To complete the look, rather than a basic t-shirt, I chose a simple tank top tucked into the jeans with a pop of color adding a bit of spice to the look. To achieve this, I chose to use one of my favorite body wrappahs. This look can also be achieved with a favorite long scarf from your own closet.
With your material of choice on hand, your printed top can be created in the following three steps:
In creating my 1st fashion collection back in 2015 for the Q.A.C. Webstore, my love of art and history came to the life when I had the chance to sit with an elder of the Dogon tribe. Found primarily in Mali, W. Africa, this tribe is known for their wooden masked dances, incredible architecture, and wooden artistic sculptures. However, they are most noted for their mud cloth fabric, often showcasing their ancient knowledge of the stars / universe.
Anywho, in last week's Fashion Fix post, I talked about the need to wear modest clothing when in public spaces here in Qatar. That said, back when I was in the packing stage, I had the hard job of going through literally every item of clothing I owned and deciding whether it would make the cut and make it into my luggage ... Or end up in the trash / donation bin.
It was in this "toss it" or "take it" phase that I came across this beauty greeting me from the back of my closet. 100% West African wax print fabric ... Hand embroidered ... 20+ year old vintage dress straight from my dad home country of Ghana, West Africa.
Hey Royal Fam! ... Angela of Q.A.C back again this week sharing another one of my favorite cultural fashion creations.
This week's go to was a beautiful wrap dress I created from a body wrap batik fabric I often multi-use as material for headwraps, tops, dresses ... You name it. If you've been following my personal page on Instagram, you've seen me post on the importance of acknowledging the wide array of African fabrics outside of the ever popular dashiki and kente cloths.
A quick lesson on the batik fabric -
1: The word batik originates from the island nation of Java in Indonesia
2: Over the centuries and through ancient trade routes over 2,000 years ago, the art of creating this fabric travel through Asia, Egypt, and ultimately Africa ... More specifically to Nigeria (with the Yourba people) and in Senegal.
3: In creating batik fabrics, particularly in Africa the process is done by stenciling a thick paste (made of cassava in Nigeria / rice in Senegal) on cotton or silk, by hand.
4: Once the paste dries, the fabric is dyed, then left to dry. Once completely dry the paste is removed and the white handcrafted design art is made visible.
Cool right?! ... The particular fabric I'm wearing in this week's feature is made from the Senegalese fashion using rice paste .. And I absolutely love it. For deets on my D.I.Y dress creation and how you can replicate this dress yourself at home ... Trust me guys, you've got this! .. Tap HERE!
Alright, that's all for now. As always, 'Till next time, the journey continues!
Greetings culture lovers!
It's 65° degrees here in NYC today, so you know what that means ... Either global warming is going into overdrive this week, or Spring is almost here!! .. I'm going to think positively and go with Spring LOL. That said, I took advantage of the amazeballs weather by grabbing my camera and shooting downtown! .. Hope you enjoy!
This week's Daily Fashion Fix feature is another super cool cultural piece from Kenya called "shuka cloth." Seen in the nomadic Maasai Tribe of East Africa, the shuka is worn as a protective garment while out in the in the field, either tending to cattle or on the hunt.
While original shuka wraps were crafted with sheepskin or calf / animal hides, around the 1960's the Maasai people replaced traditional shuka with modern fabrics created from cotton woven in various tartan-like (think Scottish plaid) patterns. Additionally, in keeping with tradition, the modern fabric now used still maintains the overall vibrant red coloring found in the first shuka capes
Originally, created by taking and processing red ochre clay from the earth, historically, the red coloring in shukas held important significance in not only helping tribesmen camouflage from wild animals by blending into the terrain .. But also serving as a warning signal to aggressive animals when discovered (warding them off) as warriors set out on the hunt.
Today, shukas can be wrapped and worn in countless ways, as its style often varies by the creativity of the wearer. For a bit of style inspiration, check out my modern take on rocking shuka cloth in this week's post! As you all know, I love all things vintage. For this look, I brought together a plush butter leather 1980's crop jacket ... A simple body-suit .. And a pair of super distressed high-waisted vintage mom jeans. Can you tell I wear these a lot?
No seriously, they're probably going to fall apart any minute with all the fraying, but I can't let them go .. LOL! Shoes included these gold booties I was gifted by my mom, practically unworn from last winter. They honestly had to grow on me style wise, because I wasn't originally a fan (sorry mom!) .. But I'm so glad I decided to keep them. LOL .. And there there you have it! A few classic basics paired up with a unique statement piece and you have a really cool look all your own.
Interested in learning how I created some of these folded fabric looks? Tap HERE to view my Q.A.C tutorial, where I show you how to replicate my top five favorite wrap styles! ... Thanks for stopping by. ~ xo
Greetings loves!
As you all know, I'm a fan of a good cultural or vintage piece ... Finding a cool garment or accessory that combines the two? .. Absolutely love! This week, I was able to find just that.
Since the new year, I've found myself wearing quite a few pieces with cowrie shells recently
From being used to connect with the gods .. To symbolizing wealth, health, and good luck .. Cowrie shells have long been regarded as both culturally & spiritually important in African, Asian, Arabic, & Pacific Islander culture.
While I've been drawn to cowrie shells recently, as you many of you know, I also really like the idea of wearing a garment with deeper symbolism and meaning.
