Africa Fashion, the landmark exhibition currently on display at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, celebrates contemporary African fashion by featuring more than 300 pieces of clothing, textiles and jewelry from the motherland. Told in three thematic sections, guests experience how Africa’s cultural renaissance during its liberation years in the mid-twentieth century laid the foundation for today’s fashion revolution and the worldwide impact of African creativity.
“There’s all this history, and we wanted to give people just a little bit more of an understanding of the journey that the African continent took to obtain independence,” says Ernestine White-Mifetu, the Sills Foundation curator of African Art, who put together the exhibition.
Photography, visual arts and sound also help set the tone of the exhibition. “We included music that reflects the time period in the different sections of the gallery,” shares fellow co-curator Annissa Malvoisin, Bard Graduate Center and Brooklyn Museum Postdoctoral Fellow in the Arts of Africa. “It brings you into the experience of what these creators were feeling during that time.”
Turning the exhibition into a truly experiential experience, Brooklyn Museum has partnered with Reni Folawiyo, founder of ALÁRA, a Lagos-based concept store that’s making its debut in the U.S. ALÁRA at the Brooklyn Museum allows visitors to explore, experience and buy nearly 100 brands from over 15 countries across Africa, like AAKS, a handbag brand company handcrafted in Ghana.
Here are five African designer brands you can discover and shop right now at ALÁRA at the Brooklyn Museum, in person or online at shopalara.brooklynmuseum.org.
Tongoro
EBONY PICK: Malu Dress, $275
Designer Sarah Diouf launched Tongoro in Dakar, Senegal, in 2016. Its success has gone international as it’s a favorite fashion choice of Beyoncé and supermodel Naomi Campbell.
Thebe Magugu
EBONY PICK: Tsonga Mother & Child Dress, $635
Thebetsile “Thebe” Magugu is a South African fashion designer. Born in Kimberley and based in Johannesburg, he rose to prominence as the winner of the 2019 LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize and as a finalist in the 2021 International Woolmark Prize.
Lisa Folawiyo
EBONY PICK: Ankara Pajama Set, $495
Nigerian fashion designer Lisa Folawiyo started her label in 2005 with 12 yards of fabric and her mother’s assistance. Her work features traditional West African textiles that are interpreted through modern tailoring techniques.
Selly Raby Kane
EBONY PICK: Striped Njaxas Jacket, $335
Born and bred in Dakar, Senegal, Selly Raby Kane turned her illustrated designs into a collection, returning from Paris to Senegal to host her first fashion show in 2008. A mix of African and international cultural inspirations takes precedence in her designs.
Christie Brown
EBONY PICK: Patterned Sleep Shirt, $180
Creative Director Aisha Ayensu founded this Ghanaian-based luxury fashion brand in 2008. The brand name Christie Brown is in honor of her grandmother, a seamstress, and the countless artisans and visionaries who helped establish a voice for African fashion.
Africa Fashion is on display at the Brooklyn Museum through October 22, 2023.
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