RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — You can see a showcase of films from people of color around the world this weekend in Richmond.
The Afrikana Film Festival opened Thursday and runs through Saturday.
Friday’s schedule presented “The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion,” at VCU’s Institute for Contemporary Art. The screening started at 8 p.m. and was followed by a panel discussion with designer Dapper Dan, celebrity stylist Misa Hylton and more.
“I represent a new genre and culture like the hip-hop generation so I figured that coming here to Richmond, I can explain how all this evolved,” Dapper Dan told 8News.
Dapper Dan is an icon from Harlem, New York who pioneered streetwear in the early 1980s.
“As it evolved, and I was able through social media to reach more people,” Dan said. “People had a look at what I was doing and how major luxury brands was like borrowing from my ideas, that made it possible for young people of color to see the possibilities.”
April Walker is a fashion designer who is featured in the film “The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion.”
“When you follow your passion, the profits will follow,” Walker said. “That’s what I’ve learned.”
Walker told 8News there’s still a need for more African Americans in the fashion industry.
“When I first started, there weren’t any faces like mine hardly,” Walker said.
Both designers said they hope to inspire others about the limitless possibilities of a cultural movement on a global scale.
Saturday’s spotlight includes an encore screening of the 2012 documentary “The Central Park Five.” It is followed by a discussion with Central Park Five exoneree Raymond Santana.
More information and a full look at the schedule can be found here.
