African inspiration theme

The use of traditional African wax print fabric has expanded marvellously.
It is very often used in the Fashion industry by Fashion Designers, Fashion Brands, Advertising Campaigns, Magazine and Gifts Shop, Furniture Stores and so on.
Whether it is to embellish, add a touch of personality, or reclaiming the African culture, the African wax print fabric is so visually stunning that it is certain to continue to be all over the place.

Mes coups de Coeur:

African Print Passport holder

Protect your passport and travel in style with an African wax print fabric design.

https://linktr.ee/bespokebinny

African Print Watches

Style your wrist with a stylish unique watch from the collaboration of Vlisco and Komono.

https://www.vlisco.com

African Print Mugs

Everyone has their favourite mugs, if you haven’t, look at these cool creatives looking ones. The vivid colours of these mugs will surely brighten your morning and will give you a reason to smile.

https://www.zazzle.co.uk

African Wax Print Fabric Make Up Bag

Keep your beauty products organised in these beautiful large fabrics Make-Up Bag.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BUBobbinsUp

Hey, why not inject some colours and good African vibes in your life?

  

Vanity Afro, 21/12/2017

Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. X

Love YAAYaa at Stylist Live 2017

I got to meet the lovely accessories Designer, Nana Evans, at Stylist live. 
Nana Evans is passionate about beauty, confidence, fashion and empowering women of all shapes and sizes.

Stylist live is buzzing with stands, but I stopped at Love YaaYaa because the stand caught my attention for it’s uniqueness, colorfulness, and charming welcoming ladies.

Make a statement with this fantastic range of Leather corset belts, Jewellery, Fulani accessories and Head Wraps. 

In the 2 following videos, enjoy a lively head wrap demo, and Nana Evans feedback about the show.

Follow Love YaaYaa

https://m.facebook.com/loveyaayaauk

https://www.instagram.com/loveyaayaa/

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/loveyaayaaltd/loveyaayaa/

www.twitter.com/loveyaayaa

Vanity Afro, 12/11/2017

Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. X

Duro Olowu SS2018 collection

Duro Olowu is a Nigerian-born, London-based fashion designer.

His signature is an attractive combination of traditional bold prints and modern classic twist.

The Spring Summer 2018 collection, inspired by Lee Miller, is colourful, culturally chic, super-stylish, flowery, sophisticated and artistically beautiful. 

My favourites looks from the Duro Olowu for SS2018 collection: 


Photos by Luis Monteiro. 

http://duroolowu.com

Vanity Afro, 26/09/2017

Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. X

Made in Mali - Diallo Design

Born in Mali and trained as an Architect and Designer in France, Cheick Diallo and his team of artisans transform abandoned & recycled materials into decorative, functional and contemporary furniture.

The more frequently materials used are scrap metal, car carcass, plastics, soft drinks cans, fishing wire, nylon, wood, fabrics.

In general, creative people taking old unwanted "garbage", like some people would call it, and given them a new life have always fascinated me.

I admire Diallo highly because a part from being a talented, dedicated, caring and pro-active creative, he is using his innovative skills to bring the Cheick Diallo Designs, Made in Mali, Brand to the world.

Diallo was included in the seminal Africa Remix exhibition that has been travelling across Europe since 2005, stopping at the Hayward Gallery in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, among other venues. He also exhibited at various international Design Biennials.

Vanity Afro, 30/07/2017

Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. X

Q&A with Musician Alex massmedia

Hi Alex, thank you for taking the time answering my questions for Vanity Afro :)

1. Give our readers a short but descriptive label for your style of music. I don't know if really I have a style of music. I just try to connect my soul sensitivity to deep, sincere and complex reflections I have; I express all that on simple but effective melody that suit.

2. What do you learn about yourself from the soul music and culture? First that we have a soul and it's important to remember that. That also taught me that life is a fight that we should never escape from. Cause suffering and disillusions are there to make us understand that we can live by looking far away above our world and share good things we gained by fighting.

3. You've learned to play guitar on your own with "Marylin", your 1st guitar; what was your learning process as a self-taught guitarist? Where should one start? Honestly by doing anything. I decided to let my fingers playing, miming what a real guitarist would do but that was awful. A hundred times like that, and I was so angry that I decided to learn more seriously, by going step by step. But never ask me which chord I am playing because I still do not know.

4. What do you miss most nowadays from the Blues & Soul of the past?  That honesty in melodies, rhythm, and interpretation. That visceral need to sing or die and that deep melancholy that brings necessary mysticism which we all need to live.

