering, while Adidas in September launched an "exclusively off-pitch" apparel collection for some of the big-name teams it sponsors. "The love-in between football and fashion is only just beginning," said Richard…
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Izikhothane: a deeper history of a South African youth subculture where luxury items are trashed

Izikhothane: a deeper history of a South African youth subculture where luxury items are trashed

IN South Africa, a skhothane is a young, fashionably dressed black urban resident who engages in destructive conspicuous consumption. This involves regular get-togethers on weekends in which groups of izikhothane – most likely male teenagers – gather to compete in mock battles where luxury items are often destroyed. The name is derived from a word in the Zulu language, ukukhotha, meaning “to lick”, but in urban slang it means to boast. MTHOBELI NGCONGO, Lecturer in Communication Science, University of the Free State SIFISO MNISI, Senior Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Johannesburg There’s no consensus about when exactly this…
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Pioneering African fashion brand GALXBOY expanding their nationwide footprint

Pioneering African fashion brand GALXBOY expanding their nationwide footprint

GALXBOY, the trailblazing South African fashion brand known for its innovative designs and unique cultural fusion, is proud to announce its recent expansion into new cities, solidifying its commitment to captivating fashion enthusiasts across the nation. Founded in 2008, the youth fashion brand has experienced remarkable growth, opening its doors to the vibrant community of Cape Town at the V&A Waterfront last month and most recently launching in Emalahleni this past weekend. With a dynamic vision for the future, the popular streetwear brand is now setting its sights on Polokwane and Durban as the next destinations on its nationwide expansion…
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The Kenyan entrepreneur turning fish waste into fashion

The Kenyan entrepreneur turning fish waste into fashion

WALKING along the shores of Lake Victoria in his home town of Kisumu, Newton Owino, a chemist, witnessed vast quantities of fish waste dumped by the fishing industry. So, in 2012, he took a leap of faith and established a business. "Every day, tonnes of fish skins were discarded and treated as waste. I saw an opportunity to turn this waste into something valuable and environmentally friendly. That's when I decided to explore the possibilities of fish leather,” the entrepreneur explained. Owino is the holder of a Bachelor of Science in Leather Chemistry from Pantnagar University, India. He also worked…
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The power of needlework: how embroidery is helping South African women tell unspeakable stories

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…
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