Celebrate Kwanzaa in ethniciti Style

The end of the year is traditionally a time of reflection, taking stock of our values, and evaluating where we are.  During 2009 ethniciti has emphasized cultural appreciation of the African-American experience and expression of our ideals and style.  We believe that taking a renewed look at the seven basic principles of Kwanzaa is an excellent way for all of us to refresh our beliefs in our community and reaffirm our direction.

The seven principles

The first night celebrates Unity (Umoja), reminding us of our heritage and our togetherness with family, community, and culture.  The second night’s principle, Self-determination (Kujichagulia), calls attention to the need to be responsible for ourselves and create our own destiny. Third comes Ujima, which is described as Collective Work and Responsibility, emphasizing our mandate to work together to build the community.  Ujima is closely allied to the fourth principle of Ujamaa, or Collective Economics, which focuses our attention on increasing economic influence by developing our businesses and organizations.

On the fifth night of Kwanzaa, we pay homage to Purpose (Nia), our obligation to do everything we can to build the greatness of the African-American people and our culture.  The last two nights turn our attention to the role of Creativity (Kuumba) and Faith (Imani) in forging our destiny.  We must be creative in our efforts to improve our communities and have a strong belief in the ability of our families, educators, and leaders to achieve our goals.

Our collective experience

ethniciti believes that Kwanzaa represents a time not only of reflection, but an opportunity to celebrate the African-American experience.  We have designed a special Kwanzaa keepsake, eight plates that will occupy an important role in your enjoyment of Kwanzaa now and for years to come. Click here to see the collection: http://bit.ly/7C7TxK.

ethniciti: a state of mind and spirit

Earlier this year when I launched the ethniciti blog, I noted that during my over 30-year-long career devoted to understanding consumer needs and designing environments to make their lives easier and more fulfilling, not once have I been called upon to create a design or merchandise strategy directed to the modern African-American consumer.

I started my business, ethniciti, to fill the unmet needs of African-American consumers and enable them to acquire quality home fashion goods that truly reflect their lifestyle, culture, knowledge, and sense of fashion.

ethniciti offers a new way of thinking, a feeling of organized ecleccticism.  Our exciting, African-inspired collections embody a new vision of the African-American style – how African-Americans see themselves and how they want others to see them

Now I am pleased to announce the launch of the ethniciti online catalog.  Take a look at the collections which we have carefully drawn from throughout the Diaspora, featuring works of Pan-African artisans and their representatives.

Bill Sands

Self-Expression from an African Perspective

Ethiopia’s Surma and Mursi tribes in the southwest Omo River valley region present a unique perspective on self-expression in the African style.  As a result of their nomadic lifestyle, location near lush vegetation, and inventive nature, tribe members have taken body painting and adornment to a new level of creativity which has inspired the color palette for ethniciti collections.

Sophisticated color palette

Colors taken directly from nature, the various strata of rock in the vast Rift Valley geologic formation, yield subtle shades of ochre, red, pure white, off white, and light gray.  Green is obtained from stone found in the riverbed.  The canvas for this sophisticated mixture of colors is the flesh of the tribe members, a reddish, copper hue, lighter in shade and more reflective of light rays compared to the darker skin of the Ugandans, Kenyans, and Sudanese to the south and west.

Natural accessorization

Flora and fauna found near the river – grass, leaves, stems, flowers, roots, shells, nuts, wild fruit, papyrus, and gourds- are accessories to this creation of natural fashion.

Shapes and forms

The amazing and aesthetically brilliant juxtapositions of color, texture, shape, and form, are not pondered and studied.  Spontaneity is key to the effects achieved with body painting done rapidly to preserve the natural colors.  Pigments created using water and stone fragments dry within a minute’s time. The result is a creative work worthy of any modern artist or fashion designer, but with the natural freedom of childhood.

The design spirit of the Surma and Mursi exemplifies ethniciti’s philosophy of organized eclecticism, freedom of self-expression, and African-inspired design.  We have organized items from our five collections – foundations, décor, bon appétit, boudoir, entre nous, into color groups based upon palettes inspired by the Omo River valley tribes.  What do you think?

Photography by Hans Silvester in his book, Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa.

A New Breed of African Home Fashion Designers

There is a new breed of young, talented, and aggressive African designer in the market. Inspired by the Xhosa face cutting tradition, ceramic designer Andile Dyalvane cuts into tile in a decorative manner combining his technique of paint, bold shapes, and color.

Influenced by Picasso, his creations carry the spirit of the past, the energy of the moment, and a vision for the future.

In Search of the ethniciti Woman

Self-expression and an eclectic approach drive CarrMel White’s design sense as she has worked to make her home a reflection of her personality and a place she can share.

“I want my friends and family to feel what I feel,” she says, sitting on the cream-colored leather sofa in the African-inspired ambiance of her home in Columbus, Ohio’s historic Olde Towne East.  “I am very interested in African-inspired decoration and décor because it is a part of me…. what you see in my home is what I feel, what I like. “

CarrMel’s eclecticism is evident immediately in the entrance area of her home, which she has reserved as a sort of gallery, with pieces ranging from a mask-like painting done by a street artist in Uruguay, to African-American designed sculptures, and a magnificent West African elephant mask with embedded coins which her husband found.

