Background and Objective
Yiyao
When I first encountered the term “African fashion,” it didn’t immediately evoke a clear image in my mind. Despite my personal passion for fashion and design, the association with African fashion was initially limited to vibrant and traditional garments. It seemed like relatively obscure knowledge even for someone deeply interested in fashion. This curiosity intensified when Awa’Tori‘s co-founders, Bukky and Seiko, approached us. Without hesitation, I took charge of the event.
In our meeting with Seiko and Bukky, their enthusiasm and charisma were truly overwhelming. AwaTori’s vision of bridging Japan with African fashion culture convinced me that this was an invaluable and unmissable opportunity for us to delve into the richness of African culture.
Taisei
I’ve always had a curiosity and a passion for the fashion industry of the “third world.” I always felt that there was something about it that piqued my interest, and after I became an SSL, I wondered if I could introduce this attraction as a part of their culture. Then there was an invitation from Awa’Tori for us to host an event with them.
Over the course of each meeting with Awa’Tori, the image of African fashion being colorful or patterned changed immediately. We were told that it was rather well defined by the keywords “high quality, luxurious and exquisite,” just like any high end brand in Europe. My initial aim was to raise awareness and popularize their fashion scene, but it shifted to raising awareness in the “correct” way as my conception of African fashion had been updated. I realized the word and image “third world” no longer reflected their true status.
The Day of the Event
Rather than simply presenting information in a typical lecture format, Seiko and Bukky engaged in a highly interactive dialogue with the participants. The session involved two-way communication, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas.
We incorporated a quiz time, challenging participants to guess the origin of various items (whether from African or other countries). Conversations ranged from initial impressions of African fashion to sharing thoughts on where individuals discovered information about it. The atmosphere encouraged a lively discussion, emphasizing inspiration drawn from each other rather than a one-sided passive learning experience.
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- photos by ICC
Challenges
Yiyao
During the event preparation stage, we employed various approaches for public relations, including reaching out to student circles and other student groups to promote the event. However, we could not reach all the students who might have been interested in joining us. After discussing with Awa’Tori, we decided to keep the event compact so there would be more deep discussions.
As a result, participants felt included in the event, and the survey results were quite remarkable. All participants expressed satisfaction, a rare case for ICC events. It leaves me somewhat rueful, wondering what might have been if I had more effectively communicated the attractiveness and intrigue of both the guests and the theme to get more participants.
Taisei
In organizing this event, we felt that our job was not only to prepare the venue and host the event, but also to connect Waseda students with Awa’Tori. In terms of making the connection, it was very difficult to clearly find out what ideas the students had and what their specific interests and needs were. If we could have discovered this, we would’ve been able to use the insight in our PR, understand what students are looking for in a presentation, and conduct an event with an even higher level of satisfaction. However, while it is possible to send a survey to people who have already registered, it is difficult to ask those who haven’t registered what kind of features would have made them want to sign up. The matters mentioned above will be challenges for the future we need to deal with.
Reflection
Yiyao
On a personal note, my fascination with African culture runs deep, and I’ve previously organized an event centered around African American music. However, obtaining authentic insights from individuals who have grown up in Africa has proven to be challenging, given the limited availability of information.
This time around, I embarked on a challenging yet rewarding project to explore African culture through the lens of fashion. Much like Italian or U.S. fashion, African fashion boasts a spectrum of colorful and traditional items, as well as precious handmade craftsmanship. Individual designers, brimming with creativity, deserve to be in the spotlight.
Once again, this experience reinforced the importance of maintaining curiosity about things we don’t know and our striving to understand diverse cultures and societies beyond our upbringing. Engaging in conversations with people who have grown up in another culture enhances our ability to comprehend and appreciate other cultures. If participating in ICC’s event can offer you such an enriching experience, it would be our pleasure.
Taisei
As mentioned in the “The Day of the Event” above, the presentation was not only full of knowledge, but also loaded with excitement and delight. The atmosphere was so comfortable that many participants raised their hands, exchanged their thoughts in groups, and there were even participants who came up and told us that they wished they had more time for discussion. It was a valuable experience for both the participants and the ICC staff to have Awa’Tori give a talk on African fashion, especially since there are few opportunities to encounter “true” African fashion and few people around us who have first-hand knowledge of the subject.
Personally, I am very grateful to have been able to organize an event that features fashion from the region I have always been interested in. I very much hope that African fashion will be raised as a candidate for everyday wear, fashion for important occasions and gifts for people, in addition to Western brand products. Finally, this is not limited to Africa, but I hope that this event was a successful experience to shed light on a field that you are not familiar with or to further deepen your wisdom.
photo by ICC
