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https://www.essence.com/fashion/6-brands-championing-the-african-footwear-industry/
Maliko 
Like fashion, the footwear industry on the African continent is well, has already bloomed, and has even outlived a century. More than anything, it has witnessed several creatives across different generations who continuously nurtured their craft, surrounding several existing trends and even future ones, passing this craftsmanship to the next.
The new generation of footwear brands and designers is making great strides with their innovative approaches. They are experimenting with materials, textures, and shapes to meet market needs. In addition, they are incorporating their cultural backgrounds and exploring a variety of cultures, including stories and myths, when creating these new footwear designs.
To understand their practices and explore the footwear scene in the continent, here are brands from different regions of the continent pushing the footwear industry a step forward.
Kiing Daviids (Nigeria)
There is something very appealing about Kiing Daviid’s design— the exquisiteness, the approach to details, and perhaps the experiments with textural designs. Founded by King David Enyinnaya in 2013, the brand tries to create footwear that is unlikely to be found in the market— and they have championed it well, reshaping what African designs are and offering possible potentials that lure international audiences into the market. King David’s designs are very artsy, featuring fine illustrations of indescribable patterns, usually in wavy lines, and come in various colors; having artists like Ayra Starr, Victony, and Asakesrc=”https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Kiing-Daviids-1.jpg” alt=”6 Brands Championing The African Footwear Industry ” width=”400″ height=”499″ /> Ramla (Egypt)
The beautiful thing about the brand Ramla is their unique embellishment which plays with shapes, color and embroidery. Founded by Egyptian designer Reem Hamed in 2017, the brand creates a new twist to slides using vernacular materials from bamboo and dried raffia to actualize utmost results.
Ikwetta (Kenya)
Ikwetta, a Kenyan brand founded in 2018, prioritizes comfort and sustainability. The brand collaborates with local artisans to create a balance between modern and traditionaldecoding=”async” src=”https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ikwetta.jpg” alt=”6 Brands Championing The African Footwear Industry ” width=”400″ height=”400″ /> Maliko (Nigeria)
The brand Maliko offers a lovely collection of footwear in warm colors, reflecting their approach to craftsmanship. Founded by Ebuka Omaliko in 2017, the brand creates handmade unisex footwear with a minimalistic design concept that is reminiscent of old trends like Y2K. They also prioritize creating African-inspired clothing using locally sourced materials. The shapes and forms of their products play a significant role in their marketing. Maliko’s best-selling design is a square-shaped, wood-colored slip-on that promises exceptional comfort.
Coast and Koi (South Africa)
Caryn Wilensky founded the brand in 2005 after she noticed a gap in the market for stylish, locally handmade footwear. The brand features her practice after her studies in the art of shoe making, exploring her potential in luring an international market for her footwear. Coast and Koi combine a range of colors and materials to shape their artistry and pay great attention to detail. Their Baroque collection is unique, accessorized with gems and goes well for chic and stylish looks. They also incorporate other cultures in their craft, such as the Moroccan- decoding=”async” src=”https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Coast-and-Koi.jpg” alt=”6 Brands Championing The African Footwear Industry ” width=”400″ height=”400″ /> Tayree (Egypt)
The Tayree brand has been around for a century. It was founded by Ibrahim Elfatairy and has outlived four generations, cementing its name as one of Egypt’s long-lasting luxury footwear brands. Culture is everything to Tayree, and they blend both traditional and modern design concepts to create intricate luxury for their audience.
TOPICS: #fashionnews african designers Black Owned
The post 6 Brands Championing The African Footwear Industry appeared first on Essence.
Maliko
Like fashion, the footwear industry on the African continent is well, has already bloomed, and has even outlived a century. More than anything, it has witnessed several creatives across different generations who continuously nurtured their craft, surrounding several existing trends and even future ones, passing this craftsmanship to the next.
The new generation of footwear brands and designers is making great strides with their innovative approaches. They are experimenting with materials, textures, and shapes to meet market needs. In addition, they are incorporating their cultural backgrounds and exploring a variety of cultures, including stories and myths, when creating these new footwear designs.
To understand their practices and explore the footwear scene in the continent, here are brands from different regions of the continent pushing the footwear industry a step forward.
Kiing Daviids (Nigeria)There is something very appealing about Kiing Daviid’s design— the exquisiteness, the approach to details, and perhaps the experiments with textural designs. Founded by King David Enyinnaya in 2013, the brand tries to create footwear that is unlikely to be found in the market— and they have championed it well, reshaping what African designs are and offering possible potentials that lure international audiences into the market. King David’s designs are very artsy, featuring fine illustrations of indescribable patterns, usually in wavy lines, and come in various colors; having artists like Ayra Starr, Victony, and Asakesrc="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Kiing-Daviids-1.jpg" alt="6 Brands Championing The African Footwear Industry " width="400" height="499" /> Ramla (Egypt)
The beautiful thing about the brand Ramla is their unique embellishment which plays with shapes, color and embroidery. Founded by Egyptian designer Reem Hamed in 2017, the brand creates a new twist to slides using vernacular materials from bamboo and dried raffia to actualize utmost results.
Ikwetta (Kenya)Ikwetta, a Kenyan brand founded in 2018, prioritizes comfort and sustainability. The brand collaborates with local artisans to create a balance between modern and traditionaldecoding="async" src="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ikwetta.jpg" alt="6 Brands Championing The African Footwear Industry " width="400" height="400" /> Maliko (Nigeria)
The brand Maliko offers a lovely collection of footwear in warm colors, reflecting their approach to craftsmanship. Founded by Ebuka Omaliko in 2017, the brand creates handmade unisex footwear with a minimalistic design concept that is reminiscent of old trends like Y2K. They also prioritize creating African-inspired clothing using locally sourced materials. The shapes and forms of their products play a significant role in their marketing. Maliko’s best-selling design is a square-shaped, wood-colored slip-on that promises exceptional comfort.
