The Princeton University Art Museum is typically home to static art, pinned to the walls or displayed neatly in glass cases. On Saturday, dynamic art came to the museum through Sankofa’s African fashion for us to enjoy in full motion.
For this year’s show, entitled “The Reclamation,” the museum’s Grand Hall, packed with rows of seating in the intimate space, already set the tone for this year’s eclectic collections on display. Rows of students and supportive family members clustered from the middle of the floor to the walls, leaving only a narrow runway gap and making sure all the attention gravitated towards the center. From a wide range of designer brands, spotlighting both student creatives and independent artists, the runway became a moving canvas for us to watch in awe.
As a deep blue hue flooded the room, artistic directors Gloria Simmons ’27 and D’Schon Simmons ’27 took center stage to introduce themselves and this year’s theme to the packed room. The Sankofa show was centered on its titular theme of reclamation in a“celebration of pan-African culture at the intersection of art, fashion, unity, and ideas,” according to the show’s pamphlet. Under the framework of reclamation, the show focused on the themes of presence and placemaking, as well as references to the Congolese movement, La Sape, hallmarked by individuals defining their own access to elegance and luxury. Featuring 31 student models, the night was divided into seven distinct sections, each conveying its own aesthetic and showcasing its respective designers.
What made this show unique from past shows was the ability to tie in what the art museum symbolizes to the message of reclamation. Before the first model crossed the runway, the first few minutes were spent introducing different historical accessories connected to pan-African culture, such as belts and crowns from the 20th century to modern-day designs made in 2019. The runway became the ultimate link, displaying the rich African history outside of the marginal display cases that museums often confine these artifacts to. As for the show itself, Section I, “Purple Reign,” presented six bold, royal purple looks. Playing with silhouette shapes and figures, while sharing in shade and pattern, each unique combination complemented the model’s look and runway performance. For Section I, repeating patterns didn’t mean a repeating vibe.
Moving to Section II, “Regalia,” the focus was centered on adornments overlaying the solid colors of contrasting whites and blacks. From shells to gold clasps, the suits and blazers were a personal highlight. For men’s blazers, most mainstream designs lack exploration beyond the basic button. This collection brought a revisualization of the men’s blazer, elevating the look to a designer level through earthly elements or bold hardware. This masculine-centered collection of neutral colors with minimal patterns contrasted with the color of the subsequent collection.
Section III, “Threads,” showcased a unique collection of dresses that featured a bright range of neon yellows to blush pinks. The focus of these dresses? Fabrics, texture, and asymmetric patterns. These components were stunningly bold with stylistic categories clashing and blending as models made their way down the runway. As Section III came to a close, colors fought to stand out on their dresses, eventually fading as a shadow of black, sleek designs followed close behind.
Section IV, “Remonstrate,” displayed a uniform-like collection of blocky black suits and fringe dresses. The Black Ivy League jacket was a standout. The brand took on the traditional Ivy League aesthetic of a varsity jacket, a mid-trench length distinctly marked with a letter A patch taking up the left side of the front panel. Another highlight within this section was a mid-length navy trench coat with a muralistic-embroidered design using bold yellow, green, and maroon threads depicting a woman on the left panel. The piece was modeled by Larry Ejiofor ’26, and one of his personal favorites.“Clothes are a form of expression. So being able to try on these new pieces, making new combinations, different poses to express yourself, it’s a really unique opportunity,” he said in an interview with The Daily Princetonian.
Returning to bold colors, Section V, “Sapeur,” plays into a distinct separation from the tops to the bottoms. Performing in duos or in groups of four, models here were more playful with their walks and interactions with each other as they made their way down the runway. As the audience took in the full mobility of the piece, the colors seemed to become dynamic and shift across the models.
This playfulness in performance continued on in later section VI, “Mrabaha,” where model Eva-Labelle Kenmoe ’27, who was returning to walk in her third Sankofa show, opened with a stunning yellow dress and blazer. Taking up space as she moved back and forth across the stage, the bold black and yellow pattern grabbed the attention of the room with ease as she waved her blazer over her shoulder. From bright teal blues to earthy greens and mustard yellows, the range was extensive in both color and pattern.
And in traditional Sankofa fashion, the best of this year’s show was displayed passionately in Section VII, “Reclaimed.” Displaying bold contrasts of scarlet red suits to electric blue leather dresses, this section was a powerful finale. A piece that particularly caught my eye from this grand finale was the unique walk Aulani Daniel ’29 embodied. Playing into the rigid structure of her dress with a black structured wiring outlining and a caged skirt, her steps were stiff and doll-like. Contrasting with the usual walk scenes on the runway that night, it was a bold artistic choice that paid off well. Returning model Matthew Okechukwu ’27 also stood out with a matching scarlet red suit and pants set, accompanied by layered gold necklaces to match the gold clasp on the blazer. As a returning model, he said being a part of Sankofa carries many different experiences and meanings to Okechukwu. “It’s really being able to touch this aspect of our culture, of our diaspora, with these clothes. You get to know the bigger picture and bigger meaning when doing it with your friends and peers, ” he said in an interview with the ‘Prince.’
As the show came to a close, the models were followed by the board, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to elevate the Sankofa experience. With this team of committed students, it’s important to walk away from the show with the vision set by them. Reclaiming their cultural history in a physical display of elegant looks and unique walks, they have set a new standard for the group with this year’s bold vision. As the goals of Sankofa are set higher with each year, this expectation was something that Gloria Simmons had to grapple with. “It’s such a strong responsibility placed on my shoulders, but it propels me to want to do good for all of them,” she told the ‘Prince.’ Embodying themselves, their culture, and Sankofa’s brand, each section was executed with attention-grabbing details.
“I feel like referencing past shows and staying close with the history of Sankofa is really what makes this show what it is, and makes it widely known on Princeton’s campus,” Gloria Simmons said.
Amanda Hugas is a member of the Class of 2027 and a senior writer for The Prospect. She can be reached by her email at ah0942@princeton.edu.
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