Push For Your Dreams And Change The Narrative: YEGA

05/05/21 • 50 min

A career in fashion fuelled by passion, YEGA talks to Beatrace and gives the exposé on her spontaneous journey to becoming an established fashion illustrator. Luxury fashion, editorial and bespoke art, the unique combination of design, fine art and commerciality is what makes fashion illustration niche in the art form world for many Africans. This is why YEGA has found much of her success in the Middle East and Europe. Her illustrations have covered the walls in the Dubai Mall, they have been displayed in Harrods, graced the cover of Vogue Arabia in 2017 and featured in British Vogue in 2020. The traditional career ideals that many with Nigerian backgrounds face, led to a career start in law before her trajectory change to fashion illustration. “Talent is only helped when there is opportunity” - poignant words recognising the challenges in finance and representation. *Breaking ground in uncharted territory as a black female fashion illustrator, YEGA has recently founded the platform, Fashion Illustrator Africa.*

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Trade With Africa And Grow Local Production: Chebet Mutai

Chebet Mutai gives an exposé from a global perspective into the fashion and textile industry all the way from Nairobi, Kenya. Her break into the fashion scene has been solution-orientated. Chebet founded the luxury lifestyle brand, Wazawazi that specialises in leather accessories, reflecting beauty and the progressive nature of Kenya, and by extension, Africa. Providing training, up-skilling, and generating economic value to the local community is at the helm of her brand. With a background in development and having worked at the World Bank, the discussion of the West promoting ‘ethical fashion’ prompts exposure to what the normality of fashion was like before this. Governance on what is deemed ethical can’t simply be applied to African fashion brands and companies when the nature and lifestyle of creativity in Africa is not exploitive. The Eurocentric assumption that “the politics of leather in Europe is the same as the politics of leather here”, when hide is a by-product and creates a whole new industry [leather production]. The dilemma of development and foreign aid to reduce poverty while the second hand clothing trade is directly detrimental to the local and Made-In-Africa textile and clothing industry is troubling to Chebet, who is determined to generate wealth and leverage her opportunities and connections for Kenya.

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Explore and Reconnect Fashion and Music: Ibaaku

Ibaaku joins us for our #16episode all the way from Senegal - sonic poet, visual artist, composer, radio presenter and platform founder. This multi talented artist shares with us extensive insight into the African music scene. In true Fashion Africa Now style, the topic of fashion and music is explored on the African scene; Ibaaku describes fashion and music as “two expressions that go together. For me it’s a way to give body to the music, give body to the frequency... fashion and music are really intertwined”. Starting out as early as 2001, interesting observations are made from this well-versed musician. He touches on the gaps in the African music scene and the distinction of francophone musicians with historical constructs. Drawing inspiration from hip hop, jazz, afro music, funk and reggae at an earlier age, Ibaaku recounts his transition into the alternative music scene, away from mimicking other cultures and sounds and honing his own. In 2016 Ibaaku’s album, Alien Cartoon, pioneered the afrofuturism sound across Africa and the international stage. The goal is to keep the Senegalese culture alive, African culture and black people. In doing so he has collaborated with many Artists across the continent, recently pioneering a platform to connect alternative artists in Africa.

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