London’s V&A Museum Offers Updates on ‘Africa Fashion’ Exhibition – WWD

LONDON – New details have been revealed ahead of the July 2 opening of Victoria and Albert Museumspecialized exhibition According to Christine Checinska, the museum’s senior curator of textiles and fashion for African and African migrants.

More than 250 objects will be on display, about half of which are from the museum’s collection, including 70 new acquisitions. The exhibition will feature the stories behind the works along with personal insights from the designers, along with sketches, editorials, photos, movies and catwalk scenes.

The selections will represent 45 designers from more than 20 countries across the continent. The selection of garments on display will come from the personal archives of a group of mid-20th century African designers – Shade Thomas-Fahm, Chris Seydou, Kofi Ansah and Alphadi, marking the first Their work is shown in a London Museum.

The exhibition will also feature influential contemporary African fashion creators including Imane Ayissi, IAmIsigo, Moshions, Thebe Magugu and Sindiso Khumalo.

Based in South Africa Magugu, 2019 LVMH Award Winner, says visually capturing and presenting one’s history and culture is important to the fashion industry, which is often criticized for its lack of diversity.

“Our stories are told by others often and I feel like now more than ever, African designers are really taking responsibility for their own stories and telling people stories. true. Not unimaginative things like this,” he added.

Artsi, the Morocco-based designer behind Maison ArtC, who designed a piece specifically for the exhibition, says that “’African Fashion’ simultaneously means past, future and present. . The joy of life and the joy of color are completely different and very continent-specific. ”

Omoyemi Akerele, founder of Lagos Fashion Week and Style House Files, believes that African fashion goes beyond designers.

“There is an entire ecosystem. There are models and makeup artists, photographers, illustrators. Imagine bringing people’s work to life from season to season, bringing the fashions created by our people to our people and for the sake of economic growth and development. ours. What could be more special than that? ”

Checinska told WWD in an earlier interview that she has adopted an open, collaborative approach to exhibition management.

The museum went public last year for anyone with clothing by Sydou, Ansah or Thomas-Fahm, personal testimonies to share, family portraits or custom made-to-order clothing showcasing the fashion. Africa and Africa from the years of African independence to the present day.

The results of the caption are photos from 10 families, a cotton and brass Alphadi dress donated by the designer to the museum, and new work from Maison ArtC.

“The exhibition offers a great opportunity to showcase some of our historic textiles in a contemporary fashion scene.… We wanted to capture personal stories to make the exhibitions come to life. lively. She added that highlighting African perspectives and voices is an important guiding principle that informs all aspects of ‘African Fashion’.

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