#african print jacket

[ngosikadzistyle]

Sampling my new bomber jacket collection

HARARE – Just as I thought let me do a photoshoot before I post new content let me share what I have been up to regarding my HAMBA African print clothing business. This year I have been more about mass production of main styles to increase output. Ever since I started outsourcing tailoring services off site I had to streamline my costs. So this is what I have made so far Continue reading…

[royalafricanhealthbeauty]

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[dresshistorynerd]

How did cotton win over linen anyway?

In short, colonialism, slavery and the industrial revolution. In length:

Cotton doesn't grow in Europe so before the Modern Era, cotton was rare and used in small quantities for specific purposes (lining doublets for example). The thing with cotton is, that's it can be printed with dye very easily. The colors are bright and they don't fade easily. With wool and silk fabrics, which were the more traditional fabrics for outer wear in Europe (silk for upper classes of course), patterns usually needed to be embroidered or woven to the cloth to last, which was very expensive. Wool is extremely hard to print to anything detailed that would stay even with modern technology. Silk can be printed easily today with screen printing, but before late 18th century the technique wasn't known in western world (it was invented in China a millenium ago) and the available methods didn't yeld good results.

So when in the late 17th century European trading companies were establishing trading posts in India, a huge producer of cotton fabrics, suddenly cotton was much more available in Europe. Indian calico cotton, which was sturdy and cheap and was painted or printed with colorful and intricate floral patters, chintz, especially caught on and became very fashionable. The popular Orientalism of the time also contributed to it becoming fasionable, chintz was seen as "exotic" and therefore appealing.

Here's a typical calico jacket from late 18th century. The ones in European markets often had white background, but red background was also fairly common.

The problem with this was that this was not great for the business of the European fabric producers, especially silk producers in France and wool producers in England, who before were dominating the European textile market and didn't like that they now had competition. So European countries imposed trade restrictions for Indian cotton, England banning cotton almost fully in 1721. Since the introduction of Indian cottons, there had been attempts to recreate it in Europe with little success. They didn't have nearly advanced enough fabric printing and cotton weaving techniques to match the level of Indian calico. Cotton trade with India didn't end though. The European trading companies would export Indian cottons to West African market to fund the trans-Atlantic slave trade that was growing quickly. European cottons were also imported to Africa. At first they didn't have great demand as they were so lacking compared to Indian cotton, but by the mid 1700s quality of English cotton had improved enough to be competitive.

Inventions in industrial textile machinery, specifically spinning jenny in 1780s and water frame in 1770s, would finally give England the advantages they needed to conquer the cotton market. These inventions allowed producing very cheap but good quality cotton and fabric printing, which would finally produce decent imitations of Indian calico in large quantities. Around the same time in mid 1700s, The East Indian Company had taken over Bengal and soon following most of the Indian sub-continent, effectively putting it under British colonial rule (but with a corporate rule dystopian twist). So when industrialized English cotton took over the market, The East India Company would suppress Indian textile industry to utilize Indian raw cotton production for English textile industry and then import cotton textiles back to India. In 1750s India's exports were mainly fine cotton and silk, but during the next century Indian export would become mostly raw materials. They effectively de-industrialized India to industrialize England further.

India, most notably Bengal area, had been an international textile hub for millennia, producing the finest cottons and silks with extremely advance techniques. Loosing cotton textile industry devastated Indian local economies and eradicated many traditional textile craft skills. Perhaps the most glaring example is that of Dhaka muslin. Named after the city in Bengal it was produced in, it was extremely fine and thin cotton requiring very complicated and time consuming spinning process, painstakingly meticulous hand-weaving process and a very specific breed of cotton. It was basically transparent as seen depicted in this Mughal painting from early 17th century.

It was used by e.g. the ancient Greeks, Mughal emperors and, while the methods and it's production was systematically being destroyed by the British to squash competition, it became super fashionable in Europe. It was extremely expensive, even more so than silk, which is probably why it became so popular among the rich. In 1780s Marie Antoinette famously and scandalously wore chemise a la reine made from multiple layers of Dhaka muslin. In 1790s, when the empire silhouette took over, it became even more popular, continuing to the very early 1800s, till Dhaka muslin production fully collapsed and the knowledge and skill to produce it were lost. But earlier this year, after years lasting research to revive the Dhaka muslin funded by Bangladeshi government, they actually recreated it after finding the right right cotton plant and gathering spinners and weavers skilled in traditional craft to train with it. (It's super cool and I'm making a whole post about it (it has been in the making for months now) so I won't extend this post more.)

Marie Antoinette in the famous painting with wearing Dhaka muslin in 1783, and empress Joséphine Bonaparte in 1801 also wearing Dhaka muslin.

While the trans-Atlantic slave trade was partly funded by the cotton trade and industrial English cotton, the slave trade would also be used to bolster the emerging English cotton industry by forcing African slaves to work in the cotton plantations of Southern US. This produced even more (and cheaper (again slave labor)) raw material, which allowed the quick upward scaling of the cotton factories in Britain. Cotton was what really kicked off the industrial revolution, and it started in England, because they colonized their biggest competitor India and therefore were able to take hold of the whole cotton market and fund rapid industrialization.

