WORD! A Taste of Power

Elaine Brown's autobiography--An absolute must+lyrical education.  Do you think it was by mistake that the panthers took the line, detail & aesthetic force of beauty so seriously? 

Images Courtesy Stephen Shames, Eugene Tagawa Pacific Northwest Magazine & 

Washington University. 

SHEBEEN SHOP: You're Invited, NYC

KoKOFIFI is proud to host NYC’s first SHEBEEN SHOP. Inspired by our namesake Sophiatown’s (South Africa) speakeasy/shebeens in township homes, the curated pop up will open at noon, offering vintage Proenza Schoeler, Prada, Manolo Blahnik & Chimmy Choo, among others.
Everything priced for sale is $99. 
Beginning 2PM, Heritage1960 Founder & Creative Director Enyinne Owunwanne will present her first FREDTalk on The Rise and Rules of African Fashion Today. The SHEBEEN SHOP is no secret, but our private Soho home address is! You must RSVP and must come dressed for the occasion in something celebrating Africa NOW! Of course, the Shebeen Queen will have brunch booze on hand for mahala—gratis. To RSVP, drop a line to emailKoKOFIFI@gmail.com
Check into our FB Invite Page, here. 

Hip-Hop Changing The World?

As Obama reaches closer to the end of his first term as U.S president and people of colour from around the world continue to make strides in their respective industries, one man makes the argument that "hip-hop has been the single largest driver of race relations since MLK."

While this theory may seem like a stretch to some, the points that author Steve Stoute - The Tanning of America -  raises are undeniable.

From the Gap indirectly paying for a nationally aired T.V ad for F.UB.U and hiring one of the companies  founding investors to do it no less, to the lifestyle and cultural choices younger people are making today, it seems the Tanning has taken effect.

Steve Stoute - Author of The Tanning of America explains what tanning is and what it means for business models in the 21st century

Throwback Thursday - 2Face Idibia - Ole

If you haven't heard of 2Face then you have been missing out!

This R&B crooner will have you weak in the knees with his hypnotic voice, one of my favorites is Ole, without getting into too much free promo, lol check out the track below

Enjoy!

AfroMetroCultured: Accra Skates

Our friends at ListenIn Pictures spent some sunny days in Accra, Ghana. Apart from returning with enviable robes and the lingering mouth-watering smell of kenke and peppe soup burning their breaths, they also came back armed with an infinite playbook of amazing stories, pictures and celebrations of Ghanaian metro culture. This short is a beautiful example of the vibrant life-blood pumping through the vein of most African cites' subcultures. we LOVING it.

SHEBEEN SHOP: You're Invited, NYC

Hidden Baby

Photo Courtesy Annie Escobar Photography.

Our friends at Hidden Baby had a photoshoot ahead of their hot accessories line launch--see the Giraffe bag in action below. I played model & Annie shot. I'd spend every saturday being her muse if i could. 

The Great Caitie & Bold beautiful Courtney (with Giraffe Hidden Baby bag). Courtney is launching Hidden Baby, a chic accessory line with a social cause, with her artist extraordinare sister, Kelsey. Snatch that Bag Donkey! Photo Courtesy Caitie.

Shoe-icide

"Feet killing her, I call it shoe-icide" - Fabolous

Alain Quilici - Payson Skater boots

Fabolous may have coined the term shoe-icide,but us girls have known and FELT  the true meaning for generations. We've all done it and will most likely continue to do it well into our twilight years, worn a pair of shoes that KILLED our feet after the first hour or ran more than ten paces in them and had to adjust our run.

But lo and behold the future brings with it supportive, super edgy, stylish heels that you can run around the city in without having to stop to re-fuel.

Alain Quilici - Slashed Wedge ankle boots

Italian designer Alain Quilici recently released his Payson Skater boots and followed those  up with his Slashed Wedge ankle boot.

 Canadian - Italian duo Dsquared have followed suit recently showing their Kate Moss skater boot.

Dsquared - Kate Moss skater boots

Happy Skating!

FRIDAY! ACTlike-u-KNOW

Make sure you also check out the response to Thank God We Are Not A Nigerians:
Thank God We Are Not Ghanains. 
Please peeps, Check political correctness at the door. Learn to Lyour wobblyFAO!

Brilliant AFROBoi Bands

Cabo Snoop shot in Jozzie. Image & Cool post Courtesy Chris Saunders.

FOKN BOIS. Photo Courtesy Jay Hill. 

