Can a Piece of Clothing Bring You Home?
For Kimanzi, a Kenyan living in Riverside, California, home fits inside a scarf. When she left Kenya for the United States at 17, she had only two suitcases and a carry-on. Every item she packed meant another had to be left behind. Among the things she refused to leave was a kitenge scarf that had […]
Marriage Was Always the Plan for These African Men. Until It Wasn’t
The average African man is often assumed to want marriage, or at least that is the expectation many grow up with. For centuries, marriage has been positioned as one of adulthood’s defining milestones, a marker of success and fulfillment against which many men are quietly measured. In many communities, that expectation begins early. Almost as […]
Why More Women Are Choosing Not to Get Married or Have Children
Why More Women Are Choosing Not to Get Married or Have Children Seven women on what they are choosing instead Photo: Armagan Basaran From birth, it often feels like every girl in West Africa is being raised for two things: to be a wife and a mother. You learn early how to cook for a […]
Why the Wrapper Remains West Africa’s Undecolonized Garment
The wrapper predates colonial borders and outlives fashion cycles. It is one of the continent’s most enduring systems, and one of the few
Lagos Fashion Week: All the Highlights from Day Four
Day four of Lagos Fashion Week unfolded in layers of textures and colors, with designers leaning into movement and meaning through