Put a Ring on it

Put a Ring on it KERRY

27HEAD wrap

Washington-Asomugha

Nuances

Authenticity &coupé

décalé

African Touch

«S.A.P.E» cRaZy WAX

TOTAL

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NIGERIAN

WEDDING

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CONTENTS Life&Love....................

K. W. A WE WANT TO BE YOU :) Danse moves: Coupé Décalé

W.W.W.........................

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A curious fabric Meet with the Affogbolo’s

Tradition.....................

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ADOPT the Gele style!

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L’ LE D I T O YES! Nigeria in a land in expansion. NO! The

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Jihad won’t win their crusade and distillat e fear, death and religious fundamentalism over the lives of millions people, human beings, fighting back and carrying on with their lives; for better or for worse for richer or for poorer in sickness and in health, until death do they part!

In NIGERIA, wedding is a public matter.

The more the guests and the bigger the wedding gifts for the ceremony to be a true success. It is the one occasion to brag about one’s social class, level of wealth, fame… since 2012, the American photogr apher Glenna Gordon shot these joyful gatherin gs, from the most simple to the sumptuous ones, refle cting the health of Africa’s #1 economic power.

My wish is to share with you the culture, the talents, the originality of an incredible country! The FAS HIONTOUCH of these nuptials is the Indonesian wax print fabric, a material contaminating influ ent spheres of the Western trend-setters! Are you familiar with SOLANGE KNOWLES? Wel l she was among the first International icons to wea r proudly wax items and made them famous. But in Nigeria, it goes further than fabric; though not only women are eager to show their best face on that very day, but men have no intentions to stay in the shad ows.

Brigitte Vigoureux Brigitte Vigoureux Wedding Planner

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#274 Nigerian

schoolgirls

KIDNAPPED ONE YEAR ON: « WE SHOULD FEEL SHAME »

By Isha Sesay, CNN

How can more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls simply disappear? And how can the Nigerian government and the rest of the world have allowed this to happen?

Exactly 365 days have passed since the girls were snatched from their boarding school dormitories in the dead of night in Chibok, northeastern Nigeria. They are still missing.For this we should all feel shame: shame that we live in a world where the lives of young girls can be shattered with impunity by fanatical thugs. Shame that when such horrendous acts occur, our collective attention span is so fleeting.

A year ago, I could never have imagined that we would be here today, marking the grim 12-month milestone of these girls going missing.In the early days of their abduction much of the world stood as one, rallying around the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.On the ground in Nigeria as part of CNN’s team covering the story, I was buoyed by this global solidarity.A year on, meet the man still fighting to #BringBackOurGirls Caught in the blinding glare of global attention, and facing a tide of questions about their bungled response to the kidnappings, the Nigerian government felt the weight of accountability and was spurred to take greater action; offers of assistance from the likes of the US, UK, France, and China were accepted.

Promise after promise was made by Nigerian government officials that the girls would come home -- so where are they, and where is the global outrage over these broken promises and broken dreams?

My heart goes out to the grief-stricken loved ones of these missing girls on this painful anniversary.

Poor and socially marginalized, all many of them have is their hope that their girls will one day return.

Learn more at:

https://www.facebook.com/ bringbackourgirls

Life love &

Kerry Washington -Asomugha

Occasionally in American pop culture, an icon emerges who captivates us and provides a vivid snapshot of who we are and the changing times in which we live. In her role as Olivia Pope, Scandal’s unflappable political fixer, Kerry Washington has used her grace and vibrant magnetism to transcend age, race and gender, and to provide a new mainstream media lens through which to view modern womanhood and professional excellence.

By Dominik Kohlhagen

Nnamdi Asomugha’s Story, The encounter...

It was his birthday January 3rd 2011, and his cousin hooked us up via BBM, as I lived in in Los Angeles, he lived in Port Harcourt, Lagos. We got talking and became very good friends, in different relationships. My love life was just not right at the time, maybe you read it in tabloïds; I was having trouble in my own private life and I started to worry about my future with my ex ans so did the rest of America (lol).

Months later we met for the Ist time when he came to Port Harcourt for his sister’s wedding. It was so awkward and there was no spark at all we clearly dissed each other because there was no connection but after then we kept talking we didn’t lose touch.

The second time we met in Lagos and we decided to get serious and go beyond just friendship this time it wasn’t like the first time we met.

We had the distance relationship for a year and a half it wasn’t all rosy but we pulled through. After a year and the half I moved to Lagos for my youth service, started to plan my life with him and the rest is history.

