Wrapped | In Honor of Black History Month
It’s a treat to have the gentleman behind the lens, Colville (aka CtHruLens), share his thoughts behind his creative concepts. So in honor of Black History Month, I am excited to share with you this guest post. I know you'll enjoy what he has to share. To see more of his work and creative projects, visit his website, which I’ve included in the link below. Lest we never forget...
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February is at its end and with it, a month designated for the celebration of Black History. As I pondered much of what is associated with this celebration, a familiar song popped into my head. Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson is a beautiful and powerful poem that thrives in ubiquity every February. The last verse of said poem/song has been my favorite for some time, but for the first time, the last five words grabbed my attention. (With some context):
"Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand.
True to our God,
True to our native land."
After those words, I, for the first time ever, asked myself: "Which native land?" I quickly replied to myself (and you can debate my sanity if you wish), "Well, Africa of course!" While our connection, influenced by centuries of slavery and integration of new languages and cultures, to our history and Africa may be somewhat strained, fashion provides a simple opportunity to strengthen that link.
Head wraps add another versatile dimension to one's style. There are many options for colors, patterns and methods of wrapping. And with the increasing popularity of the natural hair movement, wraps are everywhere these days.
This head wrap concept gave me a chance to look at images, themes and fashion influenced by African culture, and to explore some combinations of these wrap designs with hair, skin, jewelry and light. With the resulting images, I hope to celebrate the beauty found in our history, our deep chocolate hues, and the rich color and design of African fabrics.
Thanks again to Shar (the beautiful host of Sharlendipity.com) and her awesome hair for another fun collaboration and the invitation to be a guest on her blog!
Details:
Photography: CtHruLens
Makeup: Sharlendipity
Headwraps: Local fabric stores/Joann Fabrics
Accessories: Thrited, H&M, Bedazzled