These are our first photos from Divas of Colour 2015. The event took place in London yesterday and recognized/celebrated women of colour. Yesterday’s event was the second edition of the annual gathering organised by Faustina Anyanwu, the editor of Chub Magazine. Watch out for our interview with Joliette and Faustina Anyanwu.
Photos taken by Sade Johnson.
On day 17 of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Today I’m Wearing” diaries for Vogue UK, the Nigerian award winning writer wore this yellow dress, a pair of red shoes, a brown handbag, wrapped her hair with a piece of brown African print scarf material and wrote:
“I am wearing a Tibi dress, Nicholas Kirkwood shoes and a headwrap of ankara fabric I bought in Lagos. My Chloe bag was a thoughtful gift from my British publisher after my handbag was stolen while I was signing books at the Royal Festival Hall in London some years ago. I am now quite paranoid about my handbags”
On day 18, the Americanah writer wore a pair of black jeans, a black and white shirt, a pair of green hig-heeled sandals, held an animal skin print purse and wrote: “My jeans are (the improbably-named) Rich and Skinny, my shirt is from Ann Taylor and my shoes are Zara.”
On day 19, Chimamanda wore a black and white floral blouse and shorts, held a black handbag and a pair of black high-heeled sandals.
“Today I’m wearing a top and shorts made by my tailor Razak. I found the fabric online and designed the outfit so that it would have the feel of a romper but be more comfortable to wear. My shoes are Alexander Wang and my bag is a beloved old one by Carlos Falchi,” she wrote about her outfit.
The dates for the 2015 edition of Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam (AFWA) have been announced. The event’s premiere edition was held from the 29th to the 31st of August 2014. And it presented a new type of fashion show that provided black designers and African inspired collections, a platform to showcase their creations in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The event was an interactive celebration of fashion, culture, music and talent and took place at the prestigious World Fashion Centre in Amsterdam. The well-attended event saw thousands of visitors watch dozens of models strut the runway in hundreds of African inspired or designed outfits to the delight and excitement of its audiences.
And with enhanced funding and exposure, the AFWA team says it “is looking to break existing records as the brand continues to grow in popularity within the media and community as a benchmark for promoting causes, uniting talents and breaking barriers within the community.”
This year, Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam is scheduled to take place from the 27th to 30th August at an exclusive venue in Amsterdam.
ALSO SEE: Check Out The Top African Fashion Shows In Europe.
“Many key figures from the African community have already confirmed their attendance such as award-winning movie star Ramsey Nouah and several prominent business entrepreneurs. We are looking to break existing records and take the event to the next level, which is certainly developing,” said Diana Tambe – founder and Chief Executive Officer of AFWA.
According to the team, “Visitors and media can expect to see a multi-cultural and talent-rich celebration of African lifestyle and talent. From networking events and press days to over thirty fashion shows, the event will culminate with an interactive awards ceremony which will celebrate new talent, and launch Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam’s affiliated magazine publication, along with its cover face competition winner. Sasa magazine will be an on-line and published bi-annual retrospective of arts, culture, fashion and talent based on the values of African society but fostering an inclusion for everyone.”
“The event will also be contributing a percentage of its profits towards The Diana Tambe Foundation (a charitable body seeking to promote, maintain and improve levels of health care, education, training and provision of facilities within the African community),” says the Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam team.
ALSO SEE: African Head Wrap: 10 International Celebrities Who Rocked It.
For more information about the event, you can visit the AFWA website.
Singer and actress, Jennifer Lopez looked ravishing in this Rachel Zoe retro monochrome dress. JLo was spotted in Los Angeles wearing the black and white Rachel Zoe monochrome mini dress while out and having dinner. Jennifer Lopez looked sleek in a two toned and chic retro-style frock from Rachel Zoe’s Fall/Winter 2015 collection.
The 45-year-old mother of two paired it with a pair of thigh-high boots and revealed a bit of her well-toned legs. She painted her nails with pastel blue nail polish and her dark blond hair was parted in the centre.
Below is a model wearing the dress and more photos of the singer and actress in the beautiful monochrome mini dress.
ALSO SEE: Want To Make A Fashion Statement? Check Out These Ankara Cape Dresses.
American first lady, Michelle Obama made her first visit to Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday, March 18 wearing a floral print dress from Kenzo’s Fall 2014 collection. Looking classy and stylish, the first lady wore the $700 lime green printed floral dress and paired it with a metallic belt and black leather pumps.
Mrs Obama’s visit is to campaign for girls’ education. The first lady made the trip after facing criticism for not joining his husband during his previous visit last April.
