Is the African fashion literature really that pale?

Is the African fashion literature really that pale?

It only takes a simple page-flip through the fashion glossies to realize that the by-lines rarely carry black names. Do they not exist?

As a pastime, curling up on a couch and flipping through the fashion magazines is one of the things I most enjoy. Often times, the articles would be insightful and compelling, not to mention the diversity of content they often provide, which tends to range from season’s trends to the core business of fashion and its influences.

However, looking at these with an analytical—and sometimes cynical eye—one can’t help but notice that the voice rarely does reflect that of an African man/woman. The stories often depict and reflect upon Euro-American ideals and culture.

You might argue that, “but most of the fashion glossies are based in Europe and America and titles like Elle, Glamour and Marie Claire, though they’re available in South Africa, with a hint of local content, are US/UK-owned.”

Be that as it may, why is it then that when they do touch on local content you find that the black African voice is missing?

The answer to this is simple: There is a lack of black fashion writers in this country.

The fashion industry has evolved over the years and has become one of the few aspects of our culture that’s brought all races together, through the sharing of love for trends and fashion itself.

Black culture took to this with amazing gusto, picking up on the trends and interpreting them in the way black men and women can. Blacks have taken fashion to new heights, fusing African prints and certain cultural objet d'art into the industry.

In the recent Arise Africa Fashion Week, we often repeated that we have seen Euro-American designers taking African influences and using them to tell the African story and that we knew only Africans can tell the authentic African story, through their designs.

So then why is it that there is such visible paucity of black fashion writers who document the evolution of this industry and the recently highlighted emergence of African influence in the global fashion scene?

Where are the black African writers who can tell the authentic African fashion story, through their pens?

The feeble state of journalism in our country

So I settled down to read the papers this past weekend, attempting to enlighten myself and keep current with the news. As I read on, I stumble upon a few grammatical glitches, which of course immediately interrupts my flow, but I continue anyway. But then it happens again.

In its initial occurrence, it is easy to forgive it and let it pass as human error, but when it occurs repeatedly we then start to furl the eyebrows.

I simply believe that there’s no excuse for the submission of sub par articles, riddled with minor errors that should’ve been picked up by spell check. And the fact that these articles are scrutinized by various pairs of eyes before landing on the pages makes it even more unforgivable. How is it possible that an editor and a copy editor can both let these things slip? Spelling mistakes are intolerable, especially in an age of advanced technology. It is incumbent upon every journalist to look up any word whose spelling he/she is unsure of.

A couple of weeks ago I read an article by a seasoned entertainment editor of a popular daily publication. I was very disturbed by the number of minor, yet important, errors found in that article. That the editor was seasoned was even more disconcerting to me. Is it complacency? Do people not take pride in their work that they allow all these avoidable errors bring them to such disrepute?

Surely, issues such as spelling and punctuation are those should guide every journalistic rule. Every journalist ought to know that a simple misuse, improper punctuation or misspelling of any word could easily thwart the intended meaning of a particular message.

Why then is it that this is paid very little attention? It is, after all, the primary objective of the communicator to ensure that his/her intended message is clearly understood by the receiver.