Into Africa Ca Ca

When I was in New York to document Benetton's A/W 10-11 shoot with the It's My Time winners, I got talking to one of the finalists from the UK, Soraya, who is half Ghanian and half Jamaican.  I found it fascinating that she went back to Ghana quite a bit to buy up artisanal local jewellery as well as have Ghanian-fabrics made up to wear with more contemporary 'Western' clothes and how proud she was of this cultural sartorial mix.  In turn it made me a little embarrassed about my own inability to do the same with my own cultural roots because peevish fears of looking overly-themey or something out of the It's A Small World ride.  Or perhaps it is that the Ghanian aesthetics within the wider design umbrella of Africa has this quality that is easily contemporarised and so it is with this mindset that Darkroom, a concept store with a unique mix of interiors and fashion gives us their special edition exhibition 'Into Africa'.  Once again, intrepid reporter Steve has been hard at work taking these images for me… so if they look a bit more 'pro', compliments to him, not me.

I checked out Darkroom when it first opened on the quiet, quirk and quaint haven of Lamb's Conduit Street and now it has revved up its exhibition efforts to curate this modern ode to indigenous Africa textiles, jewellery by collaborating with many designers who already have wee strands of Africana in their work.  First up… Florian's beads… many many many of them… 

Surely these are the ultimate pointless vanity glasses… pearl frames with no lenses?  That said, I'd rather like them on the right person…

Fred Butler definitely had to be in the mix too…  she collaborated with print designer Brie Harrison to add the geometric motifs to some beaded necklaces…

…as well as recreating one of her pieces from the S/S 10 Hibiscus Ridiculous collection which can be swivelled, turned, shuffled and worn any way you so please…

I was also pleased to see Michelle Lowe-Holder fashion these pleated neckpieces from fabrics that Darkroom had sourced… I hear she has also launched an accessories-only label using off cuts of fabric and ribbon which I'll have to investigate…

Milliner Noel Stewart has contributed these textile-based hats…

… as well as these macrame-based turban and visor pieces… I quite like the idea of wearing this tan one over a softer fabric based turban, like a hot pink satin one I have from Topshop from a few years back…

Corrie Williamson, whose jewellery I know from her collaborative work with Cooperative Designs has launched her solo collection where wood and perspex are perfectly at home with each other…

I'm still coveting the all-in-one quilted jacket and backpack combo by H by Harris and for A/W 10-11, he's actually got a few womenswear pieces too which I'm excited about.  For Darkroom, he has applied his quilted leather to drawstring pouch bags and laptop cases where African textiles have been used as linings…

David David's print work fits in seamlessly onto the walls as well as on these cushion cases…

I just love the way Darkroom arranges their stock too in perpendicular semblance… pictured here are Darkroom's own notebooks as well as Anglo leather plaited belts and… freelance knitter Lynn Cockburn's braided jewellery..

… more of which can be seen here…

Darkroom's own contributions include these neckties and hankerchiefs which the other half is already thinking could add a colourful touch to his unpatterned wardrobe… I'm slowly convincing him that a print or two won't hurt…

**EDIT** Some of you asked for some detailed shirts of my Nigerian lattice-sleeved shirt, which I have written about before when again, I confronted some issues to do with multi-cultural influences on my wardrobe… this I guess also semi-fits into this Darkroom exhibition though alas there isn't a designer to credit as I basically found it in a vintage shop…