Wednesday, 4 March 2009
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About Us
Description: Réfèt Afrique means “Beautiful Africa”. It is a word borrowed from a Western African tribe called Wolof, found in large numbers particularly in the The Gambia and Senegal. It was founded by a lady called Hawa Zainab Sesay, who, as a student at the university of St Andrews, felt that, in order for Africa to be associated with beauty as it is understood in the fashion world, it needed re-branding. She believed that the beautiful and glamorous side of the continent had to be shown to the world so that Africa will secure its righgful place in the international fashion arena. Réfèt Afrique then is an African Cultural event aiming to portray the splendour and diversity of the continent. It endeavours to present a distinguished fusion of fashion, drama, and dance, centring principally on fashion and incorporating performing arts, in the form of traditional as well as contemporary African dance and drama.
Réfèt Afrique will be the first ever African cultural show in St. Andrews, and potentially Scotland. We plan to make this an annual event, increasing in size and depth of fashion and culture each year.
Inspiration: As Africans and students of Afro- Caribbean descents at the University we have come to learn that even students at university level confuses Africa for one country rather than an entire continent, with diverse cultures, customs and traditions. Thanks to the media’s media depiction of Africa as a continent of uncivilised and brutal peoples not fit even to rule themselves through the dramatization of humanitarian disasters and catastrophes such as civil wars, ethnic wars, famine, poverty, and HIV and AIDS. The implication of which is that Africans do not possess enough reason to make sound moral and civilised decisions with regards to self-rule hence the aforementioned calamities are the consequences of such lack of reason. There is a general understanding thus that fashion refers to anything styled according to Western design confirming to Western standards of beauty exemplified by displays on the runways of popular fashion shows. On the other hand, Africa’s beauty is understood to lie only in the continent’s natural endowment of exotic flora and fauna.
There have been fashion shows here in St. Andrews, but there has never been anything African in terms of fashion or performing arts. Therefore we feel that there is a drought that needs to be quenched, an ignorance that must be addressed and a niche in the market here in St Andrews and indeed Scotland that needs to be explored. Réfèt Afrique aims primarily then to portray the beautiful side of Africa, the side that is not generally shown in the media. We feel that for the aforementioned stereotype to be trounced, the students, locals, and the entire Scotland needs to the shown that side of Africa that is fashionable, beautiful, magnificent and glamorous. Thus we are inspired to educate, to try to overturn the stereotypical negative image of poverty-stricken- hungry babies, machete-waving and limb-hacking militias, disease infested communities, civil wars and ethnic cleansing, and everything that equates to the dark side of Africa through fashion and arts.
Motivation: We are motivated by the knowledge that some of these aforementioned stereotypes have credible basis for their spread. However, we believe that there is a beautiful side of the continent that parallels this ugly reality. Thus a secondary aim of Réfèt Afrique is to raise money to save the lives and limbs of the children of the continent and secure a better future for them through education.
Réfèt Afrique will be the first ever African cultural show in St. Andrews, and potentially Scotland. We plan to make this an annual event, increasing in size and depth of fashion and culture each year.
Inspiration: As Africans and students of Afro- Caribbean descents at the University we have come to learn that even students at university level confuses Africa for one country rather than an entire continent, with diverse cultures, customs and traditions. Thanks to the media’s media depiction of Africa as a continent of uncivilised and brutal peoples not fit even to rule themselves through the dramatization of humanitarian disasters and catastrophes such as civil wars, ethnic wars, famine, poverty, and HIV and AIDS. The implication of which is that Africans do not possess enough reason to make sound moral and civilised decisions with regards to self-rule hence the aforementioned calamities are the consequences of such lack of reason. There is a general understanding thus that fashion refers to anything styled according to Western design confirming to Western standards of beauty exemplified by displays on the runways of popular fashion shows. On the other hand, Africa’s beauty is understood to lie only in the continent’s natural endowment of exotic flora and fauna.
There have been fashion shows here in St. Andrews, but there has never been anything African in terms of fashion or performing arts. Therefore we feel that there is a drought that needs to be quenched, an ignorance that must be addressed and a niche in the market here in St Andrews and indeed Scotland that needs to be explored. Réfèt Afrique aims primarily then to portray the beautiful side of Africa, the side that is not generally shown in the media. We feel that for the aforementioned stereotype to be trounced, the students, locals, and the entire Scotland needs to the shown that side of Africa that is fashionable, beautiful, magnificent and glamorous. Thus we are inspired to educate, to try to overturn the stereotypical negative image of poverty-stricken- hungry babies, machete-waving and limb-hacking militias, disease infested communities, civil wars and ethnic cleansing, and everything that equates to the dark side of Africa through fashion and arts.
Motivation: We are motivated by the knowledge that some of these aforementioned stereotypes have credible basis for their spread. However, we believe that there is a beautiful side of the continent that parallels this ugly reality. Thus a secondary aim of Réfèt Afrique is to raise money to save the lives and limbs of the children of the continent and secure a better future for them through education.
1st photo shoot
1st photo shoot
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