TREND REVIEW. THIS TIME FOR AFRICA

Colours, sounds, flavours, movements that literally explode, involve and invade. That’s what brings to mind the great continent of Africa that always inspires the most visceral dancing, the rousing music, the protagonist of MTV Africa Music Awards, just held in Durban, South Africa, where Davido and Tiwa Savage were awarded as best male and female artists (video here on the right). Rhythms that speak a clear language, lately shared from the whole world of design, influenced by the colourful African world. A trend that we find especially in textile, which in fashion translates in colourful creations by Star Jean, in whose style blends herCreole legacy and European verve, in a mix of traditional African fabrics and items stolen from menswear that in a very short time took over Italian fashion.Union and mutual inspiration between Italy and Africa on which also MissoniHome bet, proposing the Patch di Fiammati for the 2014 Summer. Here the alternation of materials builds a puzzle of geometric tiles, incised or shelled, from which emerges a tribal mood covering sofas, pillows and carpets. As part of the furnishing, the same road is crossed by Heather Linnit, which from her Manchester boutique told us how she is passionate about African textile vibrations, unusual patterns as so different from what we draw in Europe. This led to the use of the more famous chairs of the Western tradition, typical examples of rigorous design from the 60s and 70s, applying to them tribal fabric which, she confided to us, can be bought on eBay for few pounds. Africa comes this way in our homes, filling them with life and colour, as well as in the vision of Tamara Magel, American guru of luxury interior design who, passionate in craft traditions from around the world, has created colourful wallpapers with intricate geometric patterns inspired by the traditional clothing of Nigerian women. Graphic patterns defined and complicated which speak, even unknowingly, about Africa, such as the ones that the Greek designer Bela Louloudaki has translated into jewellery in the collection presented at De Padova during Milan Design Week, with the show Jewellery for the curious: little ceramic tubes in lively colours draw texture on the body of the wearer.