My dear friend, Keisha Harris, went to Gambia over the holiday and took some beautiful photos during her stay. I was lucky enough to retrieve them and share with all of you... Enjoy!
Keisha's commentary:
"Turbans! I love how almost every woman tied beautiful fabric around her head. I especially love when the pattern of the head wrap and that of the rest of an outfit mismatched. Lookout, Seattle, I brought 17 scarves home to do this with."
"This elegant woman stood out to me immediately upon entering the village. I couldn't take my eyes off her gold on gold outfit she wore to listen to a lecture on farming. Total babe."
"Pastels."
"You know you're a real lady when you can be sexy without showing skin."
"I set out with the intention to document more West African fashion then I ended up with. Most of my time was spent in urban areas that were more westernized (boring), but in rural villages, the attire was traditional (kind of a trip). As someone who spends life in neutrals, the intense color combinations and patterns were overstimulating and such a foreign concept to me. The film that I used was a few years expired and the shots turned out dull and grainy, so you can imagine how vibrant this would be to the naked eye."
"Ha. Christmas morning. I love my friends and family dearly, but there is something to be said for skipping the holiday all together and drinking tea on an empty beach. I still haven't done my Christmas shopping... "
This just reeks of romanticizing poverty (saying Westernized clothing is boring) and that you're coming home with head scarfs inspired by women who area learning about farming? Calling them sexy, babes? Can you not see how being conservative is part of their culture?
ReplyDeleteThis really puts me off. Cultural appropriation to the max. This post looks like a little trust fund baby left her family to get some omgz beautiful head scarf ideas. It's so pretentious and aloof. I usual enjoy your posts but this one disgusts me.
It was never my intention to offend anyone especially when it comes to cultural insensitivity. I apologize if anyone were to find this post insensitive. However I do not appreciate when someone takes on a rude tone and slanderous words. I wish you wouldn't have posted anonymously so we could open a discussion to this.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos and can't wait to see more (Keisha's my cousin!)...and the anonymous commenter would be horrified by her words if she knew Keisha at all. It's almost laughable if it weren't so rude. Also...admiring cultural attire and praising/appreciating the beauty of women in a very different place is not romanticizing poverty. I was unaware that no one was allowed to admire the diversity of another culture. Shame on me...? And yes. Westernized clothing is BORING compared to the richness of minority dress around the world. So deal.
ReplyDelete