The African fashion exhibition electrifying Paris

© Stephen Tayo / musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, photo: Eric Sander / musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, photo Léo Delafontaine

To celebrate its twentieth anniversary, the musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac is hosting Africa Fashion until July 12, an exhibition designed by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London that retraces the history of African fashion. From the 1950s to today, the journey weaves links between traditional heritage and contemporary creations. On the program: flamboyant colors, rich textiles, meticulously detailed jewelry, and a collection of photographs create a dialogue between the museum's archives and the great designers of the modern African scene.

© musée du quai Branly, photo Thierry Ollivier, Michel Urtado / musée du quai Branly Samuel Fosso / musée du quai Branly, photo Léo Delafontaine

“The very name of the exhibition, Africa Fashion, an intentionally vague formulation, refers to this complexity, diversity, and richness,” explains Christine Checinska, curator of the exhibition. Long ignored, African fashion is reclaiming its rightful place and putting on a spectacular show. The tour opens with an impressive timeline retracing the continent's history since decolonization starting in the 1950s. Visual and textile arts then became a means of conveying a message, asserting identity, or belonging to a community.

In the next room, photography takes center stage. We fell hard for the shots by James Barnor and Arthur H. Downes, pioneers of color photography, who highlight the beauty of Black women—a group underrepresented in the photography world of the 60s and 70s. Notably, we find the photograph Assistante du magasin Sick-Hagemeyer avec des bidons: this new color guide exploded the "white standard" imposed by Kodak’s Shirley Card, finally offering an accurate representation of Black skin tones. One is easily hypnotized by the sublime Mannequins de Warri collection by Downes, large images playing with shades of pink to highlight African models dressed in colorful dresses with typical and vibrant sixties patterns.

On the fashion side, the spotlight is on Shade Thomas-Fahm, Nigeria’s first fashion designer who, through her creations, celebrated traditional Nigerian fabrics as early as the 60s, such as àdìrẹ (“tie and dye”) and akwete (hand-woven textile)—fabrics with complex patterns full of meaning. Shade turned her creations into modern, cosmopolitan garments, worn at the time by diplomats and royalty. In short: a true boss lady.

Head to the heart of the exhibition for total immersion in African haute couture. Colorful projections, a vibrant soundtrack, and dozens of mannequins fill the room, bringing to life the Afrotopia collection—a modern and uninhibited celebration of diaspora heritage, from Morocco to South Africa. Haute couture puts on a show, and what a show it is! Flamboyant ruffles, glittery leather, and militant messages on ensembles: African fashion asserts itself as a powerful and incredibly desirable identity manifesto.

Zoom in on the glittery ensemble by Nao Serati, an avant-garde fashion brand based in Johannesburg. The goal? To inspire joy and creativity while playing with gender boundaries. From the flared pants to the bucket hat, the iridescent fabric celebrates gender fluidity and self-love. We pause in front of the impressive creation by Maison Artc, a sheer dress embroidered with numerous hands in various positions, acting as “a bridge between traditional and contemporary fashion.” A final favorite goes to the pieces by Adebayo Oke-Lawal, a Rwandan designer who enjoys overturning stereotypes, deconstructing masculinity, and raising awareness through his Hear Me sweatshirt and his crochet wrap skirt, cut from a single piece and closed with a simple button. With his signature skirts, Oke-Lawal dynamites gender norms while paying tribute to the historical importance of the iro (wrapper) in Nigerian fashion.

© musée du quai Branly, photo Claude Germain / musée du quai Branly, photo Léo Delafontaine / musée du quai Branly, photo Tim Franco

Leaving this unique immersion into African artistic creation, stop by the exhibition on the career of Kwame Akoto, aka Almighty God: a Ghanaian preacher with speaking and colorful works. A striking exhibition on his journey as an artist, marked by his faith and spiritual commitment. And to close this visit to the Quai Branly, head upstairs to check out L’esprit du temps, Paris célèbre les arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie, a temporary exhibition relating the 1910s-1920s fascination with non-Western cultures.

 Africa Fashion until July 12. Kwame Akoto, Almighty God Art Works until September 6. Museum ticket - €14. L’esprit du temps, until September 20. Museum ticket - €14.

Also Discover 7 Monumental Artworks to Admire for Free in Paris and  Rococo Aesthetics Take Over the Palais Galliera