This vintage 1980's kimono I found while out on a recent vintage hunt, gives a stylish nod to the historic use of cowrie shells, while also celebrating indigenous people in the beautiful patterning.
Stylish .. cultural .. with a bit of history. The perfect fashion trifecta!
Greetings Culture Lovers!
Last go 'round on the Daily Fashion Fix, we talked about how to recreate a great Fall transition look in just 3 easy steps! This week, I'd like to keep on this vein and take it one step further with layering. As the weather gets cooler, adding a few basic chic layers over a bold statement piece can take your fall outfits from yawn to yes!
In this week's example, the foundation of my look is a bold dashiki print romper I custom designed myself for the Q.A.C webstore. Dashikis, originally worn in West African nations such as Nigeria, Togo, and Benin .. The print evolved during the 1960s into political statement of African-American pride and solidarity .. With the energy of the world, ESPECIALLY here in america .While great in the summertime, with a few tweaks, this romper becomes a fierce transition piece ... And who doesn't love getting double duty from your wardrobe?!
To warm things up a bit, I begin layering my basics over this romper using my previously discussed "Color Pop" method. Blue tights with a blue cardigan serves to color block an already busy dashiki design. The same is idea is repeated with oxblood toned boots and classic leather moto jacket.
In both cases, these colors are added to both the top and bottom of the outfit to not only add a sense of uniformity, but it also anchors the entire look around the dashiki print.
As a special note, take a look at the length of each cover-up. The shorter length of the leather jacket .. Followed by the bit longer length of the cardigan .. Then finished off by the longest length, the romper. This layering of materials on top of one another, coupled by the different layered lengths create this great structural look visually that I'm absolutely in love with. To wrap things up, I cinch my waist with a thin belt because as you know, I absolutely love a good hourglass shape!
And there you have it! Another fun look brought to you from Q.A.C, with several basics from your own closet! Colder weather is when the real fashionistas shine ... That said? Let's get layering!
The thought of children being born with special gifts isn't a new concept. Cultures all over the globe have acknowledged and celebrated certain individuals or children with "gifts" throughout history. The origins of "Indigo Children" or "Star Children" is no different. Arising in the 1970's, the term has come to identify those with a special connection to psychic and spiritual abilities.
Those who are born with these gifts are often confident, intuitive, clairvoyant, creative, and at times reclusive ... preferring to be around other like minded sensitives.
To know me, is to know that I love all things mystical, spiritual, and otherwise "otherworldly". While there's much speculation as to how factual these indigo claims truly are, for me there's no question that the presence of spiritually inclined ... magically gifted individuals exist. I would even venture to say, I am one ... But that's a post for perhaps another day : ].
This week's fun ensemble is a tribute to my fellow mystics. Deep indigo dress (vintage) with double slits offers a fun way to play with styling .... While the gold accents on the dress, belt, and shoes, are present to represent the illumination of the stars. I also happen to be a fan of this dress for its patterning.
layful pineapples paired with the adinkra symbol of "Bese Saka" (symbolism of affluence) was a great and unexpected surprise as it incorporates both my tropical / caribbean and Ghanaian heritage. This dress is definitely a new fashion staple for my personal closet!
Quick Fashion Fix post to showcase one of the newest fashion faves for my webstore Queen Adwoa's Closet ... along with this super easy wrap dress you can replicate in seconds!
First up, let's talk about this dress. Festival season is here and summer is right behind it. One of my "never fail" go to looks is without a doubt the wrap dress. Made famous in the fashion world by designer Diane von Fuerstenberg, the island wrap dress has been worn by stylish women throughout the diaspora for centuries.
Mastering the look a quick D.IY look with fabric is unbelievably simple and can be done in 3 simple steps.
1) Grab your Q.A.C body wrap or favorite piece of material. While in this example, mine has a bit if fringe, it's not crucial to the look. However, if you'd like to add a bit of fringe, using scissors to cut small slits, close together along the width works just as well.
2) Wrap the fabric around your body and tie the ends into a knot around your bust. Tuck the loose ends into the top of your bust.
3) Secure the bottom open ends of the dress by either tying the fringes together or by using safety pins to secure the material. If you decide to use pins, use them to secure from the underside of your dress to hide them.
If you're like me and like a nice cinched waist, you can add a thin belt to highlight your shape ... And that's it! Your done! .... Super cute dress for the cost of approximately 2 yards of fabric.
Whether you're in need an outfit for a special event, work, or weekend escape ... Being able to create what I call a bit of "origami magic" with an amazing piece of fabric can me so clutch. This week's fabric of choice is a kente print body wrap coming soon to the Q.A.C webstore. Quality body wraps have been a long time closet staple of mine, as it allows me to create multiple styles from one great swatch of fabric, including: dresses, tops, blouses, head-wraps, skirts, etc ... Something any budget friendly fashionista would love.
For a fun "how to" tutorial on how I created this dress with ONE piece of fabric, click here!
To top off my look I wanted to showcase the newest addition to my fashion house's accessories collection. In this week's "Cultural Beauty" section, we discussed the heritage of the Wodaabe / Fulani Tribe and the tradition surrounding their beautiful Kwottenai Kanye earrings. In growing my fashion house, I've partnered with artisans from Mali, W. Africa to offer these amazing one of a kind earrings within my shop. Handcrafted in brass then hand-dipped in 14 gold, these earrings are guaranteed to be show stoppers!
