May 24, 20203 min read

Transitions

In its simplest definition, a transition signifies “the process or period of changing from one state or condition to another”. I think this was the perfect word to define this photoshoot and my summer as I went through many changes which have helped my style, myself and my blog work evolve.

The first transition would have to be the location. Most of my shoots are usually minimalistic and familiar. The following look was shot in a place that was unknown to me, which made it all the more challenging, yet rewarding. That place was Médina, one of Dakar’s oldest and most populous neighborhoods. The area is filled with colorful homes, busy streets and graffiti walls; it has an ancient vibe to it, as opposed to the more modern districts in the city. Since it was my first time there I had no idea what to expect. I immediately realized that in comparison to other places in Dakar or New York, this was not one where most people took pictures. You would think with all the art around people would come, but it was the opposite. The photographer and I had to therefore ask permission to shoot around the houses, and be patient as crowds of children and adults surrounded us to question what exactly we were doing.

Next, the majority of my outfits on the blog are Eurocentric and rarely focus on African fashion. This year, I spent all three months of my summer in Sénégal so I really had the time to learn about Senegalese textiles and prints. My aunt also greatly helped me with this style addition; she gave me many traditional wax clothing items and helped me create outfits so I definitely had enough to experiment. The purple and blue peplum top in the pictures below was a gift from her. It's made of African waxprints and has a flared lower bottom and bell sleeves. The material is from Accra, Ghana ; it's quite light so you can definitely move around freely. I paired the top with a pair of black pants, heels, and delicate silver earrings to match the blouse’s simple yet exquisite motifs. I purposely combined a traditional piece with other modern clothing because I think it perfectly embodied who I am: a multi-dimensional and multi-cultural African woman.

The last transition I would have to say was overall, my summer. Living in the United States but coming back to Sénégal to see my friends and family is always interesting; I’ve noticed I’m immediately re-immersed in a different culture as soon as I arrive. Basically, you learn to balance the fact that you are from two places which carry their respective discrepancies, mainly in terms of cultural practices and social norms; I find that it allows you to sometimes step out of your comfort zone and constantly be aware of all your surroundings.

I met with some amazing people who have greatly inspired me this summer. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have pushed myself to work as much on the website. Initially, I wanted to take a break from blogging because I thought, “I won't find anyone in Sénégal who will have the same visions and ideas as me. They'll probably think I'm too weird...”. I soon realized I was wrong, as Dakar in itself is a city buzzing with artistic vibes, which is perfect for a blogger like myself, as I try to incorporate fashion, creative art and direction in my photoshoots. For this post, I owe a huge thank you to the photographer Sidy Mohamed Kandji(https://www.instagram.com/smkandji/). Him and I were on the same page in terms of our creative ideas and I think that's what really brought everything together. We planned this shoot 3 weeks in advance because I really wanted to bring the traditional (the location) versus the modern (myself) theme into existence. We couldn’t have gotten a better area than Médina and I’m happy Sidy suggested it.

I loved doing my work here; it was a nice change from the busy and fast-paced New York City. It’s amazing what a change of scenery can do, and it’s even better when it’s in your home country. I can’t wait to come back and do this again.