I recently flew out to London for what turned out to be half London Fashion Week SS16 coverage/ half #SinniOnVacay. As expected around this time of year, London was occasionally sunny, but mostly grey with a side of drizzle. And because I’m so great at packing (not!), I brought a bikini instead of an umbrella. That’s all on the weather front, here’s what’s hot this season:
My look: Mostly Top Shop, with Europart shoes. I’ve been taking this pair on most of my trips in the past few months. Mostly because they’re comfortable (great for long shoots that require extended hours of fleekness), and also because of the bling factor. Sinni like shiny :)
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| Sinazo Yolwa with Ola Shobowale |
My good friend Ola Shobowale took me to Sadie Clayton’s exhibition in the evening. Sadie and I met a few years ago at Somerset House (LFW has since moved to Soho), and this lady’s creativity knows no bounds. Here’s the official write up for her label:
"Sadie Clayton is a luxury sculptural womenswear label.
The designer’s architectural approach sees avant-garde shapes realised in warming colour palettes, while accessories and finishings come in signature copper. Manipulating industrial materials and silhouettes to fit the female form, Sadie Clayton presents a unique aesthetic in the British fashion scene.
The eponymous line was launched by the University of Kingston graduate in 2013 at Graduate Fashion Week and has gone on to show on the catwalk in London and Berlin.
Sadie Clayton has been worn by the likes of Ellie Goulding, Caryn Franklin and regularly features in i-D, Wonderland, Noctis, Schön!, 1883 and more. The designer has collaborated with esteemed creative individuals and brands such as cordwainer Charlene Ong, photographer Mark Lebon, United Nude, and the Tate."
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| Sadie Clayton |
The lady of the moment, Sadie Clayton.
Unfortunately, we couldn't mingle for too long, as we had another stop in Shoreditch. #AfricaCallingLabs hosted a talk with Lakwena Maciver. She delved into the challenges of growing up mixed race (more specifically, mixed heritage), trying to carve out your identity in a world that makes you feel like being mixed means never really belonging anywhere; a world where post-colonialism, everyone’s heritage is fragile. A world where ‘Africanness’ is expected to fall neatly into certain definitions. A world where anything ‘African’ needs to be watered down to become mainstream, or risk being relegated to the ‘exotic’ corner.
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| Lazola Ngxokolo with Sinazo Yolwa |
The panel of speakers (including chairperson Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey and designer Lazola Ngxokolo) ended with what they hoped to see in the next 20 years: a world where Africa doesn’t have its own separate section in the arts, but is instead a fully intergrated global player.
Ola and I ended the night with a Ceylon fish curry somewhere on Brick Lane, and a lot of #SinniOnVacay planning for the rest of the trip. I'll be back again soon with more updates.
Love,
Sinni