But creating a home environment that is both emotionally satisfying and unique has not been easy for Carr’Mel .  She feels that there just aren’t enough sources to meet her need for self-expression in the home.

“It’s very hard.  I’m lucky to know a person (I can turn to for advice) but I don’t think the average person can do that.  … I find that it’s like a treasure hunt for me.  It’s not something that I can just pick up a catalog or go somewhere and go, ‘OK this is what I’m looking for.’”

As performing arts director for Columbus’s King Arts Complex, CarrMel is constantly in the company of artists.  “I’ve been lucky enough to work with and around artists, so I have a lot of pieces that people have made for me.  I have people that I know who are collectors, and I’m purchasing from them.  And some things I’ve put together myself.”

CarrMel White’s lifestyle embodies the essential ingredients of the ethniciti brand – a contemporary fusion of styles, a strong desire to express her personality, and a love of African-inspired design.

Sleperwoods – environmentally conscious home fashion

As a good steward of the environment, I am always on the lookout for products that satisfy my fashion sense as well as being responsible to the land.

I recently came across a company, Sleeperwoods, situated close to the Kruger National Park in White River, South Africa. They utilize reclaimed sleepers (railroad ties) as well as a range of recycled hardwoods to fashion unique furniture and tabletop accessories. Their design approach offers products for both a contemporary and causal settings. Take a look.

 

 

 

 

The Artisans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A fundamental building block in the ethniciti design philosophy is the influence and contribution of the artisans.  These talented, aggressive, and forward-thinking individuals spread the notion of African-inspired design and the important role that art plays in interior design solutions.

In a recent edition of O Magazine, this notion is brilliantly expressed in the home of Peggy Cooper Cafritz a long-time art educator, activist and supporter of young African-American artists.

Her home exudes on the one hand this sense of confidence and commitment to the culture, while the overall presentation and integration of furnishings and artifacts projects the essence of her personal style, how she sees herself, and how she wants others to see her.

Photography by Sang An.

Opening Night, the Gathering

As designers we begin each assignment with a high expectations in creating an exciting and memorable living space for our clients.  As we move through the discovery, then the creative phases, we begin to visualize the end game, what will it look like what will it feel like. What we do know is our clients expect a space that reflects who they are and how they want people to see them.

I am always inspired by Jessica Harris, noted African-American author and educator whose writings weave a masterful web of food and places of the Diaspora.  I see an opportunity to help our clients celebrate the completion of a new space with a gathering that ties together the notion of African-inspired interior design with tangible expressions of styles and tastes.

Here are a few of our approaches.  Let me know about yours.

Spreading the ethniciti Message

This week I’ll be speaking in Houston and San Antonio as part of the Design Arts Seminars program.

As I’ve emphasized in the ethniciti blog, dramatic changes in demographics and lifestyles have created a heightened interest in African-influenced design. Manufacturers of home fashion goods must understand the need to develop collections inspired by regional artistic styles: East African, sub-Saharan, West African, etc. During my seminar presentations, I define African styles to help designers grasp the modern African-American consumer’s fundamental preferences.

I go beyond the traditional to consider an organized eclecticism that best matches today’s African-American’s purchasing motivations in home fashion. I explore contemporary, modern interpretations of African cultural influences, as well as the impact of Cuban, Brazilian, Caribbean, and regional U.S. inspiration. I emphasize the necessity to avoid the trite and cliché by creating authentic design solutions that speak to the modern African-American’s ancestry.

 Designers must surpass standard classifications to develop a unique interpretation of Classic, Contemporary, and Casual through a prism of ethnic-inspired design.

Take a look at the overview video and let me know what you think.

Predetermined Solutions

With the coming of spring we can expect a few constants – daffodils, lawn mower noise and new spring catalog from Crate & Barrel that looks a lot like last year and the year before. As one of the country’s premier lifestyle retailers, they have mastered the concept of predetermined solutions: if we didn’t sell it to you last year we simply recycle the palette with perhaps some small modifications of style and present it again as new and trendy.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe C&B is one of the best at inspiring customers with effective visual marketing and a fill-in-the-blanks approach. But when do we move from room-in-a-box to a more open and eclectic approach that reflects a modern reality, in particular a response to the tastes of the modern African-American consumer?

Can you image the expectation and joy of receiving a catalog that projected a sense of “organized eclecticism” that would focus on the inspirational needs and wants of the African- American consumer and others who appreciate the uniqueness and richness of the culture? I can.

Sadly this won’t happen with idle coffee-and-donuts conversations about the “opportunities” in the market. Good, bad or indifferent there is an existing process in the design, licensing and manufacturing of home furnishings. From my point of view that will not change in the short term.

In an effort to discover more efficient and profitable approaches for interior and product designers to bring their designs to market, we have formed ethnicitiSTYLE. We are collaboration of professional designers formed to pool our energies and resources to create African-American home fashion collections that will be developed and licensed to mainstream manufactures and distributors. Our goal is to create new lines of home fashion developed, designed, and managed by African Americans.

It is time. Let me know what you are thinking.