APPEARANCE – DESIGN HUB UND POP UP EVENT

Fashion Africa Now take over Zwischenraum  in the Museum am Rothenbaum Cultures and Arts of the World  

A Design Hub and Pop-Up event will take place in the Zwischenraum from 16 – 19 November 2023 under the motto APPEARANCE. In the Design Hub we will present a fashion performance, artist talk and fashion films and in the Pop Up young contemporary designers and brands from Germany will offer limited editions and collection pieces for sale. 

The Zwischenraum is a location in the museum. In the Zwischenraum, visitors to the museum are invited to help shape processes of change. New spaces for dialogue are opened up here and various collaborations are presented. The space is a workshop for ideas and hands-on interaction. 

In the future, the Museum im Zwischenraum would like to rethink the museum in the coming years and venture into unusual collaborations and exhibition experiments.

The four-day Design Hub and Pop Up combines fashion performance, fashion film and artist talk. 

The series of events combines contemporary fashion design from the diaspora with socially relevant topics. It is about a critical examination of the fashion system, structural racism in fashion and focusses on the African and Afro-diasporic perspective. 

The following young designers are part of the Design Hub: WOKEYTap A Tab

PAUL KADJO

LEWINI

NNB

URBEON

WOKEY is a lifestyle brand that combines fashion, fusion events and inspiration What does WOKEY mean? “Pursue wisdom, ignite optimism, gain knowledge, empower yourself and make it your lifestyle.”

Tabatap is Afro-Caribbean inspired fashion in a very unique style. The label was founded (2006) by the German-Jamaican fashion designer Tabitha Minott. The name Tabatap is based on the Jamaican saying “TAP A TAP” (Top of the top) Tab (itha)- A – Tap = TABATAP

Paul Kadjo is a contemporary artist and emerging fashion designer who was born in Germany and grew up in Côte d’Ivoire. As the child of a German mother and an Ivorian father, he experienced a unique symbiosis of different cultures and influences, which is reflected in his art and fashion. An important aspect of his work is to break through common clichés in an ecological, social and political context and to create an innovative awareness of new associations and values.

LEWINI is a fashion brand that celebrates cultural fusion and embodies a unique blend of tradition and modernity. Inspired by the vibrant tapestry of Nigerian roots and a global worldview, we strive to redefine the fashion world.

Noh Nee Benin – NNB – is a project with a mission: to build a bridge between local African artisans and the global stage of the fashion industry. We are a sustainable and ethical fashion brand that not only expresses Africa’s stylistic sensibilities and cultural narratives, but also showcases the vast wealth of talent.

URBEON – Your contemporary Afrocentric streetwear fashion brand. We endeavour to make you feel at home away from home while encouraging everyone to boldly [BRAVE] embrace their unique identity.

6ZA

BECKHA

Brooklyn Odunsi, also known as бrooks, is a multidisciplinary artist of Nigerian-African American descent in the fields of fashion design ‘бZA’, dance, singing, etc. Her diversity is evident in her penchant for unconventional materials/techniques and the ability to keep it simple.”

BECKHA is an innovative and sustainability-focused brand specialising in the production of unique, bespoke coaster earrings. Our unique concept, based on the transformation of discarded beer mats into elegant fashion accessories, has attracted the attention of fashion-conscious people looking for distinctive, sustainable and meaningful pieces.

The concept “Blackness in Fashion – Aesthetics and the White Gaze” opens up a multidisciplinary curatorial approach that intensively examines and emphasises the role and influence of Black culture, its aesthetics, identity and experiences in the fashion milieu. Our interest extends far beyond the mere presentation of clothing and accessories and encompasses the profound social, cultural and historical aspects of Black fashion designers and their significant position.

It is an attempt to address an in-depth understanding of the complex and multi-faceted relationship of Black culture in fashion. It will highlight the underutilised potential of Black creatives and their immediate challenges in the context of fashion. This artist talk promises to provide insightful insights and stimulating realisations in the midst of an artistic and reflective environment.

We want to ask the following questions and engage with these critical ones. 

What does blackness in fashion mean? How do we perceive Blackness in fashion in the cultural and media landscape? Who benefits from Blackness? How has the African fashion narrative changed in the media and in fashion in recent years? What significance does the consideration of intersectionality have in narratives about Blackness in fashion? What role does the white gaze play?

In a conversation on 18th of November 23 at 5:30pm at the Museum Am Rothenbaum and in English, with Emika Kabera (Fashion Film Director), Kenneth Komlan Soussoukpo (Multidisciplinary Fashion Curator) and Suzanne Darouiche (Fashion Designer).

Emika Kabera

Kenneth Komlan Soussoukpo

Suzanne Darouiche

Madeleine Toupka (Mady)

The curated fashion films in the APPEARANCE DESIGN HUB include:

  1. A – Artisanal (101212) “DRY/WET 2023” – Designer Maxivive

“People in a hallway so brightly lit, it hurts… They speak of sexuality, politics, religion, and the place of God in the lives of contemporary people…

2. Belonging – Artist  Sheeko Ismail

Belonging explores Black non-binary identity and shows how dresses and language are shaped Heteronormative perspectives.

3. Transformation – Designer NKWO

Guided by THE PHILOSOPYHY OF LESS, low impact limited edition and one-off pieces are created from post-consumer textile waste, locally sourced natural fibres and upcycled denim.

4. New Culture Movement – Designer Paul Kadjo 

An important aspect of his work is to break common clichés in the ecological, social and political context and to create an innovative awareness of new associations and values.

5. Cycles – Designer Emeka Suits 

CYCLES, a visual journey exploring the topic of Circularity through culture, dance, music & fashion.

Things to know

Location: 

MARKK – Zwischenraum

Rothenbaumchaussee 64; 20148 Hamburg

Opening hours:
Do 16. November 2023 | 15-21 Uhr
Fr 17. + Sa 18. November 2023 | 10-21 Uhr
So 19. November | 10-18 Uhr

Entrance:
€ 9,50 | Discount. € 5 | under 18 J. free of charge

Read more on Fashion Africa Now.