The Instagram Account Celebrating Black Voices In Fashion’s Recent History
By Something CuratedInstagram account @nigeriangothic archives diverse fashion imagery from the recent decades, alongside occasional artworks, comprising a rich library of photography and film excerpts with a central focus on celebrating Black and POC talents, bodies and aesthetics. From an oil-slicked Alek Wek in Pirelli’s 1999 calendar, to the late African-American fashion designer Patrick Kelly’s vibrant creations, the archived materials span details from magazine editorials and fashion campaigns, to paintings and music videos, among other formats.
Founder Daniel Obaweya tells Something Curated, “I started @nigeriangothic in 2018 while on a break from school. I’ve always been creative and into art, fashion and culture but it was always so hard to express myself, and the Nigerian creative scene is highly politicised; it’s all about who you know and not necessarily about talent or vision. So I decided to create @nigeriangothic as a way to express myself and my creative research and findings.”
Among Obaweya’s favourite posts is an excerpt from Worth The Wait, 1997, a short film directed by Jamie Morgan for designer Ozwald Boateng. Obaweya notes, “The film is so beautiful and what it symbolises is so touching.” A pioneer of utilising video to disseminate his work, born in London to Ghanaian parents, Boateng became the first tailor to have a catwalk show at Paris Fashion Week back in 1994. With a promotional video as the invitation, something that had never been done before, the critically acclaimed show sparked huge excitement in the fashion industry putting the British designer, tailor, and craftsman on the world stage.
Elsewhere on @nigeriangothic, discover images from Jamil GS’ photo series Mississippi Mackin’, styled by John Moore. GS has been dubbed the “Godfather of Ghetto Fabulous,” merging street style flare with high fashion in his photographs and film work. For more than two decades, the Danish-American artist has played a pivotal role in documenting Hip-Hop, having photographed eminent artists like Jay Z, Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Nas, Outkast, and Foxy Brown. Obaweya says, “My research on Vibe magazine introduced me to Jamil GS and his work and I’ll forever be grateful because he is now one of my absolute favourite photographers.”
Expanding on his research process, Obaweya explains, “My research process differs depending on what I’m doing or what it’s for. Most times I know what I’m looking for, other times I’m doing research for a client or trying to find references for my own work and just stumble on something that inspires or moves me. With that said I always try to do research for at least 4 hours a day everyday and I always start with Google.”
Feature image: Patrick Kelly, August 1988. Photograph by Oliviero Toscani (via @nigeriangothic)