There’s no doubt Gwen Stefani has a thing for Jamaica. With a son named Kingston, another son whose middle name, Nesta, is the same as Bob Marley’s, and frequent trips to the tropical isle, she clearly uses Caribbean culture as a muse. She set L.A.M.B’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection to a dancehall beat, but this time around took a slight departure to West Africa, parading a series of dresses and separates in African print adorned with ethnic beads, topped off with cool fedoras, canvas bags, and strappy platform heels.
An onslaught of ikat, tie dye, and ethnic patterns paraded down the catwalk to music by Sean Paul, MIA, and Santigold. Printed crop tops with off the shoulder details were paired with railroad striped pants with macramé belts, and silk chiffon ruffled shoulder dresses were worn with blazers with peplum details. Animal print tanks played with low crotch cropped pants while oversized sweaters draped over harem trousers. There was a lot to see in 47 looks, but Gwen managed to capture every Afro-Caribbean influence under the sun before she took her final bow.
I loved the collection, probably because it seemed all too familiar. Remixing and reworking African prints has been done before by other, smaller brands who don’t have the benefit of a celebrity backer to put their work in big lights. The key to inspiration is to offer a unique take on something that has been seen before. Gwen narrowly managed to forge her own path with lovely loose fits, asymmetric hems, and a bold color palette of black, white, red, yellow, blue, and olive green.
100% original it was not, but 100% fun it was. And of course the shoes and bags were b-a-n-a-n-a-s.
What do you think?
September 17, 2010 4:34 pm
I LOVE IT!!!!!!
September 17, 2010 4:47 pm
Why do I feel robbed after looking at this collection?
September 17, 2010 4:47 pm
I’m lovin it too! Too bad L.A.M.B. is so terribly expensive, esle I would rock it!
September 17, 2010 5:00 pm
I’ll buy a few pieces. Mostly because Boxing Kitten is harder to track down.
*kanye shrug*
September 17, 2010 5:21 pm
I absolutely love these, but I do feel some kind of way about how African prints are “hot” right now. These prints have been worn for several decades now, but only now that designers have put them on the runway do they have mass appeal.
Can’t deny the fierocity of these outfits though.
September 17, 2010 6:19 pm
This has Solange all over it! Gwen should count her as her muse! Nice jackets though, and L.A.M.B does make killer heels!!!
September 17, 2010 6:23 pm
Carribean? girl, those look like west african ankara fabrics to me. Funny to see ankara go mainstream. While I’m happy that West Africa is getting some shine, I just wish that the African designers who are masters at dabbling with ankara fabrics were the ones getting paid you know what I mean? I guess this is the story of Africa. The foreigners always take your stuff and benefit off of it while you continue to wallow in poverty. My seamstresses in Douala, Cameroun and in Accra, Ghana can design stellar ankara dresses from scratch. I mean they have been working with ankara their entire lives. They mothers used the fabrics, their grand mothers used the fabrics, great grand mothers etc etc
As I said, I’m not trying to hate on Gwen or anything because this collection does look good. I just hope that for once the creators of something can actually get the acknowledgement they deserve. Maybe in a dream world. Oh well, c’est la vie.
September 17, 2010 6:29 pm
Wow!!! Everybody really is using ankara fabric these days. Lola is right, these fabrics are worn in West Africa. I’m Nigerian and I loooooove ankara so I think it is amazing that it has been popping up all over the runway. However, also like Lola said lol, credit needs to be given where it is deserved. I get mad when people say this fabric is from Switzerland and all these random places….and maybe there are factories that do make them there, but the fact of the matter is that this fabric is worn PREDOMINANTLY in West Africa :) But kudos to Gwen, her line looks beautiful!
September 17, 2010 7:00 pm
OMG! She completely took Ankara fabric for this collection. Not to knock it but i have the exact same fabric her pants are made of in a dress as well!. Not a bad look for Nigeria then…
September 17, 2010 7:38 pm
The collection is hot, BUT, it’s so Box Kitten.
September 17, 2010 7:50 pm
I’m seeing Box Kitten on a few of these pieces…….just saying!!!
September 17, 2010 8:28 pm
Even Box kitten is an Ankara knock off. Just sayin
September 17, 2010 8:43 pm
well ive seen way cuter outfits made from african prints for far cheaper prices, so yea im not really all that impressed by this collection.
