‘HOME-FROM-HOME, AT BFI SOUTHBANK!’

I have been, somewhat, adopted by the BFI!

In a wide-angle view, its exterior would resemble a glacial palace, yet, the automatic opening of entrance doors, leads you into a labyrinthine coccon of artistic excellence, the atmosphere, of which, is laden with creativity. To be within the environs of such a precious jewel in the crown of audio-visual arts, to breathe in its air, is not only inspiring, but to be further absorbed and integrated into a truly stimulating world.

From surreal to evocative, documentary to dream-like, kitchen-sink to Hollywood, U.K. to Global, BFI Southbank programming caters for all tastes. You need only cast your eye upon (and promptly, pick up) guides to current and future screenings and events, to see the wealth of choice on offer. For instance, I recently experienced the genius of “Easy Rider”* and, no sooner had I assimilated its brilliance, than I was back on the ‘frow’, absorbing the, somewhat juxtaposed, supremely-acted and fast-paced, French two-hander, of Polanski’s “Venus In Fur”!

The month of August heralds the arrival of “Teenage Kicks”, an exploration of the representation of such a unique period of pubescent physical, emotional and spiritual growth-spurts of life. The span of filmic articulation, over multiple genres, includes an amazing roster, to include the classic “Heathers”, which will surely resonate in the guise of nostalgic fashion flashbacks and the London premiere of Sonic Cinema’s “Beyond Clueless”, which documents 200 stand-out moments in the teen-movie genre. With a live score from from ‘Summer Camp’, and post-screening DJ set, this is definitely top of my go-see list! Undoubtedly, “I was there when” will echo through many a cognitive corridor…I’m already hearing ‘Ahmad’s’ hypnotic refrain of “Back in the day, when I was young, I’m not a kid anymore, but sometimes I sit and wish I was a kid again..”, revolve around the turntable of my inner jukebox!

September also promises much excitement, featuring the jam-packed weekender, a much-loved strand to the BFI repertoire. A highlight must surely be the ‘African Odysseys’ season, a highly-anticipated series of unmissable screenings and talks. Writer, Nadia Denton will be in conversation, at the launch of her new book “Beyond Nollywood”, part of a 2-for-1, for those who see Chika Anandu’s ‘B for Boy’. Also scheduled is the wonderful “We Love Carnival”, curated by Michael La Rose, which will follow the winding road of the Carnival tradition, exploring its Caribbean roots and musical heritage, to its diverse impact on a global scale.

This is just the tip of the glacial iceberg to this palace, which I call my ‘second home’ and, should the aforementioned have whet your Arts-appetite, simply click the links below, to the fantastic BFI website, for futher details of listings and booking. But make sure you move quickly, because these enlightening events and more, will be extremely popular!

With that said… Go forth and enjoy the seasons!

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BFI SOUTHBANK: www.bfi.org.uk ~ BFI SOUTHBANK GUIDE: AUGUST ~ BFI SOUTHBANK GUIDE: SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER

AFRICAN ODYSSEYS

Heartfelt thanks to the BFI Press Team for supporting my cinematic development and being such amazing hosts!

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*“Finding my way from Hopper to Hoppen!” charts my journey of creative epiphanies via the BFI Southbank and Michael Hoppen Gallery!

©AFROW2014-2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

IT’S ALL ABOUT ‘ME CLOTHING’!

There’s something relentlessly positive about urban streetwear label, ‘ME Clothing’!

Already on the fashion-forward radar of ‘Jones Bennett PR’, the leading-edge, boutique, public-relations agency, with an astute awareness of emerging creative talent, it was with great anticipation, that I awaited my chance to spread-the-word! Kindly passing the promotion-baton to yours truly, I inquisitively-embarked upon my dash-to-discover the origins of such boundless energy and ambition!

Maybe it was the series of ‘snapback’ caps, emblazoned with the sign of ‘Victory’, or perhaps, the signature-slogan of ‘I’m A Boss’, being announced via the visual loud-hailer of its upper-case, bold-type, upon primary-permeated sweatshirts… It could even have been the ladies’ ‘Varsity’ jackets, which yelled cheerleader-chic, in popping-candy-pink! To whichever garment my journey visited, I, most assuredly, called-off-the-search, once I’d found out more about Adam Benjamin, the entrepreneurial-brain and design-brawn, behind the brand!

Described by Jones Bennett PR as being motivated by manifesting a ‘feel-good factor’ of mutual creative appreciation, though the medium of fashion, and fuelled by the desire to offer a striking, urbanwear range, distinguishable by its dynamic design-presence, ‘ME Clothing’ was born. Impressive, for me, was the absolute clarity of vision with which Mr Benjamin pursued his objective, and, even moreso, that this has been directly reflected, in a brand-identity of cool, stealthy, simplicity. When added to the further artistic impact upon him of an ardent passion for music, the compounded outcome of highly-wearable, marketable, yet affordable, pieces was, and still is, entirely achieved.

A stand-out feature of the collection is its capsule nature, a perfect mirror to the succinct name. Substantially-quilted gilets, puff their chests proudly against practical silhouettes, available in both hooded and non-hooded options. Statement jumpers, are identifiable from-distance, with their glaring typography… tees, round-necked are efficiently-cut and, whether Christmas were nearly upon us, or not, I could sing a descant of praises over the ‘hero-piece’, varsity jackets, with their luxurious contrast-leather sleeves! Furthermore, as a stalwart for perpetuating the unique, I love the customisation-element, which acts as a ‘clothing-shuffle’, of sorts, facilitating creative ingenuity via upping-the-bandwidth of the easy, mix-match, neutral-toned palette! Such pleasing punctuations of personalized flair, worn in any combination, with one of the superb snapbacks and some boxfresh kicks, mean you’re good-to-go from pavement-to-première and back!

With the ability to span art-forms, it is no surprise, then, that over the three years since the launch in 2010, the label has attracted stars of the hip-hop/ r ‘n’ b genre, on both sides of ‘the pond’! The likes of U.K chart-toppers, such as ‘Chipmunk’ and ‘Wretch 32’ have been spotted sporting ME menswear, whilst heart-throb rapper, ‘Bow Wow’, has flown-the-flag for the brand, over in the U.S, in his one-off, customised jacket from the über-popular ‘Varsity’ collection. However, such household figures in sport as Florent Malouda, have also selected the brand as a ‘go-to’ designer-choice, and herein lies the tantalising twist-in-the-tale of ‘ME Clothing’. Not only is it amassing celebrity endorsement, but it is also capitalising upon a ‘mass-appeal’ momentum, which is quickly gathering pace within the scholastic-sport demographic! Once again, proving the less-is-more adage to be a design-winner, since bespoke jackets have been fabricated for the basketball and cheerleading teams of such esteemed institutions as Northampton and Westminster Universities, respectively.

Versatility, then, incorporated with a ‘warp-speed’ drive towards continued and discernable creative expression, are qualities which set, Adam Benjamin and his ‘ME Clothing’ label apart. He is a shining example of, both, enterprise and initiative, determinedly representing the head-turning vibrancy of the U.K’s urban-menswear scene. I found the brand replete with a stylistic spirit which is ‘100% ME‘ and after you’ve checked out the range, I think they’ll be a 100% ‘you’, too!

 www.iwearme.co.uk ~ www.store.iwearme.co.uk ~ @MECLOTHINGUK ~ SALE NOW ON WITH UP TO 50% OFF!

www.jonesbennettpublicrelations.com ~ @jonesbennettpr

©AFROW2013-2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED