t.savage's style influence: africa



Designer masterpieces can be seen on runways all over Africa. 



 

Many people in The States are unaware of just how fashion forward Africa is. And few know that the huge continent even hosts several Fashion Weeks worldwide (London, NY, Cape Town and Amsterdam to name a few).

As an African American, my connection to Africa is obvious. I proudly embrace the heritage and roots that I know very little about. Fashion is the most natural way for me to recognize and pay homage to the culture and legacy that many African Americans shun and try hard to differentiate themselves from. That's probably one of the reasons that I'm so adamant about showcasing African influenced  fashions in my own personal style--it's my way of trying to make up for all of my fellow African American brothers and sisters who are ashamed of their relation to the rich continent and who would probably grimace at the thought of wearing African attire.

With that being said, let's talk about how African fashion directly affects my style, or MySty as I call it.  You can see from my stylage (my term for style-collage), that African designs are rich in color, texture and prints--three things I LOVE! MySty often incorporates bright, bold colors with earth tones; pairs prints with prints; and mixes and matches textures in unexpected ways. oh yeah, and I love a good head wrap!

I admire how over the decades,  even with the Western influence and ever-changing nature of fashion, African fashion has always stayed true to its native culture. I will continue to wear my Africa-inspired adornments proudly!

How has your personal ethnic, cultural and native heritage influenced your style?