Eventually the availability of cotton, increase in ready-made clothing and the luxurious reputation of cotton lead to cotton underwear replacing linen underwear (and eventually sheets) (the far superior option for the reasons I talked about here) in early Victorian Era. Before Victorian era underwear was very practical, just simple rectangles and triangles sewn together. It was just meant to protect the outer clothing and the skin, and it wasn't seen anyway, so why put the relatively scarce resources into making it pretty? Well, by the mid 1800s England was basically fully industrialized and resource were not scarce anymore. Middle class was increasing during the Victorian Era and, after the hard won battles of the workers movement, the conditions of workers was improving a bit. That combined with decrease in prices of clothing, most people were able to partake in fashion. This of course led to the upper classes finding new ways to separate themselves from lower classes. One of these things was getting fancy underwear. Fine cotton kept the fancy reputation it had gained first as an exotic new commodity in late 17th century and then in Regency Era as the extremely expensive fabric of queens and empresses. Cotton also is softer than linen, and therefore was seen as more luxurious against skin. So cotton shifts became the fancier shifts. At the same time cotton drawers were becoming common additional underwear for women.

It wouldn't stay as an upper class thing, because as said cotton was cheap and available. Ready-made clothing also helped spread the fancier cotton underwear, as then you could buy fairly cheaply pretty underwear and you didn't even have to put extra effort into it's decoration. At the same time cotton industry was massive and powerful and very much eager to promote cotton underwear as it would make a very steady and long lasting demand for cotton.

In conclusion, cotton has a dark and bloody history and it didn't become the standard underwear fabric for very good reasons.

Here's couple of excellent sources regarding the history of cotton industry:

The European Response to Indian Cottons, Prasannan Parthasarathi

INDIAN COTTON MILLS AND THE BRITISH ECONOMIC POLICY, 1854-1894, Rajib Lochan Sahoo

[morrak]

Untitled Wednesday Library Series, Part 151

Ian Newton's Population Ecology of Raptors, published in 1979 by T. & A. D. Poyser, Ltd., a publisher specialized in ornithology about which there's a surprisingly tidy little Wikipedia article.

The How

As I mentioned last week, I found this next to the book I featured last week. I'm pretty sure this is the one I picked up and waved around at @krieper to signal a Bird Find, but I suppose it could've been the tern one instead. The treachery of memory. You understand.

The Text

'Raptors' here stands for an obsolete version of the order Falconiformes, which included the families Cathartidae (American vultures and condors), Pandionidae (the osprey), Accipitridae (hawks, kites, buzzards, eagles, and Eurasian and African vultures), Sagittariidae (the secretarybird), and Falconidae (caracaras, falcons, and falconets). The author acknowledges that this grouping is probably paraphyletic — a good and correct notion; more recent work has split his subjects across three orders — but the systematics aren't really the point. Unlike last week's feature and despite its similarities to this week's, neither is behavioral evolution. This is very straightforwardly a population ecology book. Hence, like, the title, I guess.

To that end, lots and lots of summaries of breeding and migration studies, as well as of then-current conservation work, including and especially efforts concerning DDT and other organochlorides. The focus is mainly but not entirely on British bird populations and management practices, and mainly but not entirely on perspectives well represented in the contemporary literature about them. Nothing revolutionary, but all (it seems to me) competently collated.

The Object

Very British, though subtly so. Some of that impression is down to the copy style, but the graph layout and illustrations don't hurt either. The type is all 10/11 pt. VIP Melior, which as far as I can tell is a branch of Hermann Zapf's Melior family that ITC sold for variable input typesetting machines.

Lots of photos (in 32 plates, most doubled) from lots of people, some of which are even OK to look at. The photos, that is. The illustrations (one per chapter, plus the cover, frontispiece, and a couple spares), all by one Jim Gammie, are a great complement to Netwon's prose and really tie the whole thing together. Figures (50) and tables (68) are mostly legible and occasionally really cool.

Orange endpapers; black bookcloth; gold spine detailing; thin but not flimsy paper printed by photolithography. The previous owner wrapped the jacket in a proper paper/mylar protector, which means I don't have to do it myself. Nice.

The Why, Though?

I mean, it's birds of prey.

Not all of them are birds of prey I've got meaningful access to, but some of them are, and what does that matter anyway? This is more of a goes-on-the-bird-shelf-to-fill-out-the-bird-shelf kind of thing than a cover-to-cover read, but I've been meaning to put more mid-level bird taxa in my head and this is fine for that, outdated though it otherwise is.

It doesn't hurt that it's a looker, of course. If this series had any themes or motifs — it doesn't, but hypothetically — one would be that I care more about pretty things than I care to admit.

[kimolisai]

Using Bing Create with the prompt: Create a full figure of a hyper realistic colored photograph of a stunning African female with long hair and full body abstract hearts long dress With jacket fur. with artistic style by Magliocco, vibrant and dynamic haute couture corset dress. The woman's dress should be a combination of bizzarre fashion and artistic expression, featuring vivid Pink, fucsia colors and black and white printed patterns. the female strikes elegant pose in zaha hadid architetture

[queenlucythevaliant]

In Defense of Wuthering Heights

This is not an “I can make him worse” book. It’s a “we can make each other better in the face of tremendous pressure to do otherwise” book. I promise. 

I’ve already written extensively about my love for Charlotte Brontë’s Villette and while I love lots of other Brontë books with all my heart, what I really want to do tonight is try to make you fall in love with Emily’s Wuthering Heights (generally the most divisive Brontë novel among modern readers) the way that I did.

The thing that a lot of people don’t know which I really think ought to be printed on all the dust jackets is that the Brontë sisters were the daughters of a revered. They were PKs and it totally shows.  

So Wuthering Heights is not a romance; it’s a family tragedy. Specifically, it’s an astonishingly hopeful book about generational trauma. 

