A woman singing passionately into a vintage microphone in a lively, culturally rich setting with vibrant posters in the background.
The worlds of fashion and music have always been intertwined with each taking inspiration from the other. In the case of Africa, the current Africa Fashion exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum contends that South African singer Miriam Makeba was a significant muse to many African designers for the better part of the 20th century. Sometimes she’d mix her Swati and Xhosa heritage together by donning colorful beds and isicholo hats or boubous. Makeba used clothing to solidify her push for a free South Africa, and respect for African culture. Her clothes enhanced the ethos she stood for, and embodied the courage she displayed whenever she spoke out against oppression.