On the evening of Saturday, October 5th, Celebrating Congo 2013 came to a close. After a compact two days of performances, roundtable discussions, and general conversations about Congo, the festival went out with a bang – more literally, a performance by Kanda Bongo Man. Before this final performance, a fashion show displaying DRC ApeParel and Mamafrica brought a change of pace for the festival. After an afternoon of roundtable discussion, the fashion show revived the crowd at Celebrating Congo. After a brief introduction, the models displaying DRC ApeParel showed off the brand’s designs as “Cho Cho Cho,” a collaboration piece made by Yole!Afria in Beat Making Lab, blasted over the sound system. The designs in the collection were all made of vibrant colors and bold patterns. For the male models, this meant bright patterned shirts with jeans or khaki pants as well as the occasional letterman jacket. For the women, the designs were more daring. Many included dresses, skirts, and t-shirts that we would not be surprised to see worn in everyday life. Yet other models wore dazzling bikinis paired with stilettos – designs that prompted the most noise from the crowd. After a brief word from the designer of DRC ApeParel, the Mamafrica models paraded around the room as “Zenga,” a song by Flamme Kapaya and produced by Apple Juice Kid, filled the room. Their pieces also had a theme of bright colors and bold patterns. Compared to the previous collection, Mamafrica had a more edgy and fashion-forward vibe, with outfits that would be seen on the streets of any modern city in the United States. At the end of each collection, the designers spoke about the intent of their pieces. The designer of DRC ApeParel explained that because of all of the negative attention the Congo receives, he wanted his designs to be able to show off the good side of Congo. The designer of Mamafrica described her brand as an “ethical clothing line” with the purpose of having a “vehicle to share a story” and “create a safe haven for women.” She elaborated, saying that she wants her line to create curiosity in the U.S. about affairs that are happening abroad. At the end of the fashion show, people were able to meet the designers and peruse the merchandise of DRC ApeParel and Mamafrica in the halls of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center. The fashion show was brief and perhaps an overlooked part of the festival when compared to the other events. Yet, the designers of these brands are doing incredible things to bridge the cultural gap between the Congo and the United States, which is the exact mission of Yole!Africa, one of the organizations that brought about Celebrating Congo 2013. To many Americans, Congo is a war-torn country filled with countless conflicts and endless suffering. One of the things these brands do is publicize important causes. The DRC ApeParel website lists two main causes – one for “The Land” and one for “The People.” The cause for “The People” reads, “Support and protect the people of The Congo, especially the woman and children who are at the highest risk of having their liberties and choices taken from them,” is incredibly extensive. Similar literature can be found on the Mamafrica website about empowering women. While it is important that these clothing lines expand the awareness of big issues such as these, they do something equally important – they redefine how Americans view Africa. By using something so intrinsic to daily life that it at times feels as though its part of us – our clothing, the designers have created a new way for consumers to relate to the entire African continent. For patrons of these brands, having a daily reminder that Africa is not as distant as we might think proves that their clothes serve a greater purpose, which is bridging that cultural gap. Another implication of the fashion show is that the future western image of Africa is yet to be made. Not only that, but the power of shaping this image lies in the hands of the American and Congolese youth. Throughout the fashion show, youth was seen in the faces of the models and the modernity of the designs as well as heard in the voices and the lyrics that filled the room. To the western world, much of the Congo remains unseen; however, with the energy and power of the youth, what we uncover might just be all of the life that lies there. ––Mary Maher
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