NEW YORK TIMES
BY JULIE TURKEWITZ
August 6, 2022
Photo credit: Nathalia Angarita
There is rising popularity for the Afro-Colombian aesthetic boom by using fashion as a political statement. The article centers on three main figures of the movement: Esteban Sinisterra Paz, Francia Marquez, and Lia Samantha Lozano. Paz, the fashion designer for both Ms. Marquez and the first Black vice president in Colombia, is a newly emerging-designer who focuses on fashion that shows the history of the decolonization of humanity. Owning his own brand, his most famous product is a set of earrings designed as a map of Colombia. Ms. Marquez is a politician who challenges social customs by choosing to wear bold prints over formal shirts and suits. Lia Samantha Lozano is the first Black woman to participate in a runway show at the Colombiamoda, a large fashion event, and sells African-culture related clothes in Bogota. Together, the team supports the movement by promoting bold prints that represent African culture (often related to nature).
“‘A big part of the plan was to make us feel ashamed of who we are, of our colors, of our culture, of our features,’ she went on. ‘To wear this every day, not as ‘fashion,’ not to dress up for a special occasion, but as a way of life, as something you want to communicate every day — yes, it is political. And, yes, it is a symbol of resistance.’”
Read full article here