The Finale! Part 3 of Siata's Feature

Happy Friday everyone!  Hope you had a great week.  Please check out the final post in Siata's style takeover below:

My third and final look is a chic high waist-circle skirt and crop top also by Kadiatu Kamara for Printex. I paired this look with silver drop earrings that were a gift from my aunt, and red Jessica Simpson pumps. The hand beaded clutch is by Madam Wokie. (I wanted the outfits to speak for themselves, and since these fabrics had beautiful pops of color and intricate patterns, the less jewelry, the better.)

On a final note, I think its important to say that style isn’t only a way of dress, it is also the manner in which we live and how we give back to the world. An issue that I care about and I’d like my career to revolve  around, is reducing conflict in Africa. The effects of ethnic conflicts, civil wars, and genocide are extremely detrimental to a country and it’s people, as we have seen in Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and many other nations in Africa. The people that have been proven to suffer the most as a result of these conflicts are women and children. Many women become victims of abuse and children become orphans without the opportunity for proper education. My goal is to work with these groups who have been marginalized and to find solutions that provide better lives and opportunities for people to become active members of their society. Wearing African brands is not only fashion forward, its a way to support and uplift the global community and to make the statement that I stand with them as they strive to create beautiful products and beautiful lives.  For instance, the beaded clutches that I've worn with all of my outfits were created as a part of a project that Madam Wokie has with former women prisoners in Sierra Leone, which teaches them skills that they can use to generate income for themselves.  The clutches are available for sale on the shop portion of this site and a percentage of the proceeds will benefit the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone.  If you'd like to make a 100% donation rather than a purchase, the Fashion Does Good campaign has a great fundraiser that will benefit children who have been orphaned by Ebola.

African Glam! feat Virgos Lounge

Hello good people!  I hesitated a while before sharing these pics (I had a sty underneath my eye that I was super self conscious about) but I decided that this Virgo's lounge dress was too fab not to share.  Virgos Lounge is a Nigerian owned brand that is based out of London.  VL curates and designs fabulous vintage and vintage inspired pieces like this "Trophy" dress that I'm wearing.  I wore this to the bi-annual Pujehun Dance, a charity gala thrown by the Pujehun District Descendant's Association, which was organized some twenty years ago with the goal of assisting the Pujehun District of Sierra Leone as our people grappled with the civil war.  Although the war is over, the organization is still going strong and the Pujehun Dance is always well attended and contributes greatly towards medical care for the District.  Organizations like PDDA are a great example of how our people have once triumphed over tragic circumstances and brought order out of chaos and I have every belief that we will do the same in the wake of the Ebola outbreak.  I had the huge honor of being asked to present my uncle, Dr. Joe Nuni, with an achievement award for his contributions to the district, so I tried to go all the way glam with my look.  What do you think? Mission accomplished?

Trophy Dress - Virgos Lounge, sold out  

P.S. I'm all for using one's interests or passions to champion a good cause.  Some friends and I have brought our non-profit foundations together to raise funds for children in Sierra Leone who have been orphaned because of the Ebola outbreak.  Our campaign is called "Fashion Does Good" and we are collecting fabulous items from well known and regularly known donors and then auctioning off the items and contributing 100% of the proceeds to the shelter, care, education, food and clothing needs of the children.  We have done well with short term fundraisers for Ebola relief in the past (see story here) and we want to build upon established relationships with local partners to continue supporting Sierra Leone's most vulnerable in their time of need.  Please email me if you'd like to contribute in any way. munjebfoh@gmail.com

Fashion Does Good Campaign