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The proposal...

It was on my birthday in October 2014, he came to portharcourt to spend my birthday with me it was equally his friends wedding day.That faithful morning he asked us to go downstairs for breakfast I really wanted to sleep some more, he had sweet talk me out of the bed. He managed to get me to leave the room and come downstairs for breakfast little did I know he had plans cos it was so early lol well I guess your status can change anytime.

I was having a nice time at the restaurant laughing with his friends who equally came for the same wedding and lodged in same hotel, they kept taking pictures and filming I had no idea they were trying to film into the engagement.

Suddenly I saw him walking up to me and then he went on one knee and asked the big question. For a moment I thought i was in a trance (lol), then I said yes and he put the ring on my finger. I’m counting that day as part of the happiest days of my life. I’m marrying my buddy, it’s a joke come true but today he is my lover, my friend my soul mate.

« I’m marrying my buddy, it’s a joke come true! »

Life & love

The day of your traditional wedding...

It was his birthday January 3rd 2011, and his cousin hooked us upvia BBM, as I lived in in Los Angeles, he lived in Port Harcourt, Lagos. We got talking and became very good friends, in different relationships. My love life was just not right at the time, maybe you read it in tabloïds; I was having trouble in my own private life and I started to worry about my future with my ex ans so did the rest of America (lol).Months later we met for the Ist time when he came to Port Harcourt for his sister’s wedding. It was so awkward and there was no spark at all we clearly dissed each other because there was no connection but after then we kept talking we didn’t lose touch.The second time we met in Lagos and we decided to get serious and go beyond just friendship this time it wasn’t like the first time we met. We had the distance relationship for a year and a half it wasn’t all rosy but we pulled through. After a year and the half I moved to Lagos for my youth service, started to plan my life with him and the rest is history.

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Coupé-Décalé DANCE Coupé-Décalé is a type of popular dance music originating from Côte d’Ivoire and the Ivorian diaspora in Paris, France. Drawing heavily from Zouglou and Zouk with African influences, Coupé-Décalé is a very percussive style featuring African samples, deep bass, and repetitive minimalist arrangements.

While Coupé-Décalé is known as Côte d’Ivoire’s definitive pop music, it actually began in Paris, created by a group of Ivorian DJs at the Atlantis, an African nightclub in northeast Paris.

These Djs, known as the ‘Jet Set’ became popular for their flamboyant style, often showing up at the club with large amounts of cash which they would hand out to audiences on the dance floor. Their aesthetic defined the early sounds of Coupé Décalé, apparent in the genre’s name.

In Nouchi (Ivorian slang) Couper

means to cheat and decaler means

to run away, so Coupé-Décalé basically means to cheat some body and run away. The ‘some body’ cheated is generally interpreted to mean France or the West/Europe, finding parallels to the idea of «The Man» in Ame rican culture. Especially in the beginning, the songs often cele brated those who had used guile to ‘make it’ abroad.

The genre’s first hit, «Sagacité» was pioneered by the late Stephane Doukouré a member of the ‘Jet Set’, during the post- 2002 militaro-political crisis in Côte d’Ivoire. The hit became a success in African clubs in Paris and spread quickly among djs in

Côte d’Ivoire. According to Siddhartha Mitter of Afropop.

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JOIN US,

SUBSCRIBE/DONATE http://bringbackourgirls.us/questions/

*53 girls have escaped from the terrorist hold.

