Africa Fashion
(I am) thankful that I am now growing up in a time where there is better representation of our culture in all its richness and beauty.
Fashion week has officially descended upon us so I thought what better time than now to revisit one of my favourite exhibitions to attend, till date!
This was such a monumental moment for me. I remember moving to the UK at the age of 14 and how I could not wait to shed off so much of my Nigerian heritage - whether that be my accent, cultural clothes, and more. I was ready to immerse myself in this new culture because truthfully, there was a lot of shame I had attached to being a Nigerian.
Thinking about that young girl’s mentality and how it was fed by an environment that encouraged such an erasure, truly breaks my heart. But I am thankful. Thankful that I went to school with a group of girls who were so proudly patriotic and so I learned by osmosis to be the same. Thankful that I took the time to unlearn such harmful notions and that God opened my eyes to be grateful for the culture and nationality He’s graced me to live out during my time here. Thankful that I am now growing up in a time where there is better representation of our culture in all its richness and beauty. Thankful that I got to experience said richness at V&A’s ‘Africa Fashion’ exhibition.
Imane Ayissi
IAMISIGO
This exhibition ran from July 2022 - April 2023 and I was blessed to attend with my dear friend and fellow cultural enthusiast, Funbi. We were both left in awe at the sheer level of talent, detail, and storytelling that fashion designers across the continent are able to express.
From Lisa Folawiyo to Imane Ayissi, the works of these artists help capture a mood, a moment in time, a political statement - whatever have you! Art is powerful and fashion is one of my personal favourite expressions of it.
My hope is that as Africans, we can continue to tell our stories through fashion and showcase this on the world’s grandest stages - because we have always deserved a seat at the table. In fact we helped to build these tables and will continue to do so, by His grace.
S I C K L E S E C R E T S
We went for this exhibition in early September and so the heat of summer was still very much present with a slight autumnal breeze here and there to accompany it. And so, I didn’t have to fortify myself excessively with thermals etc. Instead I opted for a scoop back bodysuit and a pair of trousers from MOJO KOJO because I wanted to be on theme (durrr)! I also wore a shearling jacket which is my favourite option when the weather is transitioning from summer to winter because it offers just the right amount of warmth needed.
Mobility-wise, the exhibition was staged in the same space the DIVA one was and so the seating options were pretty much the same. As you can see, we snagged one of them as quickly as we could and spent some time there resting and taking pics before venturing off to see the rest of the exhibition upstairs. Again, I do think there could still be a lot more seating options in this space and with this specific exhibition, there weren’t any options once we went upstairs (unlike DIVA) so there ended up being a lot more walking involved. So, I would give a rating of 5/10.