The sartorial biography of Lisette Lasater’s mother
For many years I wanted my mother to “curate” her overflowing closet. I now understand that my mother’s closet is an archive of her life, and what is missing materially is found in pictures.
For many years I wanted my mother to “curate” her overflowing closet. I now understand that my mother’s closet is an archive of her life, and what is missing materially is found in pictures.
My mother, Agatha Gbegbaje-Das (née Mamoh), will turn 70 later this year, and she was part of this new generation of Modern-Nigerian women who in the 1960s-1970s celebrated their identity through fashion.
As my Afro-Caribbean mother takes me on a journey through her photo album, she explains that she had to remain true to herself. Style brought her the kind of self-confidence that allowed her to persevere as an immigrant in a new way of life in America.
For my Uncle Errol – a Black immigrant from Jamaica by way of England to a predominantly German Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada – a sense of belonging wasn’t necessarily forthcoming. These photos show an individual who from an early age followed his heart in fashion, music and art.