Heathcliff is Mr. Earnshaw’s bastard son. This is never explicitly stated, but it is implied so heavily that it might as well be. To boot, Mr. Earnshaw favors Heathcliff over his legitimate son, Hindley. When Mr. Earnshaw dies, Heathcliff is immediately and violently cast out of the family and forced into servitude. Mr. Earnshaw’s hidden infidelity is Wuthering Heights’s original sin.

Of course, Cathy and Heathcliff love each other, but it’s a violent and destructive like-recognizes-like kind of love between two people who, on the one hand, absolutely should not be together and, on the other, totally deserve each other. They’re capital T Tragic and capital R romantic: co-dependent, sharp-toothed sibling-lovers who don’t understand their own relationship as kids because their father lied to them. That lack of understanding follows them into adulthood; they don’t really know how to make sense of what they feel for one another, but boy do they feel it. 

Cathy tells Nellie “I am Heathcliff” and “He’s more myself than I am” and “whatever souls are made of, his and mine are the same,” and it’s half a reaction to the fact that one of her brothers (Hindley) has cast her other brother (Heathcliff) out of the family with a vengeance and half a statement of the fact that although she doesn’t know what Heathcliff is to her, she doesn’t know how to live without him. And while Cathy’s love for Heathcliff definitely fills romantic roles once they’re adults, it’s doesn’t really read as sexual. To use Lewis’s parlance: it’s not eros/gift-love, but rather need-love in the most emphatic sense. It’s storge. Actually, it’s really posessive storge that thinks it’s eros. Hence the problem. 

From the other side, Heathcliff is an outsider from the moment he enters the story. He’s an intruder and a presumed bastard. He’s coded as non-white, maybe Romani or similar. (Probably not actually African-black, but kudos to that one movie for at least making the attempt.) He’s… probably kind of a psychopath in that he displays cruelty to animals and then later on becomes a charismatic, manipulative monster. You can make a nature vs. nurture argument—Heathcliff is definitely on the receiving end of a lot of cruelty—but there’s also something Off about him and that too is othering. And after Mr. Earnshaw dies, Cathy is the one person who still loves him.

But of course, they can’t actually marry. On and off the page, that simply cannot be. Heathcliff runs away, Cathy marries Edgar Linton. They hurt each other badly in the process. Neither Heathcliff nor Cathy can escape the harm that Mr. Earnshaw began and Hindley perpetuated. Cathy dies, Heathcliff marries Isabella, and then things get really interesting.

Because the beating heart of Wuthering Heights, the place where you can profoundly see the fingerprints of the reverend’s daughter, is in the third generation. Cathy and Heathcliff devour each other in life and in death, but the children survive. They forgive. The patriarch died without knowing what he had wrought on his children, the second generation died in anguish, but the third makes it out. Or at least Hareton and Cathy II do.

Cathy’s daughter is named for her mother. Heathcliff’s son by Isabella Linton is named Linton Heathcliff. Heathcliff forces Hareton, Hindley’s son and the only one among the third generation not named for his parents, to live in the same debasement that Hindley once forced on him: he denies Hareton any education and forces him into servitude while simultaneously courting his admiration. In essence, Cathy and Heathcliff implore the next generation to go on living their parents’ tragedy and it. Doesn’t. Work.

Heathcliff tries to force them both into awful situations in which they must act out his trauma, his revenge, to go on perpetuating the pain and bitterness. And at first, it looks like they’re going to play their parts. For a time, they’re as awful to each other as everyone else is.

But then they change. Hareton tries to stand up for Cathy II while she’s essentially being held captive as part of Heathcliff’s 12-Step Revenge Plot. Cathy teaches Hareton to read. She laughs at him, but when she realizes that she’s hurting his pride she apologizes and learns to be patient.  

“I didn’t know you took my part,” she answered, drying her eyes; “and I was miserable and bitter at everybody; but now I thank you, and beg you to forgive me: what can I do besides?”

And after this, they both stand up to Heathcliff. They say, “This ends here. This far and no farther.” Heathcliff is their dragon and they face him together. And when everyone else is dead in grand, tragic fashion, Cathy II and Hareton are left living.

But it’s not just that Hareton and Cathy II survive. They specifically un-do the failings of the previous generations. There’s a kind of atonement to it. They’re honest with each other, unlike Mr. Earnshaw. Cathy recognizes Hareton’s humanity, something Hindley never did for Heathcliff. Hareton lets go of his bitterness and resentment, while Heathcliff let his fester into cruelty and Elaborate Revenge. Cathy II is willful, like her mother, but she is also kind. Hareton is proud, like his father, but he is also compassionate. They forgive each other, while Cathy and Heathcliff only ever held grudges.

At the beginning of the book, Cathy is dead and has explicitly not gone to heaven; with the Brontës, you’ve gotta take these things seriously. Cathy is not in heaven and Heathcliff is a monster and they both seem to be damned, but they do not succeed in damning their children. And in that (I would say because of that), even Cathy and Heathcliff find peace after death.

I also do think that the fact that the story is narrated by Lockwood (weirded out by all of this) and Nellie (unreliable, cares deeply about everyone involved) can make it difficult to see the redemptive arc in the story as clearly as we might if it had an omniscient narrator, or if, say Cathy II was narrating. We're presented the Cathy and Heathcliff love story as this great, horrible, compelling saga (and it absolutely is), but then the following generation can almost seem like a footnote. They're adapted out of most of the film adaptations. But they're the whole point!

I do get why Wuthering Heights just isn’t to some people’s taste. Really. Some people just don’t go for Big Romantic Family Tragedy and that’s fine. But too many people come to the Brontës looking for Jane Austen or Elizabeth Gaskell and that’s just. Wrong. You’ve gotta at least read Wuthering Heights on its own terms before deciding that you hate it (not directed at anyone specific on here, but I do know people irl...). And you really ought to read it with an eye towards Emily’s faith. It makes a world of difference.

