#AMAKAxNATIVE

Despite the fact that the Alté scene in Africa continues to dominate pop culture, it is still very common for people to ridicule and mock Alté fashion. Especially by those who are not involved in it or do not understand the concept. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that Alte is now influencing the way we all dress 

Alté, coined out of Alternative, is not just about the fashion, it’s the refusal to be boxed into one genre of music, it’s in the aesthetics, the aura, and the non-conformist lifestyle. And most GenZs are starting to lean into this style, knowingly or unknowingly. 

Notwithstanding that Alté fashion embraces a retro, vintage, and Y2k style, Its reinvention is tagged as a “new school” and seen as a Gen z fueled era 

Alté movement can be traced far back as 2007 with stars like Ajebutta 22, SDC, Teezee, Fresh L, and more artistes.This took another turn around 2011, now pioneered by cool kids, artistes, creative directors, photographers, and fashion icons such as Odunsi the Engine, Santi, Tay Iwar, Teni, Nonso Amadi, Maleek Berry, Wavy the Creator, Lady Donli, Adekunle Gold, Amaare, Ashely Okoli, Emetha Smith, Mawalola, Chi, Deto Black, and a few more. 

This influence can be found in? 

Skirts: Yes, Skirts have been a piece of clothing that has existed since time immemorial. However, skirts, particularly, Ankle-length skirts, worn mostly by women, used to be viewed as “Maryamaka”- a teasing term for someone who appears as a saint, and short skirts were simply socially unacceptable. They re-emerged into our everyday wardrobe with the influence of Alté. This piece now defies gender binary as both male and female top-performing creatives now adorn themselves with it.

Accessorizing: Belt, ties, hats, scarves, heavy and stone jewelry, retro sunshades, chokers, cowries, statement rings. All these and more can now be found in the contemporary fashion trends.While an Alteist may combine most of this at the same time, a non alteist incorporates them in the outfits subtly.

Body piercings: There is nothing that ignites “rebellion” than seeing someone your age-grade do it. The genz-defying spirit, plus the individualistic influence of Alté combine to make body piercing a trend for for African youths. Yes, body piercing continues to be heavily frowned upon, yet, we now see more and more people with multiple piercings,

Shoes: Platforms, Leather boots, fur boots, etc. As stated earlier, Alté draws heavily from Y2K so seeing a revival of these things is thanks to the people who experiment with fashion and do not just limit themselves to trends. 

Layering:  Layering is all about combining different pieces to create a cohesive and stylish outfit. While this might be quite popular in the West, Africa has a hotter climate that makes flimsy clothing a preferable piece. Nonetheless, if a three-piece suit can be a corporate outfit on the continent then layering can also take precedence. Alté fashion does a lot of layering, whether is wearing a corset on an oversized tee or a baby tee over a shirt. 

Streetwear: The wave of streetwear fashion consumption in Africa can be attributed mainly to the alte fashion scene. Streetwear culture thrives with top designers who are constantly going outside of what is considered conventional or socially acceptable. Streetwear might be all about comfort, however, it also leans heavily on innovative art

Makeup: We are talking bleached brows, super thin brows, graphic makeup, bright lip color, and much more. While bleaching brows became a trend in the modern day, super thin brows are a renaissance of 60’s makeup. Alteists get the credit because they are people who are willing to put to test and carry out edgy trends first, and the rest of us just carefully maneuver around it.

Hair: It is also important to mention that a large part of Alté culture is going back to your roots. This is seen in the way they express themselves with their hair: free forms, locs, dreads, etc. There are also a lot of experiments with hair color and hair add-ons such as cowries, trinkets, beads, etc. 

It should be known, whether consciously or unconsciously, that we are all tearing a leaf from the Alté subculture and incorporating it into our everyday style!

Link to my CV:  https://docs.google.com/file/d/1lxRgy3fLvoq-_vIuFNFVI0erXhMVpcH3/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=msword