Shim - Interview
Last week, we had the privilege of interviewing creative director, set designer, stylist, and all around phenomenal artist, Darren Shim Ziorkley. We had a rich conversation about his most recent role as one of the creative directors of Afrochella, but the conversation went way deeper than that. Continue reading to learn more about Shim’s creative process for putting together the editorial looks for Afrochella, and hear his perspective on how Afrochella will be shaping this decade!
Which cultures did you draw inspiration from in styling the models?
For this particular shoot, I pulled inspiration from Egyptian and Ghanaian culture. I also featured hair styles from Ethiopia and Senegal. There is a Senegalese jewelry designer who created jewelry that came across the face… and the person did it with metal. I decided to pull inspiration from them and I made jewelry across the face, from one ear to the other. I did a mix of research for the hairstyles and the clothing. I picked [my favorite] ones and modified the hairstyles to make them funky but also street. The styling of just one model had influences from many different cultures.
Tell us about the designers and stylists you worked with.
At the beginning of the creative process, I went with my designer to the market. Dorothy is the designer who produced all my outfits. What I love about Dorothy is the models don’t have to be there during the process. They send Dorothy the correct measurements and on the day of the shoot everything fits perfectly. She is amazing! Naethan was also a key player, he completely styled the Tuareg look.
What did you want the images to evoke?
I wanted people to come to the festival with pride. I wanted people to feel like royalty when they saw the images. To me, these images are legendary. They are too strong to just be fliers. They speak Africanity, they speak wealth, they speak a lot of things. As an African, I am proud to produce something like this. I am proud of the work and I am proud people are enjoying the work.
How was it like working on a project involving so many people from all over the world?
I am glad that we had people from across the world flying in to shoot this project. First of all, it unified all of us and helped us know more about other backgrounds and life experiences. I also liked knowing everyone's cultural backgrounds before we got on set, because I based the