Latest news with #WestAfrican-inspired
Elle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
There's Big News From the ‘Children of Blood and Bone' Set
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. One of the most celebrated YA novels in recent history—Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone—is finally making its way to the big screen. The first installment in Adeyemi's Legacy of Orïsha fantasy trilogy, the book (and its follow-ups) have become enormous hits, and Paramount Pictures has brought in an impressive talent line-up to shepherd the adaptation. In 2024, Adeyemi told ELLE that there was 'so much happening' with the film, the rights to which Fox 2000 initially acquired in 2017, prior to the book's publication. But after the Walt Disney Company acquired 21st Century Fox, a series of transitions eventually led to the rights expiring, and Paramount Pictures scooped up Children of Blood and Bone in 2022. Since then, Variety reports, 'The project has been a top priority for the studio leadership.' Here's what we know about the film so far. Adeyemi's story follows Zélie Adebola as a young woman in the West African-inspired land of Orïsha, where magic has been all but erased thanks to King Saran's persecution of Zélie's brethren. Zélie must team up with her brother, Tzain, as well as the king's children—Princess Amari and Prince Inan—to take control of their powers, rebel against the monarchy, and restore magic to their land. Children of Blood and Bone has a stacked ensemble. Thuso Mbedu, Tosin Cole, Amandla Stenberg, and Damson Idris will round out the film's leads, with Mbedu (The Woman King) as Zélie; Cole (The Force Awakens) as Zélie's older brother, Tzain; Stenberg (The Acolyte) as Princess Amari; and Idris (Snowfall) as Prince Inan. Joining them are Viola Davis as Mama Agba; Chiwetel Ejiofor as King Saran; Cynthia Erivo as Admiral Kaea; Idris Elba as Lekan; and Lashana Lynch as Jumoke. Readers, fret not. Adeyemi is heavily involved in the adaptation of her beloved series, executive producing and co-writing the script alongside director Gina Prince-Bythewood, equally beloved for her work directing such films as Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees, The Old Guard, and The Woman King. Adeyemi described working with Prince-Bythewood in a 2024 ELLE interview. 'She's the calmest force of nature I've ever witnessed and collaborating with her has been so much fun,' Adeyemi said. 'What Gina does so well is tell these deep, complex stories of women who look like us front and center, with incredible action set pieces, incredible cinematography. It feels divine. It feels bigger than [just] making this project. We're really in sync.' Yes. The movie is scheduled to hit theaters on Jan. 15, 2027. Yes! On June 2, director Gina Prince-Bythewood posted a carousel on Instagram with photos of her and the cast with the caption, 'That is a Wrap on production! 74 days. Two countries and two islands. A passionate and dedicated crew. And an extraordinary cast who gave EVERYTHING. And the journey has just begun…' This story will be updated.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 'peacock of Savile Row' on dressing stars for the Met Gala
Ozwald Boateng, celebrating four decades of making his indelible mark on the fashion industry, got his chance to stamp his style on the Met Gala in New York earlier this month. The esteemed British-Ghanaian designer for the first time dressed celebrities - including three of Africa's biggest musicians, Tems, Burna Boy and Arya Starr, as well as actors Ncuti Gatwa and Jaden Smith - at what is seen as his industry's biggest night of the year. The theme - Superfine: Tailoring Black Style - was "completely in my wheelhouse", he says, as it looked at the way that style formed black identities. Given that he already has a robust legacy in the design world, the 58-year-old saw the opportunity to find fresh adherents to the Boateng look. "I think it's, in a way, communicating to a new audience," he tells the BBC a few days after the showcase. Throughout his 40 years in fashion, the designer has built a reputation for challenging the norms of men's tailoring. His eponymous brand sells form-fitting, stylish suits, often accented with bold colours and West African-inspired patterns. The son of Ghanaian immigrants, Boateng reimagined the country's iconic kente cloth to produce his signature "tribal" pattern. "It's all about having a strong concept, having a thorough idea of what you want to achieve from the textiles," he says. The Met Gala perfectly matched his outlook. "Being a theme about black culture and black cultural influence, I mean, how can you do that without Africa?" he asks. Considering the link to Ghana, Boateng explains: "When we were colonised by the Europeans or the Brits, we kept our traditional dress, but tailoring was a big part of how we dressed to look more... effectively more European. "My father always wore tailored suits. You had to be smart at all times, that was something I was taught." As if producing outfits for 16 celebrities for fashion's premier event was not stressful enough, Boateng switched up Burna Boy's outfit less than 24 hours before the event. "We did his fitting quite literally the night before the Met Gala," Boateng says, adding that everyone in the room got "really excited" when they saw the Grammy-award winning musician in the finished product. The look - a red suit paired with a buttercup yellow shirt and eel-skin cape - was partly inspired by Burna Boy's Nigerian roots. The musician told Vogue: "As a waterside pikin [Pidgin for "child"] from the Niger Delta, the eel and fish in general are the lifeblood of my people - they symbolise survival, spirit and the flow of tradition through generations." The Met Gala was "not unusual", Boateng says, explaining that Africa has been part of his "message" throughout his career. Back in 1995, Boateng was the first black designer to open a shop on Savile Row, a London street famed for fine tailoring. "When I first started as a designer, Savile as a street was a dying street," Boateng recalls. "The concept, it was dying. I effectively moved there in the early 90s and breathed new life into it." Boateng was dubbed the "peacock of Savile Row" - with his flamboyance, 6ft-something frame and modelesque facial features, he stood out among his neighbours. Colour and flair had long been part of Boateng's psyche. At five years old his favourite outfit was a purple, mohair suit made by his mother, who was a seamstress. Young Boateng commandeered his mother's sewing machine and although he initially chose to study computing at college, he switched to fashion after realising menswear was his future. As a teenager, Boateng was greatly