Michelle Obama has been photographed on various occasions wearing green or floral print dresses. The floral print dress she wore to Japan has 50s glamour written all over it. Channelling her fashion to reflect where she was visiting, the first lady wore the attire whose brand, Kenzo has strong Japanese roots.
Stepping out of the plane, the American first lady added a belt to the dress to give it more shape and accentuate her body. She wore minimal accessories and completed the look with a pair of earrings.
What do you think of the first lady’s classy and stylish Kenzo floral print dress? Is this lime green floral print apparel something you would like to add to your own collection? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.
SEE ALSO: 25 Most Trendy Ankara African Print Jumpsuits For Ladies.
If you are looking for other floral dresses or the latest and trendy ankara styles to add to your collection, do take a tour around the site and you will find loads of styles to pick for. whether you are looking for pieces for your self or your partner, for your little girl or boy, or teenagers, there different styles to choose from.
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These are the latest ankara styles for men coming straight from the runways. The pieces were showcased by Tanzanian designer, Mustapha Hassanali at the 2015 edition of the Lexus South African Menswear Week that took place between February 5th and 7th.
The designer, Mustafa Hassanali is a medical Doctor by Profession who started fashion designing as a Hobby in 1999. One of his first designs was worn by Hoyce Temu who was crowned Miss Tanzania 1999. Temu was wearing the signature evening Gown created by the doctor turned fashion designer. From there on, his journey began as a fashion designer who pays attention to style and the details in his pieces. Over the years, the Tanzanian designer has showcased in 31 cities across 21 Countries globally.
The Lexus South African Menswear Week (SAMW) where these pieces were showcased in 2015, is Africa’s only stand-alone platform dedicated to the development and promotion of menswear within the African continent. Held twice a year in Cape Town, South Africa, SAMW provides a world-class platform for menswear designers and brands to showcase their latest collections.
SEE ALSO: Menswear: Make Some Noise With These Loud Prints.
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Cameroonian pop star and entrepreneur, Dencia stepped out wearing a pair of Tom Ford Nappa Leather Lace-Up Over-The-Knee Boots. The “Beri Beri” singer wore paired the black boots with a black flared short polka dot skirt, a black lacy top, a black handbag, and a pair of dark sunglasses.
This is not the first time the bleaching cream maker is seen wearing this shoes. Last year, the Whitenicious maker wore the same boots with a pink top and a pair of black shorts (see photo below).
The boots are from Tom Ford’s Spring 2014 collection and come with a price tag of $3.600. Celebrities such as Alessandra Ambrosio, Karrueche Tran, Jessie J, Lea Michele, and Leighton Meester, have been seen wearing similar Tom Ford boots.
If you can afford them, do you see yourself rocking any of these boots?
SEE ALSO: Ankara Fashion Feast: Coordinated Mother-Daughter Look.
Above, Dencia is rocking the boots with black bum shorts and a see-through pink top.
Several other celebrities have been seen rocking these same boots. From left to right – Alessandra Ambrosio is rocking hers with a multi print mini dress, while Jessie J in the middle is wearing hers with a red mini dress. Onn the right is Karruche Tran wearing hers with a brown mini dress.
Kim Kardashian is not left out. The reality TV star, mum and wife of Kanye West is seen above wearing a pair of the Tom Ford Nappa Leather Lace-Up Over-The-Knee Boots. She paired the boots with a black t-shirt and completed the look with a matching handbag.
Above is another photo of Karuche Tran rocking the boots. This time the socialite a pair of black shorts and a white blouse.
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Hello fashionista peeps, come in here and check out these African print bikinis so that you can start adding some to your beachwear collection. These pieces are straight from the house of crown Rose and were showcased at the last edition of African Fashion Week London. By the way, if you are looking for the latest and most trendy African fashion pieces, do lookout for this year’s edition of African Fashion Week London as it will be taking place in the next couple of months.
In case you haven’t noticed, African print bikinis are becoming more and more popular and an increased number of African fashionistas, celebrities and socialites are now adding it to their beachwear collection. If you are looking forward to adding some flavour to your beachwear collection, these African print bikinis should be what you should be looking forward to making as your latest addition.
SEE ALSO: Elegant Red Dress: 31 Styles To Rock Like Chicamastyle.
What do you think of these African print bikinis? Did you find any piece that you cannot wait to add to your collection? Which of the pieces are your favourites? Share your views with us by leaving a comment below. We look forward to seeing and reading your opinion on the pieces that have been showcased in this post.
If these African print bikinis did not do it for you and you are looking for other designs, do take a tour around the site to find other styles to meet your fashion style. Whether you are looking for typical bikini beachwear or those made with the ankara African print fabric, there are many looks to choose from.
