Stylist Aize Muhammad has a sharp eye for creativity and fashioning authentic narratives. In his most recent project he teams up with Reed Davis photography to disrupt distorted narratives and reposition the value of African fashion and art.

Based in Lagos, Nigeria he’s added photographer to his growing artistic endeavours and says, ” as I’ve matured in photography, styling and my overall identity, my notion of sustaining creativity has been redefined.”

He believes that by working with local brands across the continent we are able to tell authentic stories that are truly reflective of our diverse identities. With the opportunity  to shoot at Lake Turkana in Northwest Kenya, which is the largest desert lake in the world that encompasses a rich, cultural nomadic pastoralist heritage, each look was styled to showcase and celebrate the beauty of nomads.

STYLING NOTES:

The bead band around my neck represents the  marital status of the Turkana woman.

The red body paint is symbolic of  beauty and is used traditionally by the women. Blue beads represent the sky for water and energy; the  yellow for sun brings forth warmth , fertility  and growth . The black represents solidarity and harmony of the people whilst the white represents milk from the cattle for purity and good health.

Turkana culture and heritage is both intriguing and unique.

The male hat and feathers represent an elder or warrior and the stick used in navigating the desert as a nomadic pastoralists, with the little wooden stool called “Ekicholong” which is used for sitting or resting ones neck under this desert sun.

MEANWHILE…

A fashion designer from across the world recently highlighted the impact of global climate change on families that live in Turkana.

Fashion is an important ‘arbiter’ of our times. It stands as a powerful means to both enrich our understanding of the world and expand our awareness of it.