Coast and Koi (South Africa)Caryn Wilensky founded the brand in 2005 after she noticed a gap in the market for stylish, locally handmade footwear. The brand features her practice after her studies in the art of shoe making, exploring her potential in luring an international market for her footwear. Coast and Koi combine a range of colors and materials to shape their artistry and pay great attention to detail. Their Baroque collection is unique, accessorized with gems and goes well for chic and stylish looks. They also incorporate other cultures in their craft, such as the Moroccan- decoding="async" src="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Coast-and-Koi.jpg" alt="6 Brands Championing The African Footwear Industry " width="400" height="400" /> Tayree (Egypt)
The Tayree brand has been around for a century. It was founded by Ibrahim Elfatairy and has outlived four generations, cementing its name as one of Egypt’s long-lasting luxury footwear brands. Culture is everything to Tayree, and they blend both traditional and modern design concepts to create intricate luxury for their audience.
TOPICS: #fashionnews african designers Black OwnedThe post 6 Brands Championing The African Footwear Industry appeared first on Essence.
Ever since the big announcement in Hall H at Comic-Con this year that Robert Downey Jr. would be back in the MCU, the reaction has been divisive. Some fans love that the franchise’s signature star will be back. Others are mad that Doctor Doom, arguably Marvel’s greatest villain, will merely be a Multiversal variant of Tony Stark. But what if the answer is more complicated (and simple) than that? What if RDJ’s version of Doom is both a Tony variant and also authentically Victor von Doom? Here’s how Marvel Studios could, and should, handle the Doctor Doom of it all when Avengers: Doomsday arrives.
Avengers: Endgame and Captain America: Civil War May Provide the Answer
Thanks to the time travel plot of Avengers: Endgame, we know Tony Stark was born to Howard and Maria Stark sometime in 1970. We also know, thanks to Captain America: Civil War, that Tony’s parents were assassinated by the Winter Soldier some time in 1991, when Tony was about 21. For unknown reasons, Howard Stark got in Hydra’s crosshairs in a bad way and they wanted him eliminated. Probably so they could infiltrate Stark Industries. For all we know, Obadiah Stane worked for Hydra. He sure seemed the type. But what if that assassination of the Starks came much earlier in a different branch of the timeline?
Imagine a scenario where Howard and Maria Stark, along with their infant son Tony, are on a business trip to the war-torn country of Latveria. Stark was an arms dealer after all. He might have been supplying weapons to its cruel ruler, Baron Vladimir Fortunov, or local rebels. Most likely, the rebels. Howard was ultimately a good dude. It’s possible Hydra sends the Winter Soldier much earlier in the timeline to kill him. Only this time, he’s not alone. He’s with his wife and son. The part of the Winter Soldier that is still Bucky Barnes might not be able to bring himself to murder a child. So he drops off the infant at the doorstep of a local family—the von Dooms. As far as the world is concerned, the Stark family were all killed in Eastern Europe in a terrible accident. No one is looking for baby Tony.
Tony Stark/Victor von Doom: From Riches to Rags to Riches
This means that Tony, now named Victor, grew up in completely different circumstances than his Sacred Timeline counterpart. He would still have Tony’s brain, and his innate scientific genius. Genetically, they are the same person after all. But the Victor variant would have grown up in an impoverished country where he didn’t have access to the perks Tony grew up with. Sure, Tony lost his parents tragically. But he still grew up pampered and rich, living a carefree life of a playboy. Victor von Doom would not have been so lucky.
Victor would no doubt have grown up with the suffering of the Latverians all around him. They were all the subjugated subjects of Baron Fortunov. He would have grown up bitter, angry, and with plans to bend the world to his will. And just like in the comics, he would have used his genius to eventually take over the country, installing himself as its ruler. For saving them, the population of Latveria would practically worship him. His adoptive mother could have also introduced him to the dark arts, giving him an edge over his counterpart, who only knew science. In every way, Robert Downey Jr.’s Victor von Doom would be comics-accurate, except for being the twin of Tony Stark.
“New Mask, Same Task”
Doctor Doom is famous for his massive ego, and his inability to let someone else be better than him at anything. In the comics, that’s usually Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. It’s quite possible Victor learns of his variant, who got to live a life of luxury, become a superhero, and die saving his reality. That is something that would drive him to become an even better version of himself, so he’d be the ultimate incarnation of himself, despite growing up in humble surroundings. As RDJ said at Comic-Con, “New mask, same task.” Victor von Doom will try to save the world from itself like Tony tried to with Ultron. Only he’d go about it in a far more ruthless way. If you thought Ultron was bad, wait until you meet the Doombots.
Robert Downey Jr. has said in recent interviews that he is indeed playing Victor von Doom, erasing any doubt. So this isn’t just a variant of Tony Stark using the infamous Doom name, armor, and costume. Nor will they just handwave away the fact that Doom looks just like the most famous name in the MCU. Sure, many actors have played multiple roles in the MCU already, so there’s precedent for that. But this is someone who is the literal face of the franchise. There’s going to be a reason why Doctor Doom looks just like Tony Stark, even if he’s not the same guy. And we feel this is the most elegant solution. We’ll know what Kevin Feige and Marvel have planned to explain all this when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters in 2026.
The post How Robert Downey Jr. Can Be Both Tony Stark and the True Doctor Doom in the MCU appeared first on Nerdist.