A trip to Paris turned into a collaboration with the city of Pittsburgh.
“When I went to Paris I met so many creative people, and we talked about ways we can continue to support black creativity and equity when it comes to fashion,” said Pittsburgh-based Demeatria Boccella, who founded FashionAFRICANA in 2001, a multimedia event series and educational platform that explores Black beauty, culture and history through fashion and art.
Boccella went to Paris to research the standard of beauty. She found a like-minded individual in Nelly Wandji, a Paris-based Cameroonian producer, cultural curator and advocate of Africa’s creative industry. As founder and managing director for MoonLook, a Paris-based company that specializes in African fashion, Wandji and Boccella are co-producing the inaugural FestivalAFRICANA, a virtual global celebration of African style, beauty, design and culture this Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday will showcase fashion and design as well as home décor and beauty and cosmetics and culminate with a live performance of African music.
Sunday’s concentration encompasses culture, food and dance.