Printed Pattern People: Challenging Standards and Showcasing Beauty
This week, we’ll be sharing the stories of African-American community members in celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, which runs throughout February in the US.
“I credit my Nigerian-American upbringing and extensive international travels as my main creative influences for designing,” says Shadé Akanbi, the mind behind Printed Pattern People (@printedpatternpeople). She describes her Brooklyn-based clothing line as an exploration of cultures by way of fashion. “When I meet other makers around the world, I repeatedly encounter this reverberating truth that we are more alike than we are different,” Shadé says. “Printed Pattern People is telling this story.”
Two of the most photographed Printed Pattern People models are Tulani and Angelique, Shadé’s best friends and longtime supporters. “As a woman of color, it goes without question that I use models that reflect my everyday reality and showcase the beauty of the places and people that these textiles represent. That makes sense to me,” she says. “Their effortless beauty breathes so much life into my pieces, it really blows me away. There are not nearly enough positive images of women of color in the public eye, so this is how I can contribute to making that change; this is my standard of beauty.”
