Forever Fearless and Free
There are epic fashion shows like the Vivienne Westwood catwalk at Hôtel de la Marine Paris two months after the high priestess of punk’s death. This summer’s Mary Martin London at 8 Northumberland Avenue London is another one. Beautiful, beguiling and completely bewildering, the doyenne of drama delivers a breathtaking show for the ages. Mary Martin London is more taste breaker than tastemaker, undefinable rather than defined, not just real but surreal.
Earlier in August, Dame Mary Martin was recognised as Creative Fashion Icon of the Year at the 16th African Achievers Awards in Aberdeen. The award recognises her outstanding contribution to the fashion industry and her continuing impact as a creative whose work champions culture, identity and African heritage on the global stage.
“I was truly honoured and deeply grateful to be recognised in this way,” she says. “Receiving this recognition made me reflect on how far I’ve come. When I first started studying Fashion and Textiles at the London College of Contemporary Arts, I had to learn to read, to write, and even had to take a maths test at an adult education centre because I had missed out on so much education earlier in life. At the time, I never imagined where that journey would lead.”
Mary’s accolades are legion. Recent awards include being crowned Queen Mother of Mafi-Anfoe for her championing of education in Ghana’s Volta Region. Mary Martin Appreciation Day is 9 December in Fulton County, Georgia, USA, in recognition of her contribution to international fashion industry. “To have a day named in my honour is something I never imagined,” she says, “and is a reminder that hard work, perseverance and serving others can make a lasting impact.”
“Coming from a background where I missed out so much before beginning my adult fashion education,” Mary says, “means these recognitions are more than awards. They are proof that faith, determination and resilience can overcome any obstacle. My greatest achievement isn’t what I have achieved: it’s the lives I have been able to inspire and change through my journey.”
The fashion artist continues to use her platform to discuss culture and identity. She says, “Fashion is more than clothing. It’s a way of telling our stories. Culture reminds us of where we come from and identity celebrates who we are. I’ve always used my designs to highlight African heritage, celebrate all types of diversity, and give a voice to people whose stories deserve to be heard. Fashion really does have the power to unite people across the world.”
“Never give up on your dream,” Mary advises. “Believe in yourself, work hard and stay humble. Success does not happen overnight. Be willing to learn, accept challenges and always treat people with charity and respect. Your reputation is just as important as your talent. Most importantly create from your heart, because people will always remember authenticity. Keep going and never doubt yourself. The journey will not always be easy, but one day your work will be recognised around the world.”
Mary is headlining the 16th Edition of Africa Fashion Week London at the palatial 8 Northumberland Avenue, next door to The Corinthia Hotel on the Embankment. She says, “I’ve had such a burst of creativity spurred on by winning Creative Fashion Icon of the Year. I was determined to give this show all of my creative strength! I’m putting on a gala.” Her catwalk is a burst of colour, form, materiality, movement, silhouette and – this is a Mary Martin London production – drama.
Cocoon Dresses are her latest invention. Butterfly forms emerge from body clinging chrysalises on these artforms: one red, one blue. Metamorphosis in fast motion representing the vapour of life. Model and influencer Parisa Mahdavi is draped in a cloak and hat that gradually slips off to reveal her dress. “It’s about being cosmopolitan,” Mary shares. “A Day in Paris!” Blue sparks appear to fly off the electric blue Eagle Dress. Model Hassan Reece’s crown is made of upcycled metal and cloth which sums up Mary’s approach to fashion artistry: majestic yet sustainable, futuristic but rooted in the past, an original take on a familiar form.
The Kawah Coffee Bean dress presents next level originality. Over to the creative: “The idea for a Coffee Queen was born from my desire to honour the women of Kinunu, Rwanda. They make Kawah Coffee on the shores of Lake Kivu. These women are up before dawn picking coffee cherries. I wanted to honour them in a dress. Real coffee beans on the bodice are a literal reference. The flowing skirt represents the topography of the hilly region where Kawah Coffee originates.
“You’ll love this!” says Mary. “I was so inspired by our visit to the Schiaparelli exhibition at the V and A. My Schiaparelli Dress is out of this planet!” Flying saucer hats act as shoulder pads and a breastplate. Surreal forms that pay homage to the great Italian designer. As does the colour. Elsa Schiaparelli invented the phrase “Shocking pink”. She dressed Zsa Zsa Gabor in shocking pink for the 1952 film Moulin Rouge. Elsa even smoked cigarettes with pink dyed tips. Model Kiki Busari twirls in The Purple Dress; model Shelley Bishton struts her stuff in The Gold Dress; model Yasmin Jamaal sashays down the catwalk in The Ivory Dress. “I heard this dress took months to make!” exclaims Yasmin.
Dancer, actress, singer, civil rights activist and spy Josephine Baker’s 1949 autobiography Fearless and Free was translated by Anam Zafar and Sophie Lewis in 2022. Josephine confirms, “It’s very important to believe in God. I believe there is no better source of strength. Say what you will. Every evening, I say a prayer, a prayer that I think up myself and that I sing to the tune of a song.” Queen of couture and fearsome philanthropist Dame Mary Martin concurs, “God is my strength and ultimate source of creativity.”
