African Fashion and Lifestyle

African Fashion and Lifestyle

The subject of fashion in Africa has only attracted serious attention over the last few years. It is often argued that fashion is an attribute only of the Western capitalist system to be contrasted, favourably or otherwise, with the supposed stability of  dress styles in so-called "traditional societies". In fact  although we have only fragments of evidence as yet there is enough to suggest that at least some aspects of dress are subject to the vagaries of fashion in virtually all societies. As far as Africa is concerned, as early as the C17th  European merchants on the Gold Coast were complaining that  annual changes in local taste for imported cloth was leaving them with cargoes of un-saleable merchandise to return to Europe. On the other side of the continent importers of the glass beads that went to make the elaborate jewelery of the pastoral peoples of Kenya and South Africa found regular changes in taste there too. Of course the "fashion mechanism" is different in different types of societies, but that doesn't mean that fashion itself cannot be present.

Supermodel is a term that came about in 1981 when an interview, with then popular, Janice Dickenson responded saying that her achievements in ruling the runway and magazine covers is that of a superhero, hence “supermodel”.
I have taken time to bring you some old but favourites with West African roots, namely Djimon Housou and Boris Kodjoe. These two heavyweights from Benin and Ghana respectively were also discovered in Europe.

If you Google the name Herb Ritts, you will find the tantalizing portraits of Djimon Housou which brings me to another important designation that parts the sea of Supermodel and Model: Legendary photography!

When a photographer becomes so good and well respected, he sometimes enters the field of documenting his/her work via film or books. The lucky model who is chosen to be the muse of the legendary fashion photographer is immediately catapulted to Supermodel status.
Past Supermodels from Africa who have achieved this unique feat include Waris Dirie of Somalia whose scantily clad and nomadic poses for legendary fashion photographer Terence Donovan nearly dethroned Iman as the Queen of Africa in the modelling world.

If there is a Queen of Africa in terms of modelling then surely the King is none other than Djimon Hounsou. Hounsou, for the breathe of 1990′s was the face of Calvin Klein. Part of the eye candies that revived Janet Jackson as a sex symbol in the Herb Ritts directed video Love Will Never Do Without You and the subject used in a hefty majority of legendary photographer Herb Ritts’ books showcasing photography as an art.

Though Djimon Hounsou no longer models, he has successfully carved a niche for himself as an A-list blockbuster-topping actor in Hollywood as well as father and husband to the lovely American supermodel/fashion mogul Kimora Lee Simmons (formally of Baby Phat fame).
Another child of west Africa who has transitioned from Supermodel to actor is Afro-European, Boris Kodjoe who has countless hit television shows, movies and even radio hosting with his beautiful actress wife, Nicole Ari Parker.