BOI Bands.

Something must be inherently baked into our DNA that makes us swoon for the right mix of loud obnoxious lyrics, "Thank God We Are Not A Nigerian",
Bright outrageous getups--exhibit A to the left--and of course,
Cult-worthy cool swagger.

Just discovered the Boi Band FOKN BOIS, a london town based duo. "Expect anything and everything more from this raw, braggadocious, witty and eccentric super duo." And o, they thank the Lord they no a Nigerian.

Angolan kid Cabo Snoop moves like there is no connection between his pelvic bone and anything abdomenal. To appreciate his tune Windek, which blazed a ruckus frenzy through Jozzie when it aired on SABC this July, you have to see Cabo Snoop thumping his hips to Windek.

So what are you waiting for anyways? Grab them heels, splash on that beet-red blinding lipstick, BLAST them BOIS and act like it's Friday already!

Fashion Islamasized

Nailah with model/blogger Sahra of EffortlessCool. Them headpieces is straight BANGING! Amirah Creations. 

Photo Courtesy EffortlessCool.

If i've told you once i've told you a million times how much HEART we got for NPR. Always insightful and frequently full of surprises...where else would i learn about German Chancellor Merkel's direct line of communication with Italian chief of state about italy's economic woes (no small factor going around prime minister Burlisconi) and Brooklyn's Muslim fashion designer all in one breathe? Nailah Lymus' Amirah Creations--which debuted at NYFW this fall--promises a 50s inspired take on feminine style that's modest but relevant to twenty first century vavavoom. Fashion Islamasized, as she calls it.

Well. Any grown woman can tell you sexiness and true style have very little to do with bare skin. Here's to celebrating the true art of modest appeal...We just got Islamasized!

-posted by magogodi, nyc.http://effortlesscool.wordpress.com/

Baby Steps

Photo Courtesy M. Makhene

These hair accessories have popped up everywhere and i've realized how much baby-bandana jealousy i'm harboring because unlike mmotsa (above), i'm not very skilled rocking them. so, i thought i'd share some tips i've observed from her: 

1. Wear it with a bang! hair bangs or some kinds of over the top/long/big hair
2. Flowerpower is pretty powerfuless. Keep it to the weekend and casual getups. Simpler bandanas without the flower are better for most business meetings
3. Rock It like you mean it. I always love seeing a crazy outfit worn with even crazier conviction. Just flash the Hi Haters smile at gawkers...

we so stupidly & unconditionally HEART this! Photographer unknown. 

Dapper Dads: Birth of Cool

From the pages of "The Super Adventures of Sophie and the City". Photo Courtesy of Author. 

There are some people in this world who are just cool. They're not even trying and it's not a hipster thing. They just are. My father was one such person. My father was cool Monday through Sunday, yes sir! The kind of person who not only manages to be popular with his boys but also with kids, with the milk-man (we actually had one), with the neighbors terrible dog and even the mean old lady down the street who cussed everyone else out. I can't begin to imagine what it's like to have a magnetic personality that causes every person you meet to want to be your bff! Cool Cat.

Manufacturing Cool Since Before Cool. 

Photo M. Makhene.

And like every cool person in the world, my dad had the look to match. Everybody knows, when you are cool, looking suave and fashionable is second nature to you. We as children at the time, couldn't appreciate the daily dose of charm, suave, smooth talking, always dressed for success combination that meshed up against uber cool to make this man. But as an adult looking at old pictures it is only now that I begin to appreciate the craze of it all--my dad ran marathons with his shades on, the dude could rock a golf shirt and short shorts without looking peculiar, he used colour blocking in his photos before Vogue magazine editors knew what to call such activity and he drove a red 16 "velve" way before the Volkswagen's  golf was the it car! I mean, hot-sweet-holiness in the fire-bush. I dare you. Tell me that aint cool...

So, in prep of my first marathon this weekend, here's a hat-tip to the first man I ever ran toward singing the anthem, "Papa, papa number one" Shoulda been "cool cat, cool cat number one!" 
And seems I'm not the only one channeling daddy dearest love. Flygirl Kelly Florio Kasouf's "The Super Adventures of Sophie and the City: All in a Day's Work" follows Sophie as she sneaks into her dad's work building in nyc, discovering magic worlds within worlds of fashion, publishing and design. The book is a beauty and the toast to dads makes it even sweeter. 


a Jozzie-baked post from Mmotsa's Desk, who runs her first full marathon this saturday.