Tribute to Katoucha Niane, 1960 - 2008

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | March 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Katoucha Niane was a Guinean model who broke many barriers, becoming the one of the first black models to grace the catwalk. Yves Saint Laurent considered her his muse. She was elegant, driven and used her position to draw attention to the horrors of female circumcision. » Read more…

Tags: , african model, Djibril Tamsir Niane, katoucha Niane, Model, Paris, Sekou Toure, Yves st. Laurent

Black Models: Is There a Divide Between African and African-American Models?

Written by Mwabi Kaira-Murdock | February 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment

“My goal is to show the industry that you don’t have to be from Africa and be exotic to be beautiful. You can be a ’round-the-way girl from Brooklyn or Arkansas.” -Tyra Banks- » Read more…

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Designer Matthew Williamson Takes Ethiopian Inspired Designs Too Far

Written by Mwabi Kaira-Murdock | January 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Matthew Williamson’s Spring/Summer 2008 collection was met with applause and criticism. Two dresses from the collection were so similar to Ethiopia’s traditional dress that the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs investigated the matter. Abdurazak Omer of the Intellectual Property Office in Addis Ababa said, “We are vey unhappy with the actions of Mr. Williamson. These are the dresses of our mothers and grandmothers. They symbolize our identity, faith and national pride. Nobody has the right to claim these designs as their own.” » Read more…

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