The thing that distinguishes my personal style is the fact that its mostly spontaneous. I had known that my niece was coming to visit with me for her birthday week. In anticipation of the fashion show that is Afro Punk I had purchased a few items via Etsy, some coming from the United Kingdom and other European countries. On the morning of the festival, I had no idea what I was going to wear. I just went to my walk-in closet and started grabbing pieces to see what I could put together.
The Anchor Piece
One way I do approach a look is to build around a specific piece. In this case it was this corset-like custom designed African fabric top, that I had acquired at L-Train a local thrift store. At the time I got it I don't even think I could fit it, but I thought it was cute. It was also clearly a piece made for a woman, but I didn't really care, I knew I could make it work, and for its debut it was the corner stone of my look.
My biggest concern was it was a bit cropped at the bottom, and my recent loss of all that pandemic weight had my stomach doing that wrinkly thing of folks, who loose weight quickly, mind you my quick was over eight months. I knew I was small enough to still carry it off, and didn't really worry about it in the end, being into middle age and still looking this good was the testament in itself, I wasn't expected to have a perfect body, so I paid it no mind.
Bottom
I then needed to pair these many different colors with something complimenting. The top had blue, green and a tannish brown. I was stumped at first because I didn't think I had anything I could pull that would fit, but then I remembered I had purchased these Thai fisherman pants from Portugal. I really needed some replacement pieces for my light summer pants, and these were perfect, because of their tying waist, which would work with my bodies fluctuations.
I tried them on and it was like they were meant to go together. Now with these two pieces set I needed to figure out how I would accessorize them to make a plain look a statement.
Neckwear
I had copped this beautiful original handmade necklace from artist Alicia Piller at a group exhibition I was part of in Harlem. I think I had purchased one of her hand-made t-shirts before at Harriet's Alter Ego, this chic boutique that was located on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. This time I was stepping my pussy game up with acquiring one of her wearable art pieces.
I just loved that it was one piece that felt like two, and it had this afro-futuristic feel to it with the shells and the clear bands with beads in it. Recently the piece had shown its age, and broken apart, I was devastated and contacted Ms. Piller, and she repaired it for me at no cost.
This piece always wow'd folks when I wore it, and it was different than the wearable art she was known for, these cut leather necklaces that I had seen at many craft fairs. I wanted to get something of hers that know one knew was an Alicia P piece. Just for the press release, she was a Black woman artisan. With the exception of my pants everything I wore was made by Black or brown hands.
Accessories
I had quite a few accessories, I really wanted to be decorative for this music festival, because it was something that photographers all over the country flocked to, to get photos of interesting looking people. I will start at the top. My head-wrap was some left over fabric my grandmother had given me that she had used on some project or another. So I had a piece of the ancestors encoded into my modern look.
During my nieces stay we had went down Fulton Street in Bedstuy looking for some high heeled shoes, we struck out, but as we were at the register picking up some other items she had found in Rainbows, I picked up these white sunglasses that said QUEEN on the side. Obviously these seven dollar sunglasses were waiting for me. I added them to the things I was buying for my niece, and later had prescription lenses added to them. They are one of my favorite pieces to wear on sunny days. And were perfect for a summer day in Commodore Barry Park.
On my arms I had the jewelry I had acquired during my trip to India, starting with my silver cuff, which I polished up that morning to make sure it sparkled in the sunlight. Then part of my antique India collection this hollow bangle that is so thick that it looks heavy. Next to the cuff it was one of my favorite pieces I got while traveling around India in two-thousand eight.
On my right arm with the bangle I had layered some pieces I had bought at Calabar Imports a local curio shop with the most interesting decorative and wearable pieces. There was a green-beaded wire bracelet and a curly silver-colored coiled bracelet.
Right before we were ready to leave I felt like I was missing something, and so I folded and draped the mud cloth I had purchased during my trip to Ghana in two thousand and eleven. It helped to elevate the look giving it a regal bearing.
I knew my usual Havaianas wouldn't feel as organic as the rest of my look which was primarily made up of natural materials, cotton, silver, leather, sea shells and wooden beads. So I got these sandals I bought in India at some little stand in Jaipur while we were there for the day. They were probably really cheap, I can't quite remember with the exchange to rupees, but they "looked" good, but were also very uncomfortable. I did wear my Havaianas as we walked to Afro Punk, but once there I changed into these leather sandals which really finished off the look nicely.
Attention Grabber
If my entire look wasn't enough of an attention grabber, I had decided that my niece and me should bring some coverage from the sun, that would also serve to compliment our looks and also mark us as a duo. The umbrellas were also a last minute addition. I gave her my vintage Lincoln Center umbrella with the numerous posters from their prior performances. Mines was an umbrella I had just bought that day at the Brooklyn Museum as we were passing through the gift shop. I also felt it would be a low-key way to indicate that we were both queer.
I remember how jealous some people were that we had thought of umbrellas, because the sun was very direct that particular day. But they also just make the most perfect accessories for all the photos we posed for.
I was just on the @nyc-looks blog and I was thinking I am not sure where those children get some of their varied luxury designer pieces, because you would think off hand they would be quite expensive. But I am sure they know tricks and stunts to cop the best things. My talent lies in being able to use clothes like crayons, and even in a moments notice concoct a look that would end up being legendary. My niece said I should have been on that blog too, but I told her the photographer and me would probably never see each other since I don't go out as much as I used to, and from the neighborhoods she list, we probably wouldn't see each other. I did let her know I had been captured by Humans of New York, not that I think he published the image, but it was nice to be captured by one of the popular street photographers in New York.
I want to use this series to highlight my own creative approach to fashion and to unpack that its not necessarily about who you're wearing, but how you wear it.
