In Dubai, African Designers Set the Tone for a Global Conversation on Luxury
Last month, the opulent halls of the Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah in Dubai pulsed with creativity as the AFRA World Fashion Confluence 2025 brought together designers from across the globe under the evocative theme Echoes of the Oasis. At the heart of it all was a landmark partnership between AFRA World and the Lulubell Group, led […]
Africa Day 2025: The Legacy and Future of African Unity
Every May 25th, the African continent unites to commemorate Africa Day—a celebration of independence and a long and complex journey toward unity and sovereignty. At its heart lies the African Union (AU), a continental body born from the vision of a self-determined Africa, free from colonial dominance, economic subjugation, and foreign political interference. Understanding the […]
At the United Nations: Fashion, Culture, and the Urgency of Collective Action
This week, the UN Fashion & Lifestyle Network convened its annual meeting at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Hosted by the United Nations Office for Partnerships and the Fashion Impact Fund —a program of PVBLIC Foundation in collaboration with the UN Sustainable Fashion Alliance and supported by Lenzing, this edition of the UN Fashion […]
Meet Akunna Nwala-Akano: The Jewelry Designer Crafting Legacy with Akano Diamonds
There’s a creative optimism that fuels Akunna Nwala-Akano, one deeply rooted in the ceremonial elegance of her Igbo heritage. She carries the quiet confidence of someone raised around heirloom gold bangles, passed from one generation to the next, and grandmothers who marked life’s milestones with handcrafted adornments. Born the youngest of three daughters to a […]
1-54 New York 2025: African Artists Reshape the Narrative
Over the past decade, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair has evolved from a niche satellite event into a mainstay of the international art circuit. This year marked its tenth anniversary in New York, as the fair returned with its most ambitious edition yet, opening from May 8 – 11 at the Halo on 28 Liberty […]
Inside the Textile Language Installation by Art Comes First at 1-54 Art Fair
The 2025 Met Gala may have come to a close, but the conversation it sparked around Tailoring Black Style is far from over. In fact, it feels less like an ending and more like a new beginning—an extension of a dialogue that continues to reshape how we perceive style, identity, and heritage. As history has […]
Thuku-Benzinge’s Umutoni: The Jewelry Brand Crafting Its Own Luxury
Umutoni Thuku-Benzinge is curating her own definition of luxury. One deeply rooted in her Kenyan and Rwandan heritage, and grounded in her passion for jewelry, social impact, and craftsmanship. As a fashion entrepreneur, she is the founder of the eponymous jewelry brand Umutoni, known for its East African storytelling and minimalist design language. Born and […]
What We Saw at the Best African Runway 2025 in Dakar
Dakar, perched at the western edge of Africa, is no stranger to spectacle. But on the eve of May 2nd, 2025 beneath the resolute gaze of the Monument to the African Renaissance, it played host to something more than a fashion show. It became a stage for a movement. The second edition of the Best […]
Threads of Influence VII: The Archive Walked
We’ve spent the last four weeks digging into the roots of regalia, resistance, and everything stitched in between. Threads of Influence wasn’t about nostalgia. It was about showing how Black style has always been a strategy. And how tailoring, in particular, has carried history on its back. So when the 2025 Met Gala chose Superfine: […]
Threads of Influence VI: The 2025 Met Gala Host Committee – Tailored Bold
The 2025 Met Gala’s “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” celebrates Black dandyism—a legacy of elegance, resistance, and identity that Guzangs has traced across centuries in its Threads of Influence series. From pre-colonial African regalia to modern-day suits steeped in story, this theme lands squarely in our archive. Beyond co-chairs Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell […]