Our Folklore: Globalizing African Fashion Brands Live NYFW Panel
If you have followed The Folklore's blog or social media, you may know that our team is passionate about telling the stories of creatives and tastemakers both living in Africa and across the diaspora. From emerging musicians to local artisans, we’ve offered a glimpse into the people and movements that are contributing to Africa's contemporary art movements.
The Folklore's new podcast Our Folklore, which launched this week, is the latest storytelling instrument that is creating even more opportunities from African and diasporic voices to be heard. Our Folklore is a fashion, art, culture, and design podcast hosted by The Folklore Founder and CEO and accomplished arts and culture journalist, Amira Rasool.
Our Folklore features interviews with top creative talents from around the globe. These inspiring innovators are making an impact across various categories and using their talents to deliver quality products and services. From South Africa to Nigeria, the UK to the US, Ghana to Brazil, these editors, photographers, tech founders, and musicians all share the same passion, to recognize and support the creativity and talent brewing in Africa and the diaspora.
For season one episode one of Our Folklore we have audio from The Folklore's Globalizing Luxury African Fashion panel discussion that took place last month during New York Fashion Week. In this panel, Rasool spoke with stylist and travel editor Alexander Julian Gibson, Orange Culture Founder and Creative Director Adebayo Oke-Lawal, The Cut Social Media Editor Nana Agyemang, and Designer and Performance Artist, Nana Yaa Asare Boadu about the support and skills needed to help globalize Africa’s luxury fashion design industry.
Listen to episode one of Our Folklore now on Apple Podcast, SoundCloud, Google Play, and Stitcher, and find out more about the panelist below.
Adebayo Oke-Lawal, CEO & Creative Director of Orange Culture
Adebayo Oke-Lawal launched his fashion label Orange Culture in 2011 with a desire to break from traditional gender stereotypes while celebrating his Nigerian heritage. Orange Culture was one of the first Nigerian brands to begin collaboration within the industry and has inspired many to follow. The label has collaborated with numerous brands including Nosakhari, Sunni Footwear, Kiing Daviids, Maxivive and many more. Most recently, the designer worked with Grapes Pattern Bank for his Fall/Winter 2020 collection, The Flower Boy, which was presented at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art during NYFW.
Alexander Julian Gibbson, Fashion, Travel Editor & Stylist
Alexander Julian Gibbson is a NYC based creative content specialist, editor and stylist. His work focuses on highlighting underrepresented cultures and bringing them to the forefront of global media. Since beginning his career in 2010, he has become a highly sought after creative who prides himself on developing aesthetically driven, quality content. Alexander has worked with Nike, Vogue Magazine, GQ Magazine, and FENDI Americas in a wide range of content and creative consulting capacities. Alexander's styling and creative direction has been employed by GQ, FLAUNT, New York, Travel + Leisure, and V magazines.
Nana Agyemang, Social Media Editor, The Cut
Nana Agyemang is known as the queen of memes and a social media phenomenon. As the Social Media Editor of The Cut (New York Magazine’s style section), she’s found the balance between funny and fashion and created the blueprint for the way contemporary publications engage with readers online. Agyemang also runs EveryStylishGirl, a personal platform aimed at empowering women of color. Former posts include Elle, The New York Times, BBC News, and Refinery 29.
Nana Yaa Asare-Boadu, Head Designer at Johnathan Simkhai
Ghanian fashion designer and artist, Nana Yaa Asare-Boadu is a force in the New York design scene. Working as a head designer at Johnathan Simkhai, and embarking on her personal projects, she leverages her personal history and experience working in fashion in Milan and Paris, to navigate the industry and share her unique aesthetic. When she's not designing, Asare-Boadu engages in performance art, a medium that has gained her a sizable and loyal following across social media.
