Compositions & Coffee Presents: "Creative Soul Digest"
Back2Life Style Journey
Greetings my loved ones! Come jump on this Back 2 Life Style Journey with me where this Thursday we explore how to get your spot ready for Kwanzaa. As you know this whole week has been dedicated to Kwanzaa so we are going to continue this discussion by looking at décor and style. I will also be touching on some amazing African designers and fashion trends to shout out our people so let’s get to work
Kwanzaa Décor
A huge part of the Kwanzaa celebration is the kinara, the candelabrum which is symbolic of ancestry and holds the Mishumaa Saba. I’ve seen some beautiful kinaras that families have passed down and also some that have been store bought and jazzed up. Here are some examples:
You can also invest in your own kinara to start the tradition for your family and pass it along. These are a few places you can buy from:
Besides the kinara you will need your Mazao or crops representing the harvest, your Mkeka or woven mat, and your Kikombe Cha Umoja or unity cup. The woven mats can be made but I love buying them from a handmade goods store or market. The unity cup is basically a goblet which you can find those online at places like Etsy, Wayfair, and honestly even Walmart (because they just have everything). Here’s some unity cups I’ve found:
Besides your Kinara, your Mishumaa Saba, you Mazao, and your Kikombe Cha Umoja you will need to JAZZ UP YOUR SPOT! Below are some dope home décor ideas:
HGTV also has some ideas on how to make some homemade decor so check them out with this link: HGTV
Alright beauties…now that you got your spot right let’s talk about getting your FIT right as well as African fashion.
Let’s Talk Kente
Did you Know? Kente was originally reserved for Asante royalty and was limited to social events and sacred functions? It is still associated with wealth, high social status, and cultural sophistication. Popular legend tells it that two young friends learned the art of weaving Kente by watching two spiders weave a web. Kentes pattern is a woven horizontal strip loom that produces a narrow band of cloth about four inches wide. Several of these strips are arranged and hand-sewn together to create a cloth of the desired size. Fun fact did you know most kente weavers are men? Yes! Our brothers are gifted! Today, of course, since it’s being printed in bulk most Kente is made by large machines. It is now a popular style that is used in most afrocentric clothing.
Besides the gorgeous patterns I love the colors of Kente! They pop so naturally and it takes me outside my limited color attire that I typically wear. I’ll share with some of my favs…
African Flare
Besides Kente some other popular African clothing are Dashiki (AKA Angelina AKA Makenzi) and Kaftan (long loose garment). Brocade is a type of embroidery that is usually seen around the neckline, hem, and sleeve ends.
The usual colors and bright to add richness and shine such as gold. African print fabric that we see everywhere today uses bright colors and patterns symbolic to the culture, language, nature, wildlife, music, and food. Below are some more of my favorites I’ve seen this year:
So per usual friends I got you on the links and stores that have some amazing threads for you to rock. I also will share some black owned stores where you can get your Kwanzaa home décor and buy some Kente to wear during the festival. Book recommendations and coffee recommendation can also be found below per usual. As always friends I send my love and remind you all to…
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