Photos CrĂŠdits http://www.mansaya.com/ http://mayasi.eu/fr/3-femme http://www.africanpremier.fr/robes-et-costumes.html http://blogue.us/2010/06/17/juanjo-oliva-springsummer-2010/ http://www.owadi.com/mode/robe-en-wax-171.html http://lewaxenfolie.canalblog.com/archives/2012/11/14/25577940.html https://thedailygrindfrance.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/juanjooliva_003.jpg http://lamodeenligne.blogspot.fr/2013_07_01_archive.html http://www.pagnifik.com/tag/jupe-pagne/ http://pagnifik.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/veste1.png https://coraliekiengeshow.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/pagne-africain.jpg http://www.modeafricaine.com/fr/pagne-wax/20-robe-africaine-pagne-noire-rose-fushia-ref-2012-19.html http://www.africandshop.com/fr/boubou/216-pagne-africain-en-bazin-riche-pour-femme-dbn-bazin-bf-09.html https://lejournaldegazelle.wordpress.com/2015/03/10/la-robe-en-wax-2/ https://myfashionbreak.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/51.jpg http://www.africanpremier.com/african-fashion-customised-long-sleeves-dress-in-ankara-wax-print-fabric-cd046.html http://www.africanpremier.fr/review/product/list/id/10797/category/305/ http://www.modeafricaine.com/fr/pagne-wax/27-robe-africaine-en-pagnemanche-longue.html http://www.madmoizelle.com/tendances-mode-printemps-ete-2015-317988 http://www.beauty-nebee.com/mode-couture-de-chez-nous/africa-andeverywere/ http://pagnifik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/yalerri5.jpg http://www.okayafrica.com/news/the-african-renaissance-art-exhibition50-golborne-london/#slide1 http://weheartit.com/entry/167259389 http://nothingbutthewax.blogspot.fr/2013/02/event-paris-fashion-weekparty-part-2.html https://coordinatedforyou.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/west-african-wedding -attire-beautiful-fabric-and-colours/ http://www.canstockphoto.pl/ilustracje/etno.html#file_view.php?id=19439866 http://www.lindabarry.com/category/beauty/ http://www.biloa-magazine.com/chaussures-tendance-en-wax/ http://www.magicfeet.fr/fr/VERNIS.cp148.html chaussure vernnis dernier

Cover Picture

by Ade Adetayo Malawian woman in a head tie, large and elaborate designed for a ceremonial. the gele covers the model’s entire hair as well as her ears and the only part exposed is her face. http://tissuafricain.fr/page/10/

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DRESS

CODE

Cornrow hairstyle

Aso Oke hat or “fila� is a traditional hat of the Yoruba people in Nigeria. Top traditionnal engagement attire.

Coral beaded jewels

The beauty of natural corals accented with Gold gives the Uzochi necklace an authentic African traditional feel.

Coral necklaces are a staple in most West-African attire, and the Uzochi statement coral necklace represents just that!

wax shoes

African wax shoes can be bought but are more likely to be handmade on demand. the est way to wear them is to match them with a handbag.

THE 10

DRESS

CODE

BRIDE 11

THE 12

Aso Oke hat

Aso Oke hat or “fila� is a traditional hat of the Yoruba people in Nigeria. Top traditionnal engagement attire.

Igbo walking stick

Symbol of social status in Nigeria, the walking stick once a support for old people has turned into a fashion item part of the cultural dressing.

Coral beads necklace

Must have bridal fashion accessory of every Nigerian groom, it completes the ASO-EBI traditional look.

groom 13

W.W.W

WAX How the Dutch peddle Indonesian-inspired designs to West Africa.

By Julia Felsenthal

Anthropologie has used them to cover ottomans and to upholster chairs. Woolrich Woolen Mills turned them into short-sleeve button-ups, and Agnes B. used them to make a summer suit. Burberry Prorsum tailored them into prim dresses and separates, while over at L.A.M.B., Gwen Stefani has used them to make some of the smallest minis known to man. Even the new Marni collection for H&M is studded with them. They’ve got palettes so bright and clashing that they threaten to sear the eye and patterns so loud they make Hawaiian prints look demure—yet they are slowly becoming as commonplace as plaid. The media (both fashion and mainstream) tend to refer to them as “African prints” (when not referring to them more vaguely, and cringe-inducingly, as “tribal”).

The media (both fashion and mainstream) tend to refer to them as “African prints” (when not referring to them more vaguely, and cringe-inducingly, as “tribal”).

But the term African print should give us pause— «Tribal... it harks back Africa, after all, is a pretty big place. So when we to a sort of evolutiotalk about these African prints, what are we nist, colonial perspecreally talking about? tive which attempts They’ve got palettes so bright and clashing to freeze Africa as a place where ‘tradition’ that they threaten to sear the eye and patterns is still happening» so loud they make Hawaiian prints look demure—yet they are slowly becoming as commonplace as plaid.

But what’s interesting about these fabrics, says Nina Sylvanus, an anthropologist who has made a career of studying the function of wax cloth in West Africa, is not how “African” or traditional they are, but that they are regarded by wearers in places like Togo, Ivory Coast, and Ghana as international and cosmopolitan. When Western designers call collections that use wax prints “tribal,” Sylvanus says, “it harks back to a sort of evolutionist, colonial perspective which attempts to freeze Africa as a place where ‘tradition’ is still happening.”.

