Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune talks in a recent article about the current Out of Africa trend in Fashion…

suzy-menkes-spicy-louis-vui

…specifically pointing to the Louis Vuitton Spicy Sandal. She says, “To spice up [the sandal], the designer added everything but the kitchen sink– as long as it was out of Africa. Snakeskin, plumes and semiprecious stones set the tone for a shoe that was inspired by Josephine Baker, the famous singer and dancer of 1920s Paris. She resonated with the exotica that was prevalent in a period when the Ballets Russes had set off one fashion trend and the discovery of Egyptian mummies another.

Who knew the Spicy was inspired by Josephine Baker? I sure didn’t. Read more about the history of incorporating ‘Africa’ into fashion here.

5 thoughts on “Suzy Menkes on the “Out of Africa” Trend in Fashion”

  1. So many stereotypes, so little desire to continue to fight the same old fight. {SIGH}

  2. The most telling thing about this is that not a single African designer gets mentioned, and there are so many whose designs have gotten “out of Africa” and are reaching international audiences, but of course it’s only relevant when white people interpret Africa, not Africans interpreting their own cultures.

  3. I soo soo agree with Carla, same ole fight, making millions exploiting the African American culture.

  4. Maybe I’m the only one but whoopeee for Josephine being a muse even tho she’s gone.
    Gone but not forgotten. Love her!

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