TL;DR- There’s a beautiful, very Christian center to Wuthering Heights and it’s one of forgiveness instead of revenge and kindness instead of cruelty. It’s a book about people who are destroyed by the sins of their fathers and those that manage not to be. In a way, it’s almost a fairytale.

[earthyaries]

hi!!! I love your blog so much and think you’re amazing ☆ I’m submitting this for a style reading. I sent the payment through cash app (I really hope it worked because I’ve never done it before). For general info, I am 5’6, light skinned African American, and a female. Thank you so much in advance. Have a great day 🩶

Hi !! Thank u so much 🫶🏻 & yes I received the payment :) I rlly enjoyed working on this reading for u so I hope you like it !

1H - Leo ASC + Leo moon & Jupiter: GOLD. Earth tones + animal prints. Gold/bronze jewelry. Sharp, catlike eyeliner. You have a sensual, carnal vibe which can be accentuated. Consider growing your hair out & keeping it auburn or dark. Claw-like nails. Nose rings. High-quality fabrics. Play around w faux fur, faux leathers, feathers, netting, + fringe. Glowy, bronzed makeup looks.

2H - Virgo/Libra: The 2H is all about self esteem, so incorporating the 2H into the way we style ourselves will give us more self confidence. You'll feel your best when keeping up w your maintenance/having a beauty regimen + when mixing feminine & masculine styles. Virgo appreciates attention to detail + simplicity; stick to a few main colors + neutrals. Play around w textures when layering, rather than wearing multiple different colors or patterns at once. You should avoid looking too “busy”, so as not to take away from your physical appearance. Libra is the masculine sign of Venus, which focuses on beauty, but also in equality. Wearing both feminine & masculine silhouettes + styles, especially together (when done right), will be most flattering on you.

Sun in Capricorn (5H): The sun rules over self expression; we can use our sun signs as a tool for fashion, & doing so will bring forth more confidence, as well as make us feel more in tune w our charts. Your sun is in Capricorn in the 5H; you may be strict w yourself when it comes to your image. Your style should be practical & work well w your lifestyle. In the 5H, you are creative. Once you find what feels true to you, stick to it. Create a brand/image for yourself using your style. Slowly morph your closet into this, getting rid of all that does not align w you.

Venus in Scorpio (4H): Venus rules over personal aesthetics & all things "beauty". Your Venus is in Scorpio, which means you are drawn to the erotic; however, Scorpio ruling things “hidden”, you may prefer to cover-up at times- especially having Venus in your 4H, the house of comfort. Suggestive, rather than provocative. A long figure-hugging dress, a cropped shirt paired w a jacket, etc. Look at model-off-duty wear to get some inspo. Incorporate deep tones into your wardrobe; rich mocha browns, soft blacks, + dark emeralds for night looks. When you are dressing down, elevate the look w minimalistic accessories & a bit of hair/makeup. Scorpio likes to go unseen at times, but the rest of your placements will thank you for keeping it refined.

Thank you for booking w me 🤍

[joestylee]

Top 10 African Inspired Fashion Trends – The Afropolitan Effect

Western fashion has often looked to African and African-American culture for inspiration but this time around the world seems to want an official romance with it. Here’s what you should know about when the affair started and how Afropolitans are changing the narrative. 

Western designers have been flirting with African symbols, patterns and fibers since as far back as the 1970s when Yves Saint Laurent created a fashion collection that evoked images of an exotic Africa for non-African audiences. These collections were based on what Western designers imagined Africa to be as opposed to what it really was.

As expected, this cultural appropriation, which was not benefitting African designers or textile weavers in any way created an uproar because it was a one-sided affair and was not mutually beneficial. Africa was the glamorous mistress whom Western designers wanted to profit from but not empower. The resistance also came because no one can tell Africans how to be authentically African. Despite the deep cultural similarities, the countries in the continent share different political climates, geographic realities, languages and weather. Meaning that there is no one single narrative of African reality.

These diverse experiences of Africans gave rise to the term Afropolitan. Afropolitans are young Africans with a global outlook, upwardly mobile, culturally savvy, changing the perceptions about Africa through creative expression and redefining what it means to be African in the midst of a multitude of subcultures. To be Afropolitan means we understand that the world is a global village (heck, we are products of that globalization), and that design inspiration can come from anywhere. However, if the fashion world borrows from Africa we ask for recognition, inclusion and empowerment of African designers and retail brands that have worked hard to keep evolving African style, giving it new currency and new associations. 

With this understanding, let’s take a look at the top 10 Afro-inspired trends for women that have found their way to the retail fashion streets.

#1 - Matching Couple Outfits

Matching or uniform outfits are the status quo for African couples and family members at special occasions such as weddings and birthdays.  Fabric is bought in bulk and made into different glamorous attires by family and friends for an event, to serve as a form of identification, solidarity and love. The world has taken a leaf from this culture by updating pre-wedding photo shoots from matching T-shirts to full matching outfits for couples. on the other hand in winter outfit like boss jacket is the perfect one with the T-shirt for the couple.

#2 - Afro-Pop Culture T-Shirts

Just like African-Americans made hip-hop a dress code, the custom T-shirt era has ushered a longing for expression of different African realities especially by urban African youths. Using personal motifs like hair-do, music and food in bold and unusual ways is now the new cool.

