Welcome back Royal Fam!
This week on the Daily Fashion Fix, I have a special surprise for all you fashion lovers our there who absolutely stan for a one of a kind piece! As many of you know, I've recently packet my bags and moved half-way around the world to the Middle East! For those who didn't know ... Ummmm where have you been! LOL ... After checking out this weeks post, definitely circle back, and get caught up on all the moving details here. Anywho, in last week's Fashion Fix post, I talked about the need to wear modest clothing when in public spaces here in Qatar. That said, back when I was in the packing stage, I had the hard job of going through literally every item of clothing I owned and deciding whether it would make the cut and make it into my luggage ... Or end up in the trash / donation bin.
It was in this "toss it" or "take it" phase that I came across this beauty greeting me from the back of my closet. 100% West African wax print fabric ... Hand embroidered ... 20+ year old vintage dress straight from my dad home country of Ghana, West Africa.
Truth be told? I'd seen it tucked in the nether regions of my closet over the years, but I never though I had anywhere to wear it, until now. More truth? When my dad gave me this dress, I was soooo disappointed in it. Over his many trips to Ghana, I'd ask him to bring me back a pretty dress I could wear ... Now were was kid me going that I actually needed a dress? I have no clue, LOL. I just knew I wanted one. Then one summer, he finally remembered and returned stateside with this ...
A dress, that in my mind, was just some boxy old thing with no shape and zero pizzaz ... Yall, what the hell was I thinking, lmao. What kid me wanted was a dress in a modern tight silhouette to show off my growing soon-to-be teenager shape. I wanted something that was cute and a little African, but not too African ... I wanted a pretty something I could say was African, but at the same time allowed me to blend in, least the kids at school make fun of me. Instead, what I got was an impeccable dress in the shape and style of many West African customs ... A dress, I was clearly too immature to appreciate.
Over the years, I as my style changed and appreciation for culture evolved, I continued to keep the dress, hidden in the back of my closet because, just in case. Flash forward to this moment, where while visiting the Bin Jelmood Museum here in Qatar ... Home of a former slave owner ... Museum highlighting the tragic experiences of the Arabic slave trade in and around the Middle East, I finally found the perfect moment to wear this powerful dress for the very 1st time.
Makeup on, dress flowing, then entering Bin Jelmood ... I had the opportunity to bring the beauty and light of West Africa to a place with so much history and sadness. In a sense, it was my way of honoring ancestors lost, yet in that moment, celebrating their lives in the most beautiful way I could ... By bringing the evolution (and full embracing) of my African identity, dressing elegantly, and paying my respects.
Before I go, if you liked the images, you'll love the visuals. Check out the latest style video for this look below!
Be sure to subscribe to my youtube channel to stay up to date on my latest adventures! ... Also, curious about my trip the Bin Jelmood House / Arabic slave trade museum? ... Click below a to watch my vlog visit.
'Till next time ... As always, the journey continues!