5. You sometimes perform with a guitarist named Taofik Farah. How did you meet? My “bro” the genius bass player called Stephane castry and put us in touch. I am very grateful to him because he is really an amazing guitar player. We're connected when we play together.

6. What are some of the most memorable venues you've played, and which artists you've had the pleasure of working with? A concert hall called « la traverse » near the city of Rouen, where during my show, I had the honour to sing one of my songs with a high school student’s chorale with whom I worked previously. A magnificent and impressive theatre « le Théâtre de Corbeil-Essonnes, where I had the chance to share the stage with the great Madame « Naomie Shelton and the gospel queens » and had a talk with James Brown bass player and her after her show. So much kindness vibrations emanated from this beautiful old woman that I offered her my rosary. Another one was when I shared the stage with Mr « Cody ChesnuTT» at « Cully Jazz Festival » in Switzerland where the stage was five meters from the Lake Geneva.

7. Which Cities would you like to perform in?

London, Berlin, New York, Tokyo etc... Anywhere as long as people need, feel, and love « soul and blues music ».

8. Name 3 things that make you happy?

- Enjoy being on stage with my team.

- The smile of children.

- Walking in forest along a river far away from human beings.

9. Tell us about your new EP, Devil Deal. How did you come up with the name? How did the songs come about? Who have you worked with on it? About the name, I just looked at the way the world is turning crazy. And the fact that nobody can't deny now that the biggest part of the occidental population agree. The songs come because I feel guilty and ashamed of calling myself a human being. And from the fact that I feel powerless because I have only my music to fight. I worked on with my guitarist Taofik Farah, my sound engineer Arnaud Betton, and my inseparable and hard worker manager Marina Hesry.

10. What are you working on right now? Children's tale, A book of poetry, and always new songs

Discover Alex Massmedia 

Website: http://alexmassmedia.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexmassmedia/

Facebook: https://fr-fr.facebook.com/alexmassmediaofficiel

Twitter: @AlexMassMedia

Vanity Afro, 16/06/2017

Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. X

Q&A with Writer Maja Dezulovic

My next post is going to be about Maja Dezulovic, a beautiful mixed-raced woman writer, who lives in Croatia, Eastern Europe.

My next modelling assignment was in Split, a beautiful city in Croatia, and my hairstylist told me there are no black people living in Croatia; so I searched for black or mixed-raced artists living in Croatia... I was a bit apprehensive about travelling alone there. And actually, in short, my experience in Split was fantastic, people were so friendly, smiling at me, wanted to talk to me, wanted to take selfie with me, everywhere all eyes were on me, I felt like a goddess... lol. That lead me to conclude, if you have the chance to have a passport, travel as much as you can, live your own experience and tell your own story. 

Right, this post is about Maja so let's start with the Q&A.

Hello Maja, who are you and where are you from?

I’m originally from South Africa.  I am a freelance writer, author, screenwriter, and poet.

What brought you to Croatia?

My father is Croat. He moved to South Africa in the 1960s. There he met and married my mother.  We visited Croatia while I was growing up and I always felt a close connection to it.  The moment I could, I made the decision to move here.

Which town in Croatia do you live in?

I live in a small town called Janjina on the Pelješac Peninsula.  We are an hour and a half’s drive from Dubrovnik.  It is more of a ghost town now but Janjina was referred to as Little Paris (or Mali Pariz in Croatian) in its heyday.

What's the weather like?

We enjoy a sub-tropical Mediterranean climate so it’s warm most of the year.  Winters can sometimes be chilly and the strong winds unpleasant, but luckily that doesn’t last long.

How long have you lived in Croatia?

I moved here with my husband and our Cocker Spaniel in 2015.

Do you speak Croatian?

Yes.  I have my grandmother to thank for that.  She stayed with us in South Africa in the early nineties. She could speak no other language so she spoke to me in Croatian and that is how I learned the language.

What is your general impression about Croatia and Croats?

Croatia is a beautiful country, but it is also a country that has been exploited and continues to be raped of its riches, at the expense of the local communities. People here tend to be docile because they do not feel they have the power to change things, which continues the vicious cycle.  I write about this in more depth in my new book Discovering Little Paris: From the Heart of Darkness to the Heart of Pelješac. The book is a memoir detailing our move here and what we’ve learned and experienced. Its release date will be confirmed later this year.

What is the last thing you read that made you laugh out loud?

An internet meme about writers.

What books are on your bedside table?

A Dylan Dog comic book and my Kindle (which has many books on it that I’m reading).

What ambitions do you still have?