#3 - Boubous & Kaftans

Loose fitting garments worn by African men and women called Boubous or Kaftans have become a wardrobe staple all over the world.

#4 – Tie & Dye

Cultures across the African continent have various tie and dye techniques and motifs signifying varying ideas. Today, these colorful tie-dye prints are a must-have for women all over the world.

#5 - Fringe Love

Traditional African fabrics like Kente. Akwete,  Asooke are woven using different types of threads. The ends of the threads are left to hang out as decorative elements at the base and sleeve of garments. The African fringe has a western cousin but the fringe love is universal.

#6 - Head Wraps

African head wraps are made from local fabric or Ankara prints and tied round the head in an intricate style. The trendy head wraps of today are sewn together as ready-made fashion accessories..

#7 - Wooden Jewelry

Jewelry made from utilitarian products like wood have their inspiration from African sculpting and carvings.

#8 - Neck Rings

African neck rings were worn by the South Ndebele of South Africa as part of their traditional dress and as a status symbol for the wearer. Today, statement gold chokers shaped like rings are a hot fashion trend.

#9 - Ankara Print

Though it is said that these prints were brought to Africa by Dutch textile manufacturers, it is the stylish use of these materials by Africans that popularized the fabric. It was Africans who requested for specific patterns to be printed and it was Africans who helped it evolve and popularized it; we made it ours.

#10 - Head to Toe Monochrome/Matching Sets

Going head-to-toe in one color or pattern is a fashion trend that has its roots in African fashion. Yards of fabric are given to tailors to make matching tops and bottoms for both men and women as day wear and occasion wear. The world has caught this monochrome bug.

The rise of the Afropolitan class means that there is a hunger for truly meaningful clothing that helps Africans in Diaspora connect with their roots. How can you play your part? Seek out small independent designers and/or brands and patronize them because by doing this you are strengthening the systems and supporting designers both in Africa and in the Diaspora. Looking for where to shop authentic African designs with global spice? Check out Joe Stylee. Do you know other authentic African brands? Please share in the comments.

[unicyclehippo]

'halcyon'

dictionary definition: halcyon - adj. denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful; n. 1. a mythical bird said by ancient writers to breed in a nest floating at sea at the winter solstice, charming the wind and waves into calm / 2. a tropical Asian and African kingfisher with brightly coloured plumage.

//

the halcyon of home, by nancy wheeler

robin stands for a long minute at the newspaper stand, eyes locked on those words, that name.

'this isn't a library,' the vendor tells her. she's about as old as robin's mother, with wrinkles all around her mouth from frowning and the tight squeeze of her lips around a permanent cigarette, which she stubs out on her ashtray before lighting another. 'buy something or piss off.'

'charming as always, mrs. k. i'll take one of these.' the vendor grunts. rings her up and holds out a hand for the coin. robin hesitates, pulls a bigger note from her wallet. 'actually, make that three.'

mrs. k - who still, after six months of seeing robin every single morning, refuses to divulge what the k stands for - frowns. 'they're all the same, kid.'

'yes, i know.'

'and i'm not cheatin' you on the flyers either.'

'i didn't think you were, mrs. k.' she's still eyeing robin like she's insulted her deeply and since this was the cheapest coffee around - far from the best, but definitely the cheapest - robin hurries to explain. 'it's - my friend. she wrote this article. front page, can you believe it?' true, it's a small newspaper and also true, it's the tiniest square robin has ever seen squeezed into the bottom right, on the footer, proclaiming MORE ON PAGE FOUR but that's nancy wheeler's name in print, first page.

'oh,' mrs k. croaks. 'well, fine. good for her. three buck sixty.'

robin counts every precious coin out into her hand. has to dig into her jacket pockets for the last few cents but finally she has enough and she scoops the three copies into her satchel.

'here.' mrs. k slides a styrofoam cup of coffee onto the bench. 'had to drain the pot,' she lies, and robin beams.

'you're my favourite.'

'i'm married,' she retorts, and blows a stream of smoke in robin's direction.

robin laughs, stepping out of the cloud with her prize in hand. she gives mrs. k a jaunty salute and as she hurries down the street to class, she does so with an honest-to-god whistle.

the first copy is, of course, hers to read. the second, she carefully snips out of its page and stuffs into an envelope, slides it into the front page of the book she's been meaning to send to nancy for three weeks now, along with a quick note of congratulations. the third she spends far too long organising but finally everything fits in frame - the whole front page of the newspaper, date and headlines blaring from the title, and the more contained page four that has all of nancy's meticulous, rigorous article indelibly stamped on paper.

she takes a polaroid of the set-up - the cheap wooden frame where leans against the wall on top of her bedroom dresser (she's not allowed to hang anything in this apartment), the pages arranged side-by-side within it - and slips that inside the envelope too. sends it off with that evening's post. when she gets home from the post office, robin settles down on the squashed balcony, paper on her lap, another equally shitty coffee in her hand, to read it again. she drags her fingers along nancy's name, that irrefutable proof of victory, and her fingers come away smudged grey with ink.

there is no one around to see her lick her finger and turn the page.

[cupidclovs]

latest art lmao! (descriptions under cut)

First row, left : My boyfriend's oc, Tao. She is a Chinese woman, with black hair and a bob cut, green eyes, and a somewhat office clothing, with a lime shirt, a green cardigan and red tie, short skirt and shoes.

First row, right : My oc, Ghost, a freckled blue skinned, short curly blue haired and red eyed demon. Its the meme format of 'Steal his look', where there's a drawing of the character and the clothes they are wearing, including some ridiculous clothes that are not seen in the drawing. He wears a black long sleeved shirt, a red striped vest, latex thigh-long boots and gloves, a dark red pair of jeans and the meme clothes are a pink animal print thong and hello kitty socks.

