African Print Series - Pretty Serious Peplum

Hi everyone! Hope you had a good week! My “African Prints in Fashion Series” is almost ovaaaa, this is post 3/4 of the wonderful articles of clothing I had made while I was in Nigeria.

Talking about things being almost over...summer is almost over! Whether you've already started school or your about to, make sure that you make the best of this long Labor Day weekend! Just have funnnnn because things are about to get serious. Serious as in school is starting - serious! Serious as in we are approaching the ending 2014 - serious! Serious as in guys I'm a senior now - serious!

Since we're on the topic of serious...this weeks outfit, made with DaViva materials,  is a peplum top paired with a pencil skirt; perfect for feeling serious. The pink and orange striped African pattern gives it a nice pop which is my friendly reminder to you that even though school is starting, remember to find something to keep things interesting within all the seriousness!!!!  

Make the week amazing! 

Photographed by Olivia 

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“I am not crazy, I am unique”

There is this show on Netflix called “Orange is the New Black” which I'm sure some of you reading this have already taken the time to binge watch. I was watching this series but... my mother found out, and well, that was the end of that! If you’ve seen the show then you know that it is highly explicit and the themes are  inappropriate and the characters are quite crazy “unique” but that is all part of what makes the show pure genius, right?!

You know how some shows require that you to sit through the first few boring episodes in order to truly start enjoying it? Well, “Orange is the New Black” is NOT one of these shows. I knew it was going to be good within the first five minutes, when a jail inmate named Taystee says to another inmate named Piper, “Gurl, you got those TV titties!

The whole show is about women (one of my favorite themes) – REAL women, of all types. Smart, dumb, pretty, ugly, lesbian, strait, old, young, CRAZY, unique, confident, shy, vulnerable, and strong. I think it's the first show I have ever watched where women are depicted in their five dimensional glory. These women have depth! And I almost forgot to mention that these women are all inmates - in a jail (the title orange comes form their orange jump suits) - but doesn’t that fact make the show all the more interesting!?

This week "Orange is the New Black" took home 3 Emmy wins having had 12 nominations.

My favorite character from the show (from which the quote “I am not crazy, I am unique” comes from) is this wacky, large eyed, rough, yet vulnerable inmate named Suzanne ‘Crazy Eyes’. ‘Crazy Eyes’ is played by an up and coming actress named Uzo Aduba who took home the Emmy for "Outstanding Best Actress in a Comedy Series" for her performance in this role.

Uzo Aduba

To my pleasant surprise Aduba, like me, is an America-born Nigerian actress (I knewww I liked her!). Being a fellow Najia Girl in the African Diaspora I am a true fan! I now follow Aduba on Instagram and Facebook.
 

In an interview with NPR she talks about the struggle of growing up as the only Nigerian in her town, she also tells the story of the time when she asked her mom if she could be called Zoe; her mom "without skipping a beat, said, 'If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky, and Michelangelo and Dostoyevsky, then they can learn to say Uzoamaka.' "

Listen to the amazingly captivating interview here: http://n.pr/1p9TRtW

…and remember you are unique…

Uzo Aduba as Crazy Eyes in “Orange is the New Black"

 Photos courtesy of: tv.msnbc.com & Tumblr

African Prints Series - Ghanaian Print

This weeks featured African Print is a Ghanaian tie-die pattern. It's hard to imagine how this material is hand dyed but that is the wonder of it! The material is a dark purple with lighter purple florescent-like-floral-zigzag-tie-died circles of various sizes...pretty unique (and extremely hard to describe)!  

So the dress itself is a simple circle skirt and low cut back, with cap sleeves. I'm not sure where and when I'm going to where it but I can't wait for that day to arrive! What do you think?

Photographed by Olivia 

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African Prints Series - Floral Crop

While I was in Nigeria this summer,  I had the opportunity to design some original articles of clothing. I went to various markets choosing uniquely designed materials ranging from Ankara fabric to Ghanaian tie-dye. After finding materials that I loved, I scoured magazines, Pinterest, and my own creative brain for styles of clothing that I felt would fit each pattern. I took all of my ideas to a seamstress, and before I knew it each lovely material was transformed into an even lovelier article of clothing! All eight pieces were made for under $200 (material included). I'm telling you, if I lived in Nigeria I would never need Forever 21 again! 

Over the next few weeks I'm going to have an African Print Series that will showcase some of the things I had made. Check back every week for a new African Prints Post! 

Photographed by Olivia

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