Creatives often channel their energy and inspiration through more than one outlet. Fashion designer Loza Maléombho not only creates incredible clothes, but she's been posting a series of self-portraits titled Alien Edits on Instagram.
Against a neutral background, Loza captures herself in a variety of adornment. She explained the series' aim to Dynamic Africa.
The concept of Alien Edits came to me rather intuitively and I am still expressing and experimenting as I am writing this, but if I had to pin it I’d say that it came from frustrations about the US judiciary system with its on going discrimination against African Americans and frustrations about social issues that are class, race, culture, sexuality and religious stereotypes, all of which cause a state of alienation on its victims.
In other terms Alien Edits is an effort to bring awareness on social and cultural issues that affect people of my generation and empowers them with uplifting messages of grace, royalty, empathy and elegance in order to push upward. Some symbols include the stretching of the neck for stature and pride and the constant use of the hand as a key element of grace and self validation for example. So I thought: what better and faster way to communicate these ideas than with a selfie?
Loza Maléombho
Kimberly Foster is the founder and editor of For Harriet. Email or Follow @KimberlyNFoster