This piece appears as part of "Not In Paris," an online exhibition hosted and curated by Highsnobiety. Head here to see the full series.
When it launched in 2012, Daily Paper had a vision based on the African heritage of its own founders that went beyond contemporary fashion. In every season since, Daily Paper has perfected this vision, and for Spring/Summer 2021 we are honored to see it come to life on our own turf, as part of Highsnobiety’s "Not In Paris."
“We need to go back to our roots, back to basics, back to the origin of life,” the founders state. For SS21, Africa takes center stage, as tokens of mysticism and power from its oft-forgotten pre-colonial past serve as a stunning blueprint for the future. In what its founders describe as, “an homage to our ancestors,” the brand presents an immersive 360 virtual reality experience in place of a conventional collection.
In the age of a global pandemic, presenting clothes on a rack seemed superfluous. Instead, Daily Paper fused its physical and spiritual inspirations, transporting us into a digital showroom. In this virtual space, three muses take you on a quest inside the world of Daily Paper, in which you “find treasures of the past to unlock the secrets of the future.”
The Royal, the Activist and the Warrior guide us through the past, the present, and the future, each with their own inspirational story on what it means to be African. Presented on these 3D muses, the SS21 collection not only protects the stories and myths of the African nation, but projects them into the future via the hopeful imaginations of its diaspora. “Everything Daily Paper does is with the vision to contribute to the future of Africa,” the brand explains. “The only reason we are standing here today is because of the ones before us.” The story of Africa has often been told through a Western lens – Daily Paper is reclaiming its own personal story by experimenting with new ideas for intellectual and cultural expression to create new visions of the nation. It now asks its community to contribute to the quest..
Are you also "Not In Paris?" Not to worry, you too can join in on the non-gathering with our exclusive set of merch. Shop the collection here.
