Khadija Aisha Ba, on the left, is the founder of local fashion label L'artisane, and I shot this at Chanel's first runway show in Africa in 2022. Khadija is one of the most stylish people in the world-her style is so consistent and bold and no one dresses like her. She borrows from the past, but with a very future-forward gaze, and that translates in a style that's bold and expressive. She would, for example, pair a traditional Senegalese boubou with teddy bear pins and cool canvas high-tops. I love the metallic bag she's carrying in this image, from her own collection, with that giant safety-pin handle.
This is the Mosque of Divinity, an architectural landmark that's somehow both traditional and modern. It was such a peaceful space, and from the surrounding cliffs, the view over the mosque and the ocean is beautiful. I chose to pair it with this other image of Khadija from when I first met her in 2018, because the blue-greens of her turban pick up on the colors of the mosque. It's an ode to her way with color and pattern, always unpredictable and never seen before I enjoy fashion that really turns heads, that's unpredictable. I think that the style in Dakar is often quite playful.
The metal sculpture, on the right, was outside an official government building (or perhaps it was a bank). I loved the symbolism of the cowrie shell, as a totem of wealth and prosperity. Cowrie shells were traditionally used as currency throughout West Africa, including Senegal, and the fact that they exist as art in a public space serves as a reminder of the currency of culture and the power that exists in our hands.
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