06 March 2013 ~ 17 Comments

Dressing up as Frida Kahlo

FRIDA 4b

TweetA few weeks ago, ahead of FRIDA – Female Revolution in Dance & Art, I got “unibrowed”, moustached, red lippied and dressed up as the legend Frida Kahlo for the International Women’s Month event. Or rather, as Frida Kahlo in a selection of her self-portraits. The photos, which are part of the ongoing exhibition, were [...]

Continue Reading

08 February 2013 ~ 8 Comments

International Women’s Month event for your diary: FRIDA – Female Revolution In Dance & Art

FRIDA

Tweet “I leave you my portrait so that you will have my presence all the days and nights that I am away from you.”  ― Frida Kahlo To celebrate the forthcoming International Women’s Month 2013, join us (Pia Cabble, Bumi Thomas, CRE8 LIFESTLE CENTRE & MsAfropolitan) for a spectacular multidisciplinary art project inspired by the legacy of [...]

Continue Reading

17 January 2013 ~ 14 Comments

In praise of, Beyoncé.

In praise of, Beyoncé.

TweetI can’t believe I fell for your schemes, I’m smarter than that/So dumb and naive to believe that with me you’re a changed man/Foolish of me to compete when you cheat with those women /It took me some time, but now I moved on/Cause I realized I got/Me, myself and I/That’s all I got in [...]

Continue Reading

27 April 2012 ~ 12 Comments

Beyonce, skin colour and carrots

carrots

Tweet Beyonce was crowned most beautiful woman in the world by People Magazine this week and that resurfaced the skin colour topic with many debating whether the light skinned Beyonce is an accurate representation of “Black Beauty”. The skin colour conversation is important, crucial even, for similar reasons that I think we should upkeep the hair [...]

Continue Reading

13 January 2012 ~ 11 Comments

My Afropolitan fashion shoot with Essentials Magazine

Mina 2-002

Tweet I was recently featured in Essentials magazine in an article about women whose style reflects who they are. Here are some photos from the shoot. How would you describe your style? Who are your favourite African designers? Anything else fashion related come to mind? Pin It

Continue Reading

04 January 2012 ~ 3 Comments

The Afropolitan year in review and 7 amazing photos from ‘The Rise of Afropolitan Fashion’ show

Afropolitans_087

TweetWhen we look back at Afropolitanism in the future, 2011 will certainly stick out as a landmark year. It was the year the Afropolitan movement reached both virtual and actual spaces that define global culture. For example, Afropolitanism got a wikipedia listing. ARISE, the magazine that brought Afropolitanism to the mainstream, hosted ARISE Nigeria Fashion [...]

Continue Reading

12 November 2011 ~ 6 Comments

Speaking about African feminism at the Global Feminism Symposium, University of Warwick

Speaking about African feminism at the Global Feminism Symposium, University of Warwick

TweetI am currently in Lagos. I am working on projects with TV and Radio Continental and the STAR company/Seeing through the Arts collective who are using art and creativity to promote important causes in society. There is a similar reasoning behind the  MsAfropolitan Boutique, namely to use fashion and creativity to highlight the importance of the African [...]

Continue Reading

26 September 2011 ~ 6 Comments

Fashioning Africa exotic, colonial and tribal

Fashioning Africa exotic, colonial and tribal

TweetCross-posted from Huffington Post —- African style is very much in vogue. Numerous runways in both New York and London fashion weeks could as well be called African fashion week. There were African influenced textiles such as the Malian Bogolan, also known as tribal in Donna Karan-review-speak. Proenza Schouler also gave a preview of their take [...]

Continue Reading

16 September 2011 ~ 1 Comment

Interview feature on black feminism, Afropolitanism and more

LU

Tweet Cross-post from my two part interview with Kathryn & Miriam from the much recommended Live Unchained project blog www.liveunchained.com @liveunchained —— For Minna Salami feminism sparked a revolution within, meaning the end of many illusions. Namely, the illusion that anything would be handed to us in terms of respect and empowerment in a world that [...]

Continue Reading

11 September 2011 ~ 10 Comments

A Diaspora canvas: Exploring the feminine heritage of African art

Screen shot 2011-09-10 at 22.57.04

TweetIf creativity isn’t about community in one-way or another it is dull at worst and provoking at best. Artists that manage to emphasize the spiritual, aesthetic and social elements of living are those that bring to us gifts of understanding. Artists that exemplify this idea are musicians like K’Naan, Baaba Maal, Nneka, Blitz the Ambassador, Fela, [...]

Continue Reading

03 September 2011 ~ 22 Comments

The fashion and politics of natural hair

The fashion and politics of natural hair

TweetIt’s understandable that many of us are tired of talking about hair . There’s so much around this topic. However, I’m not at all exhausted with the hair topic yet. I think we should keep talking about hair because our strands are bearers of shared cultural experiences. I don’t think the hair conversation is about [...]

Continue Reading

27 August 2011 ~ 3 Comments

MsAfropolitan Boutique interview series – Mary Ononokpono of Mononoko

Hirukidress1

TweetThe mission of the MsAfropolitan Boutique is to showcase a handpicked range of products made by African Diaspora women on a rotating basis. Visit us here. Through this work, I meet many inspiring women whose Afropolitan stories are featured in an interview series features which you can follow here. Last week the MsAfropolitan Boutique added its [...]