I’d like to see a movie I wrote on the big screen. I’ve just got into screenwriting and I’ve always loved movies so it puts together two of my favourite things. It’s not about the fame, and I also somehow doubt that there’s much fame in it, because when you watch a movie, you first take note of the actors, then the director maybe; it’s not often that people remember the writers’ names. I want a screenplay of mine produced so that I can influence people in a positive way and have that message shared on a global scale.

What is the greater achievement of your life so far?

I write for my bread and butter. I can say I’ve been at it for eight years and I’m still going. I’m proud to tell people that I’m a writer, because it says that I do what I love for a living.

Get in touch with Maja

Website: http://www.majadezulovic.com/

Twitter: @Majadez

Vanity Afro, 10/05/2017

Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. X

L'Occitane, one of my favourite beauty brand.

I am very excited to share today’s post with you about my favourite luxury beauty brand, l'Occitane.

I have an oily skin on my face and very dry skin on the rest of my body, so applying moisturiser daily is essential for me.

I have been on the hunt for body care products that would non only hydrate my skin and use natural active ingredients as well as essential oils, but also that leaves on a fresh pleasant scent.
I am so thrilled to have found l'Occitane beauty products!!! Since I have been using them my skin feel nourished, silky soft, looks great, and I feel amazing on top of smelling good all day long. Literally, l'Occitane skincare and fragrance are so good and smells so heavenly.

                           Copyright © Vanity Afro

                                                  

Few product recommendations!

Immerse yourself into a bath in this deliciously scented foam bath.

You skin will smell good, look good and you will feel great!

Shea face soothing fluid is a light moisturiser for sensitive skin & skin weakened by environmental pollution. Very pleasant to apply and the bottle is cute and practical; There is no cap, the head automatically close.

This body whipped cream contains 10% of Shea butter blended with others ingredients. Top product if you have very dry skin as it will keep your skin hydrated without the greasiness.

Lovely moisturising, rose-scented hand cream enriched with 20% Shea butter blended with coconut oil. Your hands will stay soft, smell good, and feel comfortable.

This beautifying body milk is my favourite. The scent is a delicious combination of honey and lavender. What a pleasant odour, I love it! In addition to the blissful aroma, your skin looks healthy, soft and you feel fabulous.This product is a winner!

New iconic fragrance, Terre de Lumière (meaning the land of light) is said to be inspired by the Provençal light. In Provence, there is a unique moment in time, when the light embraces the sky and blesses the earth with a fleeting interval of grace. This is the Golden Hour.
This gentle shower gel leaves your skin feeling fresh and revived. The smell transform from a citrus fragrance into a gourmand scent. 

                                     Model: Yaourou

Find what works for you and more products at http://uk.loccitane.com

Vanity Afro, 23/03/2017

Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. X

Q&A with illustrator Nicholle Kobi

                                         

Tell me a little about yourself.

Where are you from/have you lived and how has that influenced your work? 

I was Born in Kinshasa, Zaire. I was raised in Normandy, a small town in France, and I currently live in Paris. I am definitely a Parisian, I love the Parisian style. Cold colour, simple style but always chic. That's why there is so much cold colours in my artwork.

Have you studied illustration, or are you self-taught? 

I study arts but I always used to draw so I am more self-taught.

When did you start to be interested in art? As a kid I always drawn as I said. My father always told me that I must go to the Beaux-Arts when I grown up because he saw my abilities as a kid. So I always been interested by arts.

How would you define your personal style ? I am the most classic Parisian girl lol so my style too. I love simple colours, very minimalist style.

Your illustrations are showing beautiful black women with big fashion styles confidence. They’re are wonderful! How do you get ideas and inspiration for your illustrations? I actually draw what I love to wear or what I have. I love fashion so I follow many fashion website but definitely my own style inspired my drawing.

Could you tell us a little bit about your creative process when starting an illustration? How long does it take to complete a drawing? I start by drawing then add colour, watercolour or digital painting. It can take 1 hour or many days, so it depends .

What artwork do you have hanging in your house? I have my kids artwork and mark Rothko too and 2 mine.

What do you listen to when you’re working? I love to listen to podcasts, or some Americans shows ... it helps to practise my English lol

What would be your ideal commission? My ideal commission is for someone I love and admire or someone who inspired and believe in my artwork. 

You announce the official Sprung x Nicholle Kobi 2017 Tour, sound exciting! What can people expected to see?  Yeah I do :) ! There will have my favourites pieces! But also new illustrations, the most important for me is to meet people who support me and love what I do it's the best way to say thank you to them. And also talk and exchange about our experiences. 

See Nicholle Kobi's illustrations: https://nichollekobi.com/

Vanity Afro, 01/02/2017

Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. X

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