inspired by tailoring titan Giorgio Armani - and decades later, Armani would praise the London designer for his "elegance" and "cutting edge" designs. Boateng opened his first studio in his early 20s, dressing the likes of Mick Jagger, Jimmy Paige and Spike Lee. He then opened his Savile Row store - at the age of 28 he was the youngest to ever do so. The burgeoning designer captivated London's fashion scene initially, but in 1998 he went bankrupt when an economic downturn in east Asia scuppered a major order. Both his professional and personal life descended into disarray - in just 12 months an entire collection was stolen from his studio and his marriage broke down. But the peacock strutted his way back. Boateng gradually rebuilt his business and in 2002 moved into bigger premises on Savile Row. Since then, he has served as Givency's creative director for menswear, been awarded an OBE, designed staff uniforms for British Airways and branched out into womenswear. While racking up professional and charitable commitments, Boateng was raising two children. Now adults, Oscar and Emilia Boateng accompanied their father to the Met Gala, dressed in the suits that made their surname one of the most famous in contemporary British tailoring. They are not, however, keen to follow their father into fashion design. "I'm trying to slowly but surely seduce them into the fashion business," Boateng jokes. "It is ultimately their decision to decide what they want from their life. If they find something they're passionate about in a way I have, I am happy." And what is next for his own passion? Boateng might have a brain brimming with concepts, but he has a clear vision of where he wants his brand to go next. "The future is expansion," he says, "raising capital to really, really push the brand globally". "I think it's the moment in time - and it's the right moment." Kente - the Ghanaian cloth that's on the catwalk How luxury African fashion has wowed Europe's catwalks Grandma with chunky sunglasses becomes unlikely fashion icon Turning the iconic Ghana Must Go bag into high fashion Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
New European
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New European
The problem with Michelin stars
Plenty of bold predictions from those in the know were being flung about ahead of this year's Michelin Guide ceremony in Glasgow. That most of them came true is great for the restaurants and staff involved – but it may present a problem for Michelin itself. Not everything came off. Numerous chefs, PRs and food writers suggested Ikoyi, the West African-inspired restaurant in London, would be bestowed with three stars in 2025. It didn't happen. More still fancied Jason Atherton's latest high-profile London venture, Row on 5, to get two stars, despite being open less than a year. It gained one, so the fans were still on the right track. Many more of the hottest tips were on the money. Countless people reckoned Lita, the expensive but unerringly brilliant restaurant in Marylebone would gain its first Michelin star this year. Irish chef – and devout Crystal Palace fan – Luke Ahearne is building something special. There were more winning bets when it came to upscale restaurants in London. The likes of Cornus, Oma, Mauro Colagreco at Raffles and Caractere, Emily Roux's Notting Hill venue, each won a star, as everyone thought they would. Each of these is commendable but for me, none is standout. To nobody's surprise, the Ritz Restaurant was finally awarded two stars: it was a long time coming, probably long overdue. A similar vibe was felt regarding restaurants outside of London. A total lack of astonishment that Lyla in Edinburgh, Stuart Ralston's fourth restaurant and his most upmarket to date, won a star. It is a glorious place, one that parades the finest Scottish shellfish with aplomb. It was the same story when stars came for Skof in Manchester, where chef Tom Barnes – ex-L'Enclume (three stars since 2022) – mans the stoves. And for Wilson's in Bristol, another example of lively, progressive and comforting modern cooking. Even the UK's latest three Michelin-star restaurant, Moor Hall in Aughton, West Lancashire, has been touted to win the highest honour for some years now. Certainly its third star is well deserved and exciting. I visited Mark Birchall's northern temple to gastronomy in 2021 and have thought about it ever since. Finally (finally!) it is considered by Michelin as being one of the greatest restaurants in the world. But its success this time was also predictable. I think the fact Michelin has become so linear in the UK says two things. The first is hugely positive: Britons are continuing on our forceful march to becoming a nation of true food fans, much like France, Spain and Italy (all so full of stars it's like looking at the night sky through a telescope). Our three-star restaurants now number ten, four behind Italy and six behind Spain, and we have Michelin-starred establishments from Bristol to Cardiff, Birmingham to Manchester, Edinburgh to Bury-St-Edmunds. There is nothing to do with this information but be celebratory. But second, and I say this much less enthusiastically, to be too predictable is to be boring. Like Manchester City used to before they started throwing goals in. Unlike some of my peers, I remain a fan of Michelin for the simple fact that it means so much to chefs. It changes their lives through recognition and business. Stars, thanks to exposure and reputation, get customers through the door. That being said, I fear that the brightness of these stars will start to fade if Michelin doesn't up the ante. Why is it that there were no shocks this year? When the London sushi restaurant The Araki went from three stars to zero in 2019, newspapers purred. It was not a trade story but a lead in the nationals. When Clare Smyth became the first female chef in the UK to win three stars in 2021, it was front-page stuff. Rightly so. This year, Michelin produced a video trumpeting female chefs in kitchens, but no new female chef was awarded a star, weirdly. Joké Bakare 12 months ago became the first black female chef in the UK to win the prestigious award. Fast-forward to now and we are without anything explosive. It might have even been a little perfunctory. I don't wish to detract from this year's winners. Each one is worthy of praise and has worked hard to earn their place. But I want more people in the UK, not only diehard food fans, to have a real interest in restaurants; for chefs to make the front page like they do on the continent. And for that to happen, guides such as Michelin need to go harder and go bigger. Chefs must be vocal in turn. UK restaurant successes are something to be proud of. In 2026, let's turn up the heat.
