Storytellers in Fashion
Next were two members of the the clothing brand 54 Kingdoms. They specialize in African inspired fashion for everyone, African or not. Basically, their products include various African symbols, like the designs on Maasai warriors shields or Sankofa symbols, printed on dresses, travel bags, etc. The designers hope that in selling items with stories and culture behind them, dialogue about the continent will start among all sorts of people. Listening to them speak about entrepreneurship was interesting, as the line was started recently; hopefully any other young people in the audience gained inspiration from the two speakers presenting their modern experiences. My sister and I had an interesting talk about a woman who considered the entire brand rubbish and appropriative. What I got from it was that she didn’t consider the two men real designers because they didn’t go to school for it, and their success from “slapping symbols in t shirts made in China” was not supportive of other ‘real’ African designers who are doing amazing things like making fabric out of bamboo. After speaking with my mother about it, I don’t believe that she’s entirely wrong, however, it makes more sense for the men to get their supplies from a nation that has the infrastructure to mass produce long lasting fabric. Perhaps the African fashion designers who are doing amazing (sustainable) things like making fabric out of bamboo could return to the continent and help build a new infrastructure.