September 17, 2010 9:45 pm
I love it! How ever I will say to all those especially that work in the arts act on your inspired thoughts because it will only be a matter of time before you see someone doing something the exact way you imagined you would be doing it. Great minds do think alike and we all have great minds. I feel a little sick. Money makes the world go round at the end of the day. Shit!
September 18, 2010 4:21 pm
Boxing Kitten.
September 18, 2010 11:16 pm
Thank God! I love the kente, and batik prints. I know it was big this summer but Im glad it will still be hot for next.
September 19, 2010 1:44 am
FABULOUS.
gigishoponline.com
September 19, 2010 7:14 am
Boxing Kitten, Jewel by Lisa, Cote Minou etc. If you love global and fashion would like to see more on African/Afripolitan Designers visit my blogsite, or friend Bennu Cafe on facebook.
September 19, 2010 9:14 am
I find this to be distasteful and an utter disappointment. I have owned such pieces in my closet since I was 5. I love Gwen Stefani from back in her ska days but I find it to be very sad that she can’t stay true to who she is. She has bitten from many lines in the past and this is not Boxing Kitten, because they have designed many pieces that other West African tailors have presented for me since I was little as well… I just think this is severe fashion colonialism at it’s best. I agree with Lola, that it is unfortunate that many tailors do not have the wealth or the name to hop out and take THEIR designs mainstream. I think it is sad because I would wish that if fashion houses like LAMB and Boxing Kitten were to utilize dutch wax or ankara a fabric that is home to the West African people, that maybe they could at least give back. The collection she has is not innovative, original or of any suprise to me.
September 19, 2010 9:25 am
oh well we Africans need to stick together and support our african designers.www.africanfashion.com shall be stocking designs from our designers in the continent,so show ur support by buying…………….
September 19, 2010 11:41 am
would people have less of a problem if this was tracy reese’s show? did people have a problem when asian inspired fashion was in? i wonder who’s going to be rocking their russian military inspired clothes this winter.
i just don’t understand how some people can either just look at the pictures or skim an article and form such a strong opinion. the article referenced gwen stefani’s usual affinity for all things jamaican but then noted that she used west african print for her inspiration. most slaves that arrived in the caribbean were from western african so they brought what of their culture that were able to. west african influences can be seen all throughout the caribbean. not to acknowledge the linkage would definitely be wrong.
does the LAMB collection look good? yes. have we seen it before? yes, like just about everything else we’ve seen. no idea’s original. there will always be an idea that someone’s making money off that someone else couldn’t, for a lot of different reasons. is this boxing kitten 2.0? i wouldn’t say that. but i would suggest everyone go back and read the comments left when claire posted on boxing kitten and other african designers and african-inspired designers.
September 19, 2010 4:55 pm
I’ve seen very similar pieces at Forever 21 .
September 20, 2010 8:13 am
I think Mrs. Steffani has done a fabo job with the prints and looks. I hate that black people (I’m black) look for things to get offended about. That’s why it seems that other races are progressing better than “us”. Look at the bigger picture….this is hot. Great job L.A.M.B.!!!
September 20, 2010 8:37 am
The collection is nice but I saw better pieces at Africa fashion week. Once, I get my money right trust I will be buying their pieces and not L.A.M.B.
September 21, 2010 2:13 pm
while i love L.A.M.B, I have to agree with Layla… i feel robbed. mainly because i’ve seent these designs done by African designers and they don’t get nearly as much shine as they should yet, put a white face on it and suddenly… it’s fashion royalty. *smh* someone direct me to some Nigerian designers please. at least they will give me what I want without raping my pockets to do it.
September 21, 2010 2:57 pm
Umm no body is “finding a reason to get offended about” the fact of the matter is that these prints are custom to west africa from past, present and best believe the future!. The last time I checked almost every African i have known was made fun of wearing african clothes now all of a sudden it is “mainstream” but credit is never due back to us… oh yea isn’t it now called “tribal print”….?? ughh
September 21, 2010 7:01 pm
To all my nubian sistren,
Our time has come. Let us wake up, and be the change we want to see! It is our time to step out of the boring American-norm, and wear our hair natural and in braids. It is time we step into our royal attire again!
We are in our golden age again, and It is time that we start supporting African designers who are on the rise, and the hard working kente weavers, African women and men, who make African attire for a living abroad.
