In a searing 2012 Guardian op-ed, Hannah Azieb Pool took Western fashion designers to task for their so-called African-inspired clothing. “Dear Fashion,” she wrote, “Africa is a continent, not a country. Can you imagine anyone describing a fashion trend as ‘European-inspired?’ Of course not. It’s meaningless.” Now, with Fashion Cities Africa, Pool aims to correct the misconceptions about African fashion, providing key context for contemporary African fashion scenes and capturing the depth and breadth of truly African fashion.
Tied to the Fashion Cities Africa exhibition at the Brighton Museum, the book gives much-needed attention to four key African fashion scenes: Nairobi, Lagos, Casablanca, and Johannesburg - one from each region of the continent. Filled with interviews of leading African fashion designers, stylists, and commentators, alongside hundreds of exclusive street-style images, Fashion Cities Africa is a landmark book thatshould be celebrated in fashion houses the world over.
Hannah Azieb Pool is an Eritrean-born journalist, author and commentator who has written for the Guardian, Times, Vogue and many others. She is a regular contributor to BBC Radio and the author of the memoir My Fathers’ Daughter.