Fashion designer Chelsea Bravo’s latest collection Dysfunction reminds me of the stickiness of the Ghanaian sun during the day and the coolness I feel when I wear light cotton and can feel the warm air travel between my skin and clothes. The air may be warm, but it’s those days you thank God that you chose to wear cotton and not a pair of jeans!
Bravo celebrates the man with contemporary design using creative cutting techniques, traditional dress from different cultures and urban influences. Dysfunction is inspired by dysfunctional emotion, geometric architecture including the work of artist/architect Junya Ishigam, and Central African dress. Natural fabrics such as cotton are used with a neutral colour palette featuring beige, cream, grey and white. Metallic coated cotton and reflective techno accents are injected to bring modernity and freshness.
I wonder if it’s specifically Central African, because I feel like the style is reflective of male dressing in the North and West of Africa as well. What I like about this collection is that it’s a different take on a traditional male look – more of a deconstruction of traditional African male attire, going back to basics with the use of cottons and the natural colour palette.
SOURCE: TRENDLAND & CHELSEA BRAVO