Please take the time to learn about Kofi Ansah, renowned Ghanaian designer from Ghana. Kofi Ansah really understands the history and beauty of kente, bogilan, anakra, batiks, and tye-dye.
http://www.kofi-artdress.com/
and http://www.bhfmagazine.com (Blessed and Highly Favored African Fashions Magazine). This is the hottest African Fashions Magazine out today!
Kofi’s designs are a fusion of African and contemporary fashion that will make any woman feel regal, beautiful, and edgy. Kofi has presented his fashion line “Art-Dress” at various high end couture fashion shows in France, South Africa, Rome, Italy, Nigeria, London, and in Ghana.
Kofi’s designs are high in quality, for both men and women! He studied Fashion Design at the Chelsea School of Art, for both men and women’s wear, and graduated in 1977.
Kofi Ansah, later, returned to Ghana, in 1997 to change the landscape of fashion in Ghana. Kofi has designed the costumes for the opening and closing ceremony of the CAN African Cup of Nations, which was staged in Ghana. Since then he has designed for so many famous people and every day beautiful people.
More personally, I had the honor of finding and meeting Kofi online, and visited him in Ghana, 2009. Kofi and I met, and I saw that he has an amazing heart for love, design, and people. I explained to him that I wanted him to make my wedding dress, and he agreed! I was super juiced!
My husband and I got married on August 14, 2010, Mountain View, California. Kofi designed a very beautiful, tailored, Kente wedding dress, for me that I absolutely love! He also designed a Kente men’s shirt for my husband.
My husband is Ghanaian and I am African-American. We decided that we wanted to have a spiritual, Ghanaian wedding with traditional libation and spiritual prayer, West African dancing, and our Sankofa theme! As you may recall, Sankofa is an Adinkra symbol that means “to go back and fetch it.” We went back to Ghana and found our roots, family, land, and Kofi Ansah.
We called for all our ancestors to be with us, at our wedding, as we stated our vows, wearing “African regal robes,” all designed and made by our talented sistren and brothren, Ghana.
We wanted to step back in time, or rather bring that golden age back, where we stepped into the Ghanaian and Malian Empire, and had only the finest African attire to wear!
This is what we want to see – Not Gwen Stafani- taking the African fashion and benefiting, solely. I don’t mind seeing other women of other ethnicities wearing African fabric and fashion; its beautiful. I just think that it needs to be done the right way. African designers and seamstresses must profit and benefit from their own sweat and tears, and must collaborate to bring the fashions here, to the U.S.
Kofi Ansah is doing this now! He is working to promote jobs sustainability in Ghana by working with and teaching the Kente weavers about his fashion line.
When i met Kofi, he discussed his work with kente weavers, as a way to promote job sustainability in Ghana. Kofi is now teaching them new styles and is providing them with a consistent income.
I knew that it had to be Kofi Ansah to design my wedding dress. I had never stepped foot in a white wedding dress, and i knew it was not for me.
I am in the process of creating a blog about this experience of my African wedding and promoting African wedding attire. I know that my husband and I had to look royal on this day, because our love is pure and royal. We wanted to wear contemporary African attire, that was just as regal as the wedding attire worn by our ancestors.
So let us continue to build and support beautiful, talented African designers, and step into our righteous destiny, together!
October 2, 2010 4:28 am
Ah! Ah! West African tailors can do this in their sleep o
… for a fraction of the price!
(lol at the ‘raping of pockets’ quote above!!)
December 1, 2010 2:36 am
where can i purchase a lamb jacket
December 2, 2010 1:44 pm
[...] Show Review: L.A.M.B Spring/Summer 2011 (fashionbombdaily.com) [...]
December 16, 2010 6:48 pm
[...] for her L.A.M.B. line which centers on African print and style. To see a couple of styles check out Fashion Bomb Daily that had an article and some pictures from the line. Add some color and dazzle to your wardrobe [...]
January 17, 2011 1:08 pm
I’m sorry…I have to say that this has nothing to do with the Caribbean at all. Ankara is African and I think you should give full credit where it is due. With that said, I can definitely go back home (Cameroon) and get these made for a whole lot less and dare I say, it may look even better! Up and coming Cameroonian designers based in Washington DC (no affliation to them personally) Cote Minou produce much better pieces and are more or less affordable.
April 27, 2011 11:46 pm
[...] I run over to The Fashion Bomb and search for some brands! Claire has articles on Duro Olowu, L.A.M.B., Oheme Ohene, Jewel by Lisa, and The Arise Collective from ’09. Exactly what I was looking [...]