For those of you looking for the latest ankara African print outfits to add to your collection, there are also loads of styles and looks to find on this site. Whether you are looking for the most trendy ankara African print dresses, the most elegant African print skirts and blouses, the best ankara pants and tops, and so many other styles, you will find loads here, all you have to do is to search and you will find.
If you are not following Afrocosmopolitan on its social networks already, please do. You can check out the Afrocosmopolitan Youtube channel and subscribe to it so you can get an update on our uploads. You can also connect with Afrocosmopolitan on Instagram and like the AfroCosmopolitan Facebook page. If you have some time, also check us out on Twitter and Pinterest. Take care and keep on slaying and looking fab.
Another day, another skin bleaching story as a bleached girl’s Facebook post goes viral after insulting dark girls and showcasing her before and after photos. The dark skinned black woman who used skin bleaching products to lighten her skin took to her Facebook page to insult all other dark skinned women who have refused to whiten their skin.
According to her, dark skin is dirty and there’s nothing cute about being dark and having dark skinned babies. And her advice for dark skinned women is to go interracial to avoid having dark skinned babies.
The bleaching queen, who said she’s proud of what she did to get her new look wrote: “I bleached my skin and i’m proud. Here’s me before and after. I shit on you dark skinned people. I feel sorry for you because you really shouldn’t be proud of looking dirty. I been told that i look much better now and finally black men stopped saying i’m too pretty for a dark skinned girl. Now i’m a pretty light skinned girl. No matter what. You are stuck being a nigger and you will always be one. You people better go interracial because ain’t nothing cute about being dark and having dark tar babies.”
ALSO SEE: Bleached Beauty: 7 African Women Who Made News.
Below is a screen grab of the viral post that was posted on the lady’s Facebook page to rant about her skin bleaching and black women.
Whether this new viral skin bleaching post is real or not, one thing is obvious. This woman is not the first dark skinned woman to bleach her skin and talk about her being proud of making that change. Cameroonian pop star, Dencia achieved international fame after bleaching her skin, coming out with a skin bleaching range and attacking Lupita Nyong’o for talking about skin bleaching and her Whitenicious.
Pele Okiemute is a self-proclaimed skin bleaching expert that have helped many Nigerians, especially Nollywood actresses in achieving lighter skin tones. And he keeps on trending every now and then. He’s also friends with many Nollywood actresses and Nigerian socialites.
Vera Sidika, a Kenyan model, music video actress and socialite was in the news a while ago after bleaching her skin and saying she look much more beautiful being light skinned than being dark.
What is your take on this lady’s view? Do you think being black is dirty and ugly and that the black race should be wiped out by going interracial?
•Eritrean refugees kidnapped, tortured and ransomed in Sinai desert.
The Sound of Torture is a haunting, multi-award-winning documentary about the plight of Eritrean refugees.
In the last decade, more than 300 000 Eritreans have fled the military dictatorship in their homeland, despite a ‘shoot to kill’ policy on the borders. They are followed by an estimated 3 000 every month.
Since 2006, when Europe closed its borders to Africans seeking asylum, more and more Eritreans have sought refuge in Israel, reachable by land via the Sinai desert.
In 2009, Bedouin smugglers in the Sinai desert started kidnapping, torturing and ransoming these refugees.
The Sound of Torture follows Meron Estefanos, an Eritrean journalist living in Sweden. She broadcasts a weekly programme on Radio Erena called Voices of Eritrean Refugees. Meron says, “In this radio programme, we give voice to those in the torture camp and to those who are trying to set them free.”
The hostages’ only lifeline is the cellphone provided by their kidnappers. Family members often hear them being tortured as they desperately beg their relatives for the money needed to secure their release.
International human rights organizations report that an estimated 35 000 Eritreans have managed to cross the Egyptian border into Israel, but of that number 8 000 of those have reportedly endured these torture camps.
The Sound of Torture follows Meron from Sweden to Israel, where the Eritrean ‘infiltrators’ have no legal status whatsoever. There she meets with former hostages, as well as family members trying desperately to free wives, sisters and children. She also travels to Egypt to see the torture camps.
For Meron, giving the hostages a voice is no longer enough. “I want to end this,” says Meron. “I come from a country where animal rights are respected, you know? You hit a dog in Sweden, you go to jail for six months. You know? You kill a cat, you go to jail for three-and-a-half years. And here, I listen to people being tortured every hour. And the whole world is watching, doing nothing. It’s just… I don’t know.”
The heart-rending documentary has won six international awards, including The Audience Award from Movies That Matter.
The Sound of Torture premieres on Wednesday, 18 March 2015 at 22h00 CAT on Witness, Al Jazeera’s observational documentary strand.
Watch Sound of Torture promo below.
