In today’s world of high-flying fashion, African styles and prints feature prominently.

Global icons such as Beyonce Knowles, Rihanna, and Gwen Stefani have been spotted rocking ‘Africa’ on more than one occasion, contributing somewhat to the transition of African styles and print to the mainstream. African designers however still remain subject to stereotype. For instance, the warped notion that apparel made by African designers should have a certain look of ‘Africanness’ still persists.

According to Helen Jenning, editorial director of Nataal.com, a website celebrating contemporary African fashion and culture and the author of the book New African Fashion, “Fashion from Africa is diverse as fashion from any other continent and cannot be pigeonholed any longer. ”Shim X Lakopue: African Fashion through a Millennial Lens is a short fashion film that seemingly shares Helen Jenning’s point of view. The project is a collaboration between artist Shim Dharren Ziorkley and fashion designer Lakopue. Both Ghanaian, Shim and Lakopue are quintessential cases in points of a new generation of African creatives who seek to use the power film and social media to interpret traditional prints and styles in a contemporary milieu.

They seek to break the stereotypes of styling African prints by using ensembles known to our closets. Models for the project were thus selected to embody the various styles in congruence with their own unique traits. The idea is to incorporate styles that are contemporary, versatile, and wearable without deviating from the ‘African roots’. Shim and Lakopue make a statement with this project, that African style is elegant – much more so when it’s hip and contemporary. We couldn’t agree more.

Credits

DOP: Grand Eagle Motion
Designer: Lakopue
Art Director: Shim D Ziorkley
Asst. Art director: Christine Boateng

Models:

Shim D. ZIorkley
Shawn De-Clercq
Akpene Diata Hoggar
Nathaniel Bio
Ewurama Golo
Monila Lamberto
Sam Quaye
Hansia Essuman

Fabric: Woodin
Accessories: Odara
Makeup: PinkyFAB Makeup
Grooming: Kenzos Place
Photography: Bernhard
Cinematography: Grand Eagle Motion