Continue Reading

17 August 2011 ~ 5 Comments

African style in an ethical context

African style in an ethical context

TweetNot for the first time but nevertheless significantly, African fashion (that is to say fashion from the range of African countries and the diaspora!) is again at a historical conjuncture marked by an increased consumption of what the continent has to offer style-wise. This time around the African fashion revolution is coming at an age [...]

Continue Reading

15 July 2011 ~ 7 Comments

Listed as 1 of 7 African diaspora women using fashion for change

RS1

TweetDo you know of the Africa Centre in London’s Covent Garden? If you don’t it’s a kind of home away from home for Africans in London. It hosts regular events of interest to diaspora groups, it sells books and other lovely products and it’s of historic significance. Despite this, it was revealed this year that [...]

Continue Reading

03 July 2011 ~ 0 Comments

MsAfropolitan Boutique Interview Series – Douriean Fletcher, founder of eKlektik eKhos

zapmama

TweetThe mission of the MsAfropolitan Boutique is to showcase and offer a handpicked range of products made by African Diaspora women on a rotating basis. Visit us here. As part of my journey to achieving this goal, I’ve met many inspiring women whose stories I want to share with you in an interview series features which [...]

Continue Reading

29 June 2011 ~ 7 Comments

Breaking it down – V&A Friday Late Afropolitans

msafropolitanv&A

Tweet Last Friday MsAfropolitan and I (some split-personality going on) participated in a wonderful event at the V&A Museum in London. We presented a fashion show and a panel discussion to a visitor count of over 5,000 people. Here are some of our, okay my, thoughts on the event. By the way, if you’re new [...]

Continue Reading

17 June 2011 ~ 9 Comments

Cadbury’s ad row with Naomi Campbell and ASA’s response

Cadbury’s ad row with Naomi Campbell and ASA’s response

TweetThe Black History Walks website has a useful list of ways to help combat negative media portrayal of black people. Some of the suggestions are: Go out of your way to attend events, prove there is demand Buy original dvds with positive images direct from source Check out www.colourfulradio.com and www.voxafrica.com Read Frantz Fanon Wretched of the Earth and [...]

Continue Reading

08 June 2011 ~ 28 Comments

MsAfropolitan presents – Fashion and Talks at the V&A Friday Late: Afropolitans

V&A afropolitans IMAGE

TweetMsAfropolitan is taking part in Friday Late: Afropolitans at the V&A, the world’s largest museum of art and design. In “MsAfropolitan presents – The rise of Afropolitan Fashion” myself with the help of creative director Ola Shobowalewill conceptualize the contemporary creativity and beauty of Afropolitan fashion for women. Visitors will be able to experience the fusion of bold African patterns and [...]

Continue Reading

10 May 2011 ~ 6 Comments

7 Afropolitan artists to watch

M3NSA B&W

Tweet1. Kay Elizabeth Kay Elizabeth is a vocalist living in London, born in California, of Jamaican and English heritage. Her unique sound and performance style has formed through her personal voyages through history, experience and education. Becoming disenchanted in her youth with American education and popular culture, Kay found her musical interests moving away from [...]

Continue Reading

22 April 2011 ~ 9 Comments

Fela in Lagos, reflections and ruminations

Picture 4

Tweet I don’t know what to make of the Finnish elections last weekend, where the nationalist True Finns party won 39 seats of a 200-seat parliament. The Nigerian elections, which have led to violent clashes in Northern Nigeria where hundreds of people have now died, sadden me even more so. To make sense of things, [...]

Continue Reading

13 March 2011 ~ 4 Comments

What’s great about having an online boutique

Screen shot 2011-03-13 at 15.59.04

TweetAs a tribute to the African Women’s Decade 2010 – 2020, I launched the MsAfropolitan boutique last summer to celebrate the creative labour of independent African Diaspora women entrepreneurs. The boutique is currently showcasing must-have fashion, jewellery, art and interior design all made by African women. Each of the designers featured was chosen because they offer a [...]

Continue Reading

17 January 2011 ~ 11 Comments

This is not a fashion blog

CIMG2225

Tweet Sometimes people introduce me to others as a fashion blogger. And although I once wrote that fashion is not for African women I like the creative art of fashion. The way we can express our individuality by what we wear. I love the burst of African fashion on the international scene thanks partly to [...]

Continue Reading

08 January 2011 ~ 2 Comments

MsAfropolitan Boutique Interview Series – Dielle N’Diaye, founder of Lady Soül Rebel

Viewty

TweetThe mission of the MsAfropolitan Boutique is to showcase and offer a handpicked range of products made by African Diaspora women on a rotating basis. Visit us here. As part of my journey to achieving this goal, I’ve met many inspiring women whose stories I want to share with you in an interview series features which [...]

Continue Reading

02 September 2010 ~ 19 Comments

7 female Afropolitan style icons

7 female Afropolitan style icons

TweetBeauty is composed of an eternal, invariable element whose quantity is extremely difficult to determine, and a relative element which might be, either by turns or all at once, period, fashion, moral, passion ~ Jean-Luc Godard When it comes to beauty, all women have to find a way to feel adequate and love themselves amidst [...]

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Continue Reading