Ozwald Boateng: Out of Africa
By Timothy Hagy
(Photo by IndigitalTV)
PARIS, Jul 1, 2003/ FW/ --- Last June 21, "Wills", also known as His Royal Highness Prince
William, celebrated his 'coming of age' with a fancy dress party at Windsor Castle entitled
"Out of Africa".
The African theme reflected Prince William's much-publicised interest in the continent.
Not only is the dashing Prince said to be smitten with Swahili, but he also toured Africa
two years ago prior to starting University.
London-based designer Ozwald Boateng's cultural origins lie with the Ashanti tribe in Ghana,
Africa. And for his Spring / Summer 2004 collection, Boateng
examined how traditional Ashanti attire has been interpreted into ‘streetwear’ of today.
Wills was not at the Ozwald Boateng show on a sticky Sunday afternoon, but British
billionaire Richard Branson was.
"I loved it!" said the tycoon behind the Virgin mega-empire, reaching out to grab the
designer's hand as he made his way down the catwalk.
Boateng entitled his collection "Ashanti Hip Hop" giving a nod to his origins from
the Ashanti tribe in Ghana.
"My aim with this collection was to push our design ethos into new areas," says Boateng.
"Tribes exist as much in modern society as they do in rural Africa."
Combining two worlds can be a dangerous experiment, but Boateng has the savoir-faire to
pull it off - Saville Row training coupled with boundless imagination a talent.
Lacquered ruby leather blazers were wrapped with strands of gold beads. Tribal headbands crowned impeccably cut tobacco-colored suits. Saffron jackets were inlaid with hot pink stripes, while split sleeves in otherwise classic Bond Street pinstripe suits revealed a flash of hot fuchsia lining. Straw colored tweedy strings fell from armbands sewn of ethnic prints.
Chocolate and lime green glazed leather blazers were inlaid with lemon stripes, while ebony tailcoats were tapered to perfection.
Down the runway they trooped, a colorful array of Asian, Black, Caucasian and Amerasian models, sporting ear rings, bracelets, necklaces and giant gold rings. Bare foot, or in sandals, the group was an assortment of color, class, age and physique.
The fusion of two cultures happened gracefully and naturally, and that's how it should be in a perfect world.
Wills and Ozwald are two awesome dudes, and just maybe there is a future collaboration there, at some turn in the long, sandy road.
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