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The patterns tell stories of relevance to the wearer, such as proverbs, poems and traditional African fables. The colours also hold significance as they can represent social standing, age, tribal orientation and marital status.

One example i was offered, is a cloth carrying the proverb “Ahonnee pa nkasa�. Literally : Precious beads make no noise. That is, empty barrels make the most noise or a good person needs not blow his own horns.

FAVORITE GIFT EVER!!

Fatim, fashion blogger & model - Lyon

I remember my grandma tying wax fabrics as wrappers when I visited her in the village home, which might have to be some 35 years ago. I remember her hugs and that familiar smell. Wax is like an old recipe passing from generation to generation and our contemporary generation has turne dit into a fashionable item!

WAX IS HIPSTER :) Thissyna, ROAR Magazine - London

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W.W.W

The

Affogbolos’ Wedding

by Pierre-Christophe GAM

Pierre-Christophe Gam is a photographer and designer based in London. Born and raised in Chantilly, Gam’s influences derive from his multi-cultural upbringing through his Cameroonian, Tchadian, and Egyptian heritage. Gam trained as an architect at the Ecole Nationale des Superieures des Arts Decoratifs in Paris and Central St. Martins in London. In his professional career, he has specialised in art direction for leading contemporary luxury brands, including Kenzo, Martin Margiela, Shiseido, Cartier, Les Galleries Lafayettes, and Izmaylova. His artistic work explores coded complex narratives that are rooted in concerns linked with the global African experience. Pierre-Christophe Gam has used his artistic talent to create a fictitious young couple to act as brand ambassadors for this year’s Afro-Polis wedding festival; meet the Affogbolo’s!

See more at: http://www.lagosphotofestival.com/exhibit/the-affogbolos-#sthash. pmEHvQJk.dpuf

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ÂŤCome find the reason why Africa is fantasizedÂť

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Tradition

tHE

gel While the Gele today is a modern accessory for women to wear when they wish to dress up an outfit or celebrate an occassion, the elaborate headscarves worn by African women for hundreds of years were a statement and a cultural symbol of their station in life. If you’re going to rock a Gele today, it’s important to have some understanding of the history and meaning of your look.

by Ade Adetayo

While the Gele today is a modern accessory for women to wear when they wish to dress up an outfit or celebrate an occassion, the elaborate headscarves worn by African women for hundreds of years were a statement and a cultural symbol of their station in life. If you’re going to rock a Gele today, it’s important to have some understanding of the history and meaning of your look.

In regions of Africa where fine cloth was produced, especially West Africa, women traditionally wore head wraps, scarves or ties over their short cropped hair. These were large squares or long lengths of patterned fabric that were folded and tied in arrangements that varied according to local custom, her marital status, or the occasion. Ordinary women generally wore simple wraps. Young, unmarried girls often went bareheaded. Married women wore head scarves or wraps as a symbol of their status.

High, wide or complicated ties and designs were a sign of wealth and community status, and worn by women who did little manual work. The styles and folds and the fabric used for the Gele all served to identify the woman wearing them as a particular social status, area of origin, or the ceremonial occasion at which it was worn. Today, these things are generally reflective of the unique and varied tastes and fashion sense of each woman who wears them.

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Tradition

le The type of Gele worn by women today, with its folds and wide shape, originated among the Yoruba people in Nigeria. The Yoruba were among the first to wear head wraps as adornments, made from the unique of the region. The Yoruba invented a woven textile called Aso-Oke, which is still used to make Gele today.

As a modern woman who wishes to pay tribute to her African heritage while looking beautiful, wearing a Gele perfect option. Today women of all stations in life

enjoy the head scarf and feel like a Nigerian queen for any occasion.

“Gele” pronounced gaye lay, is an African head wrap/head-tie that has its roots in the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria, West Africa.

Geles are indeed very beautiful and fascinating

when tied. Geles have gotten the attention of

millions of people in different countries around

the world from Africa to Europe, from Europe

to North America, South America and all over

the world. Many non-Africans wear Geles as a

sign of reverence when attending African events,

some as a part of their everyday wear and some that

have gotten a soft spot for the Yoruba Culture. A

Gele’s length can range from 8’’ wide and 54’’ Long

(African Print) to 34’’ wide and 72’’ Long (Gele Pa

per-like Head-tie) to 20’’ wide and 80’’ long (Aso-Oke) and more.

Traditional head wrap

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Capillar artist

THIRSTY S T O O R thirstyroots.com

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