Ghana's millennial avant-garde, Young artists in Ghana's capital have evolved a new style that is turning heads and challenging accepted notions of African fashion. Their passions span fine art, graphic design, music and, above all, clothes.
Young artists in Ghana's capital have evolved a new style that is turning heads and challenging accepted notions of African fashion. Their passions span fine art, graphic design, music and, above all, clothes.
Their outfits get noticed in a city where most men wear conservative Western suits or, on special occasions, shirts made from traditional fabrics. The artists publish selfies on social media, projecting their style far beyond Accra.
The men and women in the group say they want to challenge traditional notions of African fashion, using social media platforms to share their creative outfits.
Aged 19 to 38, they mix tailored jackets, printed T-shirts, vintage dresses, flares and foulards in quirky, sometimes eccentric, ensembles more often seen in London than Accra.
But their unique style has also drawn criticism from the more conservative locals.
"I was told I wasn't going to get a husband. I would be called names on the bus," said artist Sena Ahadji, who used to have a mohawk.
Support from others in the group helped her overcome the negative comments.
"A lot of pressure left me," she said. "I am me. I am African. The fabric doesn't make me African. My hair doesn't make me African, but I know who I am."
-Accra, Ghana Francis Kokoroko
Young artists in Ghana's capital have evolved a new style that is turning heads and challenging accepted notions of African fashion. Their passions span fine art, graphic design, music and, above all, clothes.
Their outfits get noticed in a city where most men wear conservative Western suits or, on special occasions, shirts made from traditional fabrics. The artists publish selfies on social media, projecting their style far beyond Accra.
The men and women in the group say they want to challenge traditional notions of African fashion, using social media platforms to share their creative outfits.
Aged 19 to 38, they mix tailored jackets, printed T-shirts, vintage dresses, flares and foulards in quirky, sometimes eccentric, ensembles more often seen in London than Accra.
But their unique style has also drawn criticism from the more conservative locals.
"I was told I wasn't going to get a husband. I would be called names on the bus," said artist Sena Ahadji, who used to have a mohawk.
Support from others in the group helped her overcome the negative comments.
"A lot of pressure left me," she said. "I am me. I am African. The fabric doesn't make me African. My hair doesn't make me African, but I know who I am."
-Accra, Ghana Francis Kokoroko
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