Second row, left : My oc, Kozue. It's two simple drawings of him, a white skinned, dark straight short haired, and hazelnut eyed boy. On the first drawing he is arms crossed, with a powerful stance, wearing a graphic shirt, a gray jacket, a pink belt, bootcut grayish blue jeans, and blue shoes. On the decond drawing he is standing, arms separated from his body, wearing a tank top with skeletons on it, blue shorts, dark socks and blue shoes, his arms and legs are very hairy.

Second row, right : My boyfriend's oc, Dasom. He is a Korean man with vitiligo, heterochromia and squirrel ears, nose and tail, he has an orange bob cut and sideburns, that wears a heavy jacket, a camera to his neck, a turtleneck, bell bottom jeans, and non specified shoes. Aside the bust drawing previously described, there's his hand, that is spotted and has long black nails. Under these drawings there is a doodle of him staring angrily at my oc, Seven, who has their hair tied up in a man bun, and wears a big coat and a turtleneck, they are staring at Dasom shyly and seems flattered.

Third row, left : My oc, Anette. She is a Norwegian white skinned woman, wearing a cap, with jaw-length blonde hair, green eyes, a septum and a piercing in the middle of her lip, she wears a puffy green jacket, a white and blue shirt that has in black font "Fuck", bell bottom blue jeans with a checkered stripe and checkered vans, and shes holding a clipboard.

Third row, right : My boyfriend's ocs, on the foreground there's Iñaki, a brown skinned, hazel eyed, dark curly short haired boy singing and playing guitar passionately, wearing a band-aid on his cheek, a red shirt with longer, black sleeves under it, multiple bracelets and dark nail polish. On the background there's Agatha, a dark skinned Asian girl, with messy short black hair, and dark eyes, playing the bass very focused, she's wearing a black tank top with red markings of ribs, long striped black and white fingerless gloves, and mom jeans with red stars on the knees, with dark boots. Behind her there's Sunny, an African-American teen, dark skinned, dark haired with beads on their hair, and dark eyes, playing the drums, wearing a graphic shirt, fishnet sleeves and kandi bracelets, seeming really interested in the task. There are lights, people talking and amplifiers behind all of them. The drums reads the name of the young band "The Fallen Ones". There is a fake photography watermark.

[danicadenniss]

Samantha Harriet Simpson

Aliases: Sammie, Sam, Green Submarine By Raphael, Weirdo/Freaklo By Mandy and her friends Sammy O’Nimbus

Choice of Weapon: Elemental Green Energy Baseball

Elements: Green Energy (with her Baseball)

Occupation: Student At Titan City School, Pizza Delivery Worker (Part Time), Burgerville Fry Cook (formerly)

Dates of Birth: September 17th, 2007

Species: Human

Gender: Female

Height: 4’8

Ethnicity: African American

Hair Color: Burgundy Brown

Eyes Color: Brown Black

Skin Color: Brown

Family Members: Gabriella Carol Storm-Simpson (Mother), Samuel Harold Simpson Jr. (Father), Michael James II and Miley Ayo Simpson (Youngest Twin Brother And Sister), Michael James Storm✝️ (Partial Grandfather), Imani Smith-Storm (Partial Grandmother), Ethan Jordan Storm (Partial Uncle), Macy Rose-Storm (Partial Aunt), Ryan James Storm (Partial Older Cousin), Denise Grace Brown-Storm✝️ (Partial Great Grandmother), Mitchell Finn Storm✝️ (Partial Great Grandfather), Mr. And Mrs. Storm✝️ (Partial Great Great Grandparents), Samuel Harrison Simpson Sr. (Maternal Grandfather), Luella Zuri Hayes-Simpson (Maternal Grandmother), Oscar Robert Simpson (Maternal Uncle), Seth Wayne Simpson✝️ (Maternal Great Grandfather), Tiana Simpson (Maternal Great Grandmother), Mr. And Mrs. Simpson✝️ (Maternal Great Great Grandparents)

Love Interest: David Jesus Rodriguez (Boyfriend)

Voiced By: Kat Graham

Appearance:

Samantha Harriet Simpson is a brown skinned African American pre teenage girl (later teenage girl to a young woman) with brownish black eyes, two tone black and red lips, and curly burgundy brown hair with bangs, kept up in pigtail buns with yellow hair ties, her attire consists two accessories; a simple black choker around her neck, and a pair of red cat eyed frames glasses with yellow lenses. She wears a long yellow t shirt, under a cropped green varsity jacket with 3/4 sleeves and a button closure (typically found on the right side) and also features light green trims and a 5 print over its heart and back. She also wears navy bluish black capri leggings and yellow high top sneakers.

Personality:

Sammie is upbeat, quick witted and adventurous.

Trivia:

Samantha’s Ethnicity from Caucasian/Irish Descent to African American Descent.

Sammie‘a catchphrase is Sammmmmmie Simmmmpsooooon!

She worked at the pizza shop.

Sammie’s worst fear of failure, being sentenced back to low grade and David hated her for incarceration and feeling normal without her family and friends.

She dislikes being bullied by Mandy and her friends because she call her Weirdo or Freaklo, Principal Butler and Vice Principal Dale see Mandy and her friends bullying and harassing her and adoring David because he is aware of her crush on him to be his girlfriend or his queen. April and Max, Mandy’s father punished her for bullying and harassment.

Sammie live with her both parents, maternal grandparents, her partial grandmother (who is a widow) her aunt, her both uncles, her youngest twin siblings, older cousin and her maternal great grandmother.

