Too cool for school at Afropunk 2014
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For 20-year-old Iyana and the other young people attending the 10th edition of the Afropunk Fest in Brooklyn, this was the place to see and be seen, where the boundaries of self-expression and eccentricity in fashion and music are the norm. “It’s a place where I can be surrounded by beautiful black people and let my inner goth from high school come out,” she said.
On Saturday at Commodore Barry Park, there were shoutouts to Ferguson and unity onstage from DJ CX Kidtronik, who spun Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights” with “Straight Outta Southside” by G Unit, “Head of State” by parody Youtube channel “Baracka Flacka Flames” and Funkadelic’s “Get Off Your Ass and Jam,” all in equal measure.
Later, banjo-playing Valerie June from Tennessee took the stage with her raspy twang, wearing a blue dress that was more “Alice in Wonderland” than the prevalent monochromatic goth. Elsewhere in the fest, DJs Blaqstarr and Shawn Smallwood played remixes of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home” and Baltimore’s Lor Scoota’s “Bird Flu.” The juxtaposing of disparate styles and references were jarring but welcome.
We were on the hunt for ultra-aware fashionable attendees, and we were not alone. Dozens of photogs jockeyed for poses. Those we found worthy of a shutter didn’t flinch when asked for a photo; they were expecting us, it would seem. The irony of our photography requests interrupting their own incessant selfie-taking was lost.
And so, just in time for back-to-school season, we asked these young fashionistas about their style, how it translates to campus and what “afropunk” (the word, and the festival) means to them.
Photo by Patricia Benabe.
Photo by Patricia Benabe.
These friends from New Jersey have a collective called 7 Triiibes. They make tie dye t-shirts, music and host parties.
Photo by Patricia Benabe.
Photo by Patricia Benabe.
Photo by Patricia Benabe.
Photo by Patricia Benabe.
Photo by Patricia Benabe.
Photo by Patricia Benabe.
Tatiana, 16, Zy, 16, and Nija, 17, met online.
Photo by Patricia Benabe.
Photo by Patricia Benabe.
Nuria Net is a founding editor at Fusion and now Social Storytelling Editor working on our Snapchat Discover channel. Co-founder, former editor-in-chief of Remezcla.com. Net is her real last name; Lechuga is her DJ name.