by
Black Girl With Long Hair
On October 17 Nigerian Americans gathered at the Martin’s Camelot Embassy Ballroom in Upper Marlboro, Maryland to celebrate 55 years of the country’s independence, and recognize Nigerian excellence in America. The event also honored Nigerian American rapper Jidenna and model Jessica Chibueze.
The visually stunning event is an extension of All Things Ankara, a primary destination for Ankara print fashion and creator of the All Things Ankara fashion show.
Check out the gorgeous pictures below.
Check out video from the event here…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzT1Gh4DZSw
Learn more about the All Things Ankara Ball here.
Ladies, what are your thoughts? Did any of you attend?
13 Responses
African beauty! Nigeria really has a full range of African beauty, and those dresses? Just lovely!
I’m being burned alive with jealousy.
i would like to say something. And it will offend ALOT of folks, but its got be said. It seems that this Africa Rising movement is highly influenced from the Chinese businesses that is starting to creep up in there. I for one am disgusted that it took people like the Chinese to make Africa “look” like it has hope. My African folks, we’ve GOT to start depending on ourselves and each other. These people are conquering everything, and in no time African people will be known as an underclass and will never be able to survive without the non-African folks, and that’s exactly what they want us to be. Please! For the love of God, let’s start by at least buying and supporting each other. BUY LOCAL prints … (as in authentically made from our brothers and sisters from our mother land) and PLEASE let’s stop contributing to these cheap and bootlegged Chinese or whomever textiles.
BUT BUT BUT!!!! I do acknowledge our efforts, we are such beautiful people, and so smart… and I have so much hope for us blacks.. we just Need to be smart before its too late.
The problem is that our government CONTINUOUSLY FAILS to provide us with the infrastructure necessary to produce things locally. We have the manpower and entrepreneurial spirit to do it but the resources just aren’t available. All we need are a steady power supply and good roads for transportation and we would be set but the government is so useless it’s almost painful to watch them looting the country dry. When I move back to Nigeria, I’m joining a pressure group that ensures these infrastructural projects are carried out because if we have Electricity and Roads, you would be seeing ‘Made in Nigeria’ literally everywhere you go.
I am greatful that SOMEONE finally is able to speak about this.
In nigeria for example, do you guys not have the chance to vote ?
If you do have the ability to vote for someone who promises out things…. and doesnt carry it out.. .intentionally.. what’s stopping the public from carrying out a method of punishment to these thieves that are basically contracting out work force and infastructure projects to the foreigners?
Part of the problem is that Nigerians are just NOT ANGRY enough. All we do is sit down in our houses and complain instead of standing up to stage a protest against government to give us these basic necessities. What we need is either a revolution or a series of worker’s strikes that show the government we mean business but the average Nigerian will laugh at you if you ask them to take action against this issue. On the other hand, as angry as I get at Nigerians, I also feel for them. Many Nigerians are just tired of all this nonsense. We work hard and pay our taxes and yet the government just spends it on parties and useless political campaigns. We pay for our own electricity via diesel-fueled generators which are expensive. We pay for our own security (all homes in Nigeria have huge fences and gatekeepers who you also need to pay). We pay for our kids to go to school from Kindergarten to College. We spend a lot of money just to live. So the average Nigerian is just too tired to actually stand up against the government. I still have hope though because the new generation, especially those in the diaspora, are waking up and realizing that we need to go back home and create a country that’s worth it. I just want to see ONE African country, apart from South Africa, be great.
Also, we love the fish-tail look too lol. I ain’t that curvy but it accentuates me when properly fitted. I think aso-oke is even harder to sew into a style and I find it hard to tie as a wrapper. Of course, older aunties and grandmas are pros at tying them…sigh.
very beautiful.
omo-american-naijas. well done-o! ladies looking fab. and to my boy in everything blue (swoon). oops that don’t go with the ankara theme. well, its a nice effort – showing cultural pride and all that. ankara is not my fave fabric, but una don try sha. cheers!
Let me guess, America’s dresses were influenced by them.
They look wonderful and figuratively perfect in all aspects. I love it.
They’re beautiful–the women and the fashion. But, just wondering why are so many of th gowns the same cut? The fabrics were different, but the cut was almost all the same–mermaid fishtial. Just wonderring.
Honestly, from my experience Ankara fabric is not flexible like cotton it’s hard to manipulate it into styles that are figure flattering (particularly for the curvy) without making the outfit fitted i.e fishtail. It ends up looking boxy if not tailored correctly, but the fishtail style is both figure flattering and easier to pull off…if that makes sense.
*Faints at the amount of beauty witnessed*