Words by Eddie STATS Houghton
Pop’Africana is a blog (documenting the fashion adventures of saga girl Oroma Elewa) so fabulous it just became it’s own magazine, jumping fiercely into the deep end of the media lagoon with the ambition to “serve as the Africana book of style.” Loved it from the door but didn’t realize what it had to do with Largeup until we turned the page and realized that the African stunner destroying the cover with her elaborate eyes is actually Jamaican stunner Gaye McDonald.
Gaye’s beauty is a revelation all by itself but with that little piece of info attached, it suddenly struck us how much Jamaica has become ground zero for a certain ideal of afrocentric beauty which has been quietly dominating the runway and the magazine rack. Then we noticed she ALSO recently gave good face on the cover of another afro-mag (Arise–the London-based glossy dedicated to glamour and culture from the bright continent which happens to be helmed by LU contributor Sarah Bentley) and realized it wasn’t just us got struck.
To keep the inspiration information coming, check Pop’Africana’s video look book with Gaye below, pick up the first issue at Gagosian gallery in NY and find copies of Arise wherever fine periodicals are sold.