[howhow326]

Persona 5 Thiefsona

Picture made using お隣男子メーカー Picrew

Howie Mizuki

Age: 15 (06/28)

Highschool: Shujin Academy

Codename: Angel

Theif outfit: His thief outfit is a navy leather body suit with a studded leather jacket(of the same color) and boots. His gloves are bright cyan(like yusuke but less saturated) and go over his sleeves. His outfit also has a blue devil tail attached to it and a black wings print on the back of his jacket. His mask is cyan and has to devil horns protruding above his eye brows.

Thief Weapons: Tridents and Pepperboxes

Backstory: A half African American, half Japanese first year at Shujin Academy. Because of his heritage and shy demeanour, Mizuki dosen't have many close friends, which makes him desperate to prove himself to others by acting like a morally upstanding student. Mizuki also has a special interest in Detective work, having looked up to the original detective prince since a young age.

After Kamoshida has his heart stolen by the Phantom Thieves, Mizuki believes this is his chance to solve a great mystery like his hero. Having witnessed the day Kamoshida confronted Ryuji over the calling cards, Mizuki guesses that Sakamoto is the Thieves leader. Mizuki then follows the Thieves into Mementos, which gives his phone the Meta-nav app.

After feeling rebellious, Mizuki gains a thief outfit but no persona. Mizuki then encounters the Thieves and challenges them to a battle... and loses. However, Mizuki's will to rebel against the Thieves and bring them to justice awakens within him a persona, Saint. His persona has power over truth, which grants Mizuki a minor navigation ability, and power over deception, which grants Mizuki illusion based powers, reflecting Mizuki's unconscious belief that the truth is more subjective than he thinks it is. Before the Thieves can properly explain what's going on, Mizuki uses his persona's power to escape.

From then on, Mizuki works to stop the Phantom Thieves by fighting them in Mementos, but losing each time. Mizuki decides against telling the police on them because he dosen't have any solid evidence on them and because he secretly wonders if the Phantom Thieves are right.

When Akechi makes his deal with the Phantom Thieves, Mizuki approaches him with the small amount of evidence he collected during his journey. Akechi then "introduces" Howie into the Phantom Thieves as another member that will also "disappear" after Sae's heart is stolen. During the mission for the frame up, the Phantom Thieves position Howie in a safe place where he could see for himself that Akechi was corrupt. Howie then realises that he was wrong all along, and joins the Phantom Thieves of his own accord to help take down Shido.

Arcana - Moon

Persona - Saint

Stats at lv 99

HP- 495

SP- 355

Str- 30

Mag- 82

End- 50

Agi- 72

Lck- 70

Persona trait - Illusionary Trick (Increase allies chance of inflicting mental ailments by 50%)

Strong- Ice/ Weak- Fire-Psy

◇Skills◇

Innate: Bufudyne

Innate: Mabufudyne

Innate: Psiodyne

Innate: Brain Jack

Innate: Kougaon

Innate: Evil smile

Innate: Ice Boost

Innate: Freeze boost

Lv. 46: Abysmal surge

Lv. 47: Invigorate 2

Lv. 49: Eigaon

Lv. 53: Ali dance

Lv. 55: Ghastly wail

Lv. 56: Ice amp

Lv. 58: Concentrate

Lv. 61: Invigorate 3

Lv. 66: Diamond dust

Lv. 69: Ice age

Ultimate persona - Melek Taus

Drain- Ice/ Block- Bless-Curse/ Weak-Fire-Psy

Ultimate skill: Angelic grace

Third Semester Persona - Dismas

Upgraded Persona trait - Phantasmagoric Trick (Increase allies chance of inflicting mental ailments by 75%)

Third Semester skill: Cocytus Waves - light ice damage to all foes 4 to 8 times

[royalafricanhealthbeauty]

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[artstar1997]

I really did it!!! I completed the first set this faebruary. I've been planning this because a set of comments in Discord inspired me to make a Fairy AU of Jak and Daxter.

It was hard to sort the characters based on the colors of their outfits or their personalities but I was able to prepare for it. I took inspiration from real-life insects for the wings and the flowers or plants for their outfits, I used flower language for reference. For Jak, he has the wings of a morpho butterfly, and the flower petals I use for his outfit are from the Gerbera Daisy. Gerbera Daisies or African Daisies symbolize innocence, purity, cheerfulness, and loyal love. The Ancient Egyptians believe that these daisies symbolize closeness to nature and devotion to the sun, whereas the Celts thought they lessened the sorrows and stresses of everyday life.

My OC, Jakleen is more of a gold color code type of girl so she gets to have marigolds on her outfit and a matching flower crown. Marigolds represent positive emotions, energy, beauty, warmth, creativity, a drive to succeed, and celebration of the dead, but they also symbolize darker emotions such as jealousy, grief, despair, and mourning. Because of their sun-like appearance, marigolds were often linked to the powerful strength of the sun and represent power, strength, and light that lives inside of a person. Her blue ulysses butterfly wings match Jak because they are twins.

Daxter's ottsel fur matches the color of the monarch butterfly so he can have wings based on it while his shirt was made from the petals of the tiger lily. Matching his loudmouthed and brash personality, tiger lilies symbolize confidence, pride, and wealth. He also wears accessories made out of precursor metal like the Mar twins because the fairy king, Damas adopted him.

Keira Hagai has the wings of a queen Alexandria birdwing butterfly and some parts of her ensemble were made out of violet flowers. Violets are most commonly associated with love but they can also symbolize honesty, protection, dreams, healing, remembrance, determination, and even the idea of setting goals. It really matches her because violets can also be associated with growth, expansion, and peace. They are often viewed as symbols of mental clarity.

Ashelin Praxis has been a flower among the thorns in the Krimzon Guard so her jacket is made from rose petals with a red rose and thorny prints to match her maroon dragonfly wings (Her father has cecropia moth wings). Red roses usually mean love and passion so it really matches her and her love for Torn.

Tess has a colorful but protective personality so she gets a pair of agrias butterfly wings and her outfit is made from the petals of the sunflower. Like her love for Daxter, sunflowers symbolize happiness, optimism, honesty, longevity, peace, admiration, and devotion.

Taryn is quite complicated but I am able to match her with a dahlia flower and her wings are based on a Mormon butterfly. Dahlias symbolize perseverance and the ability to overcome, just like Taryn's personality. They serve as a reminder of the inner strength everyone possesses, even in dark times. 

Torn, on the other hand, is very prickly like a cactus so I decided to match his wings to those of an Asian giant hornet while his outfit is made from the leaves of a flowering quince. Just like his role in the Underground (later, Freedom League), quince flowers are seen as a sign of perseverance in the face of adversity and the ability to cope with adversity. The plant reminds us even when things are difficult in one’s life, there is still great capability for greatness in everyone.

Jinx has an explosive personality so his wings are based on a painted jezebel butterfly and his outfit is made from the leaves of a thistle, which really matches him. Thistles symbolize aggressiveness, pain, protection, and pride.

Captain Phoenix had some demons of the past haunting him so I gave him the wings of a Mourning Cloak butterfly and his clothes are sewn from the leaves and petals of a hyacinth flower. By remembering how he failed to stop the Dark Warrior Program, the purple hyacinth specifically, represents sorrow, regret, and forgiveness.

Ximon is laid back and exceedingly friendly so I match him with the luna moth while his outfit is made from the leaves of a zinnia plant. Just like his friendship with Daxter, Zinnias are the flowers of friendship and they symbolize endurance and strong bonds.

Pics used for wings: Monarch Butterfly: https://www.pngitem.com/pimgs/m/41-414942_monarch-butterfly-png-transparent-png.png Agrias Butterfly: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Agrias_narcissus_narcissus_MHNT_dos.jpg Mourning Cloak: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Nymphalis_antiopa_MHNT_CUT_2013_3_13_Tombeb%C5%93uf_Male_Dorsal.jpg Painted Jezebel: https://wiki.nus.edu.sg/download/attachments/233784330/IMG_3717.JPG?version=1&modificationDate=1550117282037&api=v2

[k00278384]

Contemporary Designer Research:

Sidahmed Alphadi Seidnaly!

Alphadi is a notable Nigerian fashion designer often known as the "Magician of the Desert".

Alphadi started his label in 1984 and his first haute couture line was released in 1985 at the Paris International Tourism Tradeshow. He uses his designs to showcase and celebrate the beauty of the African continent, its rich histories and cultures. He is for the fashion and culture extravaganza. He is the founder of the Festival International de la Mode Africaine (International Festival of African Fashion) or FIMA, supported by UNESCO (1998).

Alphadi's work draws upon cultures and design practices from across the continent. Kuba cloth – originating from the ancient Kuba kingdom of central Africa, Kuba is a common feature in his collections. It is made from woven raffia, with the intricate decoration achieved through cut-pile embroidery. Designs are stitched onto the cloth and then raffia fibre is drawn through with a needle and snipped with a knife to make a dense pile, creating a plush, velvet-like effect.

This dress was created as a homage to Tuareg jewellers and their historic metalwork practices. Inspired by the strength of women, the metal breastplate represents the woman as a warrior, the harsh metal contrasting with a billowing layer of printed cotton cloth.

Using a strip of Téra-Téra cloth on the jacket, Alphadi updates this classic skirt suit. A handwoven fabric traditionally made in Tera, Niger, this vibrant cloth is used historically to cover brides on their wedding day. Alphadi references this history, creating a design to represent a strong woman, fully independent and dynamic, pursuing her dreams.

From hats to waistcoats, Alphadi is regularly seen wearing his own designs. He often wears a shallow, rounded hat decorated with embroidery – a style which is popular in many regions in Africa – known variously as the hula, fílá or kofi.

I love everything about his design. Even though the inspiration was drawn from traditional wear, they look absolutely modern. I think he is a creative and very good designer. His designs looks like the innovation of our African attires.

Reference: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/magician-of-the-desert-alphadi

[cherienymphe]

Cherie! Here’s some tea for you if you’re bored lol. So I’m 19 and I’ve never been in a relationship. There’s this really cute guy in my college class who as of late has started to be friendly to me (even though we barely talk). Like, I was having a conversation with him and my tutor about great tv shows and we had so much in common. Anyway, I’m not sure if it’s a crush or if I just want to be friendly with him because he seems really chill, but I want to talk to him more. He always wears this gorgeous African print cardigan/jacket thing, and every single time I’ve wanted to compliment it. I really love it, it’s something I would wear a lot if I saw it in a shop. Only thing is, I’m too awkward, and I KNOW that I’ll probably end up stumbling over my words or I’ll embarrass myself. Over a jacket though. Should I just say I like it when I see him wear it next, or would it be weird? It’s such a simple thing, but my brain likes to overthink everything 😅 Also, he has a snake bite piercing and wears rings- it’s honestly so good looking.

Yeah tell him! Honestly get used to giving anyone a compliment that way you won't be so nervous when it comes to giving one to a guy you like