Why African Fashion Is A Phenomenon
This article was written by Sass Brown. Sass Brown is a true revolutionary. She has a mission which is to change principles relating to design and around sustainable fashion. She seeks to change how customers engage with sustainable products. She wrote this piece on the national news lifestyle blog to talk about what it is about Africa that has made it such a fashion phenomenon. This post talks about the influence of African fashion on some large names some of which include the likes of Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Paul Gaultier and many more. This post also speaks about the rise of African fashion in the western and international world. While mentioning the recognition and cultural appreciation the African Fashion industry has been receiving in the global eye, the article also made sure to mention the cultural appropriation and hints of casual racism the industry faces. An example given was that of H&M dressing a black child in a hoodie that read “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle”. They received a lot of backlash from this and they promptly issued an apology and took down the offensive product. Readers can take a lot from this article, as it points out the fact that while there have been many advantages and positive sides to Africa and its fashion industry becoming widely accepted, there are still some drawbacks. I feel this article was spectacular because it covered a lot of aspects other articles avoid. Some of these aspects including the cultural appropriation of African fashion rather than appreciation. It also covered important aspects such and important names to remember in the industry such as Lisa Folawiyo, Aboubakar Fofana, and many more. When it comes to the article theme in general, I definitely feel more light needs to be shed on the negative ways African Fashion in perceived.