BEAUTY AND FASHION - The African Mirror

Aug

2020

Black designers lead push for a more diverse fashion industry

THIN LEI WIN and NELLIE PEYTON BRITISH-BORN Ghanaian designer Samata Pattinson taught herself to sew, launched her own label before the age of 30 and now runs an initiative showcasing sustainable fashion on the Oscars red carpet. She has found success in a cut-throat industry, but has never been allowed to forget her differences as a Black woman surrounded by mostly white executives, designers and models. "You feel like you're in the room, and then there's another VIP room and you can't get into that one," Pattinson told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a phone interview. "There's pressure because you're…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Footballer who tackled poverty stars in British Vogue’s Black ‘hope’ issue

BEAUTY AND FASHION

DARNELL CHRISTIE FOOTBALLER Marcus Rashford, whose campaigning pushed the government to change policy on free school meals, has won further recognition for his poverty-fighting efforts - starring on the cover of a British Vogue edition celebrating Black leaders. The Manchester United and England forward appears alongside fashion model and mental health campaigner Adwoa Aboah on the cover of September's magazine, which features them and other activists including leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement. Rashford and Aboah were photographed by Misan Harriman, who became the first Black man to photograph the cover image in the iconic magazine's 104-year history. Rashford,…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Hair is just not hair

BEAUTY AND FASHION

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER BLACK women’s hair styled not only contributes to their physical beauty but also determines their job prospects, a new study has revealed. According to CNN, black women with natural hairstyles, which include traditional afros, braids and twists are less likely to secure job interviews than white women or black women with straightened hair. The CNN report is based on studies carried out by researchers from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. According to participants in the studies, natural black hairstyles were perceived as less professional. The effect of the perception is particularly pronounced in industries where a…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Queen B wears Rich Mnisi…

BEAUTY AND FASHION

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER IT’S every fashion designer’s dream to have their garments won by famous celebrities. It’s equally every popular celebrity’s desire to wear exclusive design bearing the name that the rich and famous yearn for. When these two dreams collide, they create magic. And so it has been for the media personality, mega influencer, model and founder of The@houseofbng Bonang Matheba, aka Queen B, and Rich Mnisi, one of the most talented and sought after fashion designers. Queen B drew excitement from the millions that follow her on social media when she posted pictures of her stylish self, wearing…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Zalando launches diversity drive after racism investigation

BEAUTY AND FASHION

GERMAN online fashion retailer Zalando has pledged to use more brands linked to Black and other minority groups as part of a drive to fight discrimination and increase diversity after an investigation into allegations of racism. Zalando launched the investigation in June after former art director Fernando Torres accused the company of failing to respond to complaints in 2018 about employees who resisted booking black models and made comments about their skin tone. The death in police custody of African-American George Floyd has prompted a groundswell of concern about racism around the world, prompting many companies to make pledges to…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Valentino picks Milan over Paris for rare live fashion show

BEAUTY AND FASHION

ITALIAN fashion group Valentino ditched the glitzy setting of central Paris for a foundry on the outskirts of Milan to present its latest collection, a rare live catwalk in the time of COVID-19 with a restricted group of mask-wearing guests. The show brought down the curtain on Milan fashion week, which has hosted a mix of physical and virtual catwalks for its first edition since coronavirus restrictions made the heady mix of glamour, celebrity and hype at such events more complicated. Valentino had never presented a women's collection in Milan, and its last menswear show in Italy's fashion capital was…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

In Paris, a fashion eco-system on edge as shows disappear

BEAUTY AND FASHION

SARAH WHITE and MICHAELA CABRERA WHEN Swedish fashion brand Acne Studios last hosted a catwalk show in Paris in January, it ordered dozens of vegan-friendly rice bowls from cafe owner and caterer Pearlyn Lee for models and crew to pick on backstage. Those types of orders have all but dried up since the pandemic forced most luxury labels to cancel parties and presentations. Even as some of the world's biggest brands return to Paris on Monday, few are planning physical shows, a blow for make-up artists, lighting specialists, caterers and hundreds of other businesses in fashion's eco-system. "Basically catering is…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Nike and Nigeria score big with 2020-2022 football apparel

BEAUTY AND FASHION

MPHO RANTAO WHEN it comes to seasonal football kits for international teams, Nike and their creatives always seem to get it right for the Nigerian football teams. The latest football apparel for the West African nation’s men and women teams was officially released by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) this month, following leaks of the new apparel, went viral on social media. https://twitter.com/ngsupereagles/status/1307642070249738240?s=21 In a campaign featuring some of Nigeria’s biggest football stars, the new apparel for the next two years features vibrant eye-catching designs which tailor to the Nigerian culture and identity as cultural icons on the continent and…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Maxhosa showcases Spring 2021 collection at NYFW

BEAUTY AND FASHION

MPHO RANTAO CELEBRATING ten years in the fashion industry, South African label Maxhosa has showcased its upcoming ready to wear Spring 2021 collection for IMG’s New York Fashion Week (NYFW), via a virtual runway show. Participating in NYFW for a third time, the ‘Missoni of Africa’ brand by Laduma Ngxokolo displayed a vibrant collection with the brand’s signature Xhosa-inspired patterns and beadwork on its knits for the men’s and women’s collection. Titled “God’s work is miraculous”, Maxhosa’s latest collection has pieces which do not only cater to the vibrant cosmopolitan fashion enthusiast, but also to the sporty fashion enthusiast, which…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Top Italian designer takes on racism in fashion

BEAUTY AND FASHION

SOPHIE DAVIES STELLA Jean, the Haitian-Italian designer who has just announced a boycott of Milan Fashion Week, says she has suffered racism all her life. But it was only when the 41-year-old encountered it in Italy's mainly white fashion industry that she realised just how unwilling people were to talk about it. Now Jean, whose brightly-coloured skirts and dresses are worn by celebrities including Beyonce and Rihanna, says she can no longer remain silent in the face of what she sees as a rise in racially-charged incidents in Italian fashion. The former model, a protege of Giorgio Armani and the…