AfriPOP!: What motivated you to write a book on African fashion?
Helen Jennings: Well, as you know, I’ve edited Arise Magazine for three years, and African fashion has become my new specialty. In those three years I’ve seen individual designers grow, and interest in African fashion weeks grow internationally as well. So, I did a bit of research and I saw there was no book on the subject. Everything out there was old, and very out of date. I was like, ‘Oh, I see a hole, I see a niche.’ I approached a couple of publishers, and did it very quickly.
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Are you taking a historical look at African fashion?
It’s a coffee table book. The idea is to make it accessible, you don’t have to be into fashion to enjoy it. It talks about the history of African fashion both in terms of its influence on international catwalks, and designers like Yves Saint Laurent. I look at the older designers from the 50s and 60s and up to now, and more Afrocentric designers. I look at textiles like Ankara and Shweshwe, and how important cloth is. I also look at how the industry has evolved more recently, and how it has evolved. I also highlight 30 or so contemporary African designers like Duro Olowu, Mimi Plange, Xuly Bet and Mimi Plange.
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Before working at Arise, how exposed were to African fashion?
I’ve always been obsessed with fashion, and global trends. I’ve written about fashion for magazines all over the world. I’ve always been interested in what’s going on everywhere but it was Arise that gave me the opportunity to focus on Africa.
What African designers are you excited about?
I love the Nigerian designer, Maki Oh. I think she epitomizes the strength of African fashion right now. She uses Nigeria as inspiration, but her work is totally international and modern. There’s a lot of meaning in her work, but it doesn’t hit you over the head. I think a lot of African designers don’t get past making an African message, to making fashion. People like Maki Oh do. I also love Jewel by Lisa — her stuff is very simple and buyable. Also, Adrien Sauvage, he’s kinda like the new Oswald Boateng, though he hates to be called that. He went back to Ghana for his latest collection and made his own version of Kente, but in a subtle way. I’m a big fan of Duro Olowu as well.
What do yo love about African fashion?
I love the fact that it’s not afraid to be itself. It’s very bold and brave. It’s very much about being layering, and color and spice. It’s very much about being well dressed. It’s about appearing upper-crust, and I’m a very big fan of more is more. There’s no such thing as being over-dressed. When you go to an African event, you cannot be overdressed, and I love that. African fashion has that pizzazz that I love.
Are African designers making money?
I think they are, in their own markets they definitely are. It’s just about how they translate that internationally. As you know the four main markets are very hard to break, and you have to have a consistent, long-running presence to get any buyers before anyone’s going to take you seriously. And it’s hard because the infrastructure and great production is not there yet. It’s a challenge designers have to meet.
Sorry but I really have tried not to comment. There are a few things I would like to clarity about .... Lets take "kente" its a form of strip weaving, the weaves of the northern region have their version, Ashanti's have their version and then the Ewe's have there interpretation. All these version have different colourations etc. So saying that "made his own version of Kente, but in a subtle way" is perpetuating a miss information about this traditional craft.
I wish that such miss information would have being corrected in a century when information is so readily available on the internet. If we continue to miss inform people in this way are we not doing the continent a service. There are people who have researched and understood are traditions please do not continue to make their life difficult. At that point then who do we then have to blame when people ask ignorant questions. Sorry but I am passionate about this tradition and will be grateful if it was treated with respect. I could actually go on about other information which should have being full researched before people put things into the public domain.
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I received my copy in the mail the other day and it will be added to my collection of other fashion books.
Helen,thank you for giving aftican fashion a platform andesenting it in its true form,dignified,mysterious and fun!