I am hooked on seeing photos of everyday people rocking their swag on blogs and facebook pages. One of my favourite pages to check out is ‘A Tribe Called Fresh‘. An ultra cool facebook group – I don’t even want to classify it as a just a Facebook group, it’s a photoblog with a combination of the quirky fashionable chick next door, a new fashion label’s collection, the hot male model on the streets of NY, images from the super cool fashion campaign or even the lovo kind of shots taken in front your mirror with fly sunnies.
I have always known that ‘FRESH’ isn’t cool. You would say someone was ‘FRESH’ because they were ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ or something. If someone told me that ‘FRESH’ was meant to be cool, I wouldn’t have believed them. But a A Tribe Called Fresh has given me a reason to believe that ‘FRESH’ is not just cool but ULTRA COOL. With over 1000 members worldwide, the group has become what I think is the ‘Afro/Aussie It’ thing on facebook! All my Afro-Australian friends on my facebook are always liking and commenting on photos, and stating on their status’ that they are part of A Tribe Called Fresh. The group is not directed at a specific ethnic crowd. It’s for anyone with a love for a ‘FRESH’ style!
I love their philosophy on their Facebook page…
A Tribe Called Fresh is for everyone who understands that there is a big difference between style and fashion. Fashion is what you buy, style is self expression and how you live . . . the way u talk, live, think, look . . . is your fresh! The thing that makes you stand out in a crowded room without being forced, fabricated or pretentious. Swagger is that smile in the face of adversity knowing that obstacles only make the road more interesting. FRESH is what we make with what life gives us. STEP over obstacles with a grin on your face. LET THEM KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU REPRESENT WITHOUT WORD..THE PERSON WITH THE BOLD COLOURED CLOTHING IN THE ROOM IS TELLING YOU HE OR SHE IS NOT AFRAID!
With a quirky philosophy like that I had to find out more about this group. I am always curious to know the core of creative projects. I had to go to the core of A Tribe Called Fresh and dig out some info.
The brains behind A Tribe Called Fresh is Allen ‘Freshdaily’ Coleman. By profession, Allen is a banker and the unofficial Head of Operations for the Ghanaian/Nigerian based label ISIGOs. He started A Tribe Called Quest about two years ago.He describes himself as a Ghanaian kid who “fell in love with the music that comes from style” (I think that translates beautifully. Like music, style has a rhythm. There is ‘in’ and ‘out’ of tune with the rhythm. I think to be ‘FRESH’, you would have to be out of tune because you stand out of the crowd – proud to be different with a unique persona).
Allen has an amazing driving force of people who help him keep A Tribe Called Fresh alive. Funnily enough, they have not all met each other. However, it’s their love for style and fashion which has bonded them together. Naa Kwaley was an avid fan of A Tribe Called Fresh and is now an Admin for the group. She also runs her own blog by the name of FASASHA whilst studying Nursing at University. Nursing is quite remote from fashion, but she plans on being involved in fashion for a very long time. She describes fashion as a great way to express one’s self and if she ends up with a career in fashion, she has no qualms with that. Naa Kwaley was the very first person wrote to me saying she loved my blog. It was about a month after I first started. That was an enormous boost for me to keep blogging. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Anyway…….
I harassed Allen and Naa Kwaley with a few questions. In return I got answers from true fashion lovers. Not catwalk fashion lovers or the ones who say they love fashion and only ever shop at one store. But people who believe that fashion is an artform, it’s self-expression, it’s who you are no matter what brand, what price, it’s just you. Which I think is the most humbling and real way to see fashion. Since Allen is the creator of the group, he was able to articulate the core of the group.
What’s the whole concept of A Tribe Called Fresh? Allen: I think fashion and style are siblings, yet two different things. Having the ability to employ who you are, what you stand for through your clothes is just plain beautiful art to me. (I think that is an great analogy!) The group was intended to bring people with the same passion for style together. There are a number of fashion groups on Facebook. But I wanted to make this really different – solely based on style and not price tag clothing and brands. Majority of the photos on the group page are mostly from blogs. The initial aim for this group was for group members to upload pictures and share style tips, but that didn’t pick up so well.
Since the initial aims of the group didn’t catch on with Facebookers, what is it now? Allen: Well the focal essence of the group was to share style tips from individuals which I believe is more raw (real). I believe the guy next door always starts the trends that celebrities pick on. We still have a few members posting pictures, which I hope will pick up in the future when the group gets more wings. I have members messaging me, telling me how they have picked out outfits and changed their wardrobes and that means alot to me.
In what direction do you see A Tribe Called Quest going into? A Book complied with all the images uploaded, a website, a magazine corner? Allen: If I could turn this into a full fledged styling career I would be so grateful to my maker. I plan on attending fashion school after I put a couple more slave years into work. Then i will see where it takes me, but as far as its near physical existence, a website might soon be in place. I was also pushing for a spot in a special magazine on the market that I think represents my homeland in a very deserving manner. Until that day comes I’m your stylist next door.
If you have not heard of the group, I really think you should check it out!
A Tribe Called Fresh It is simply superb!
Here are some of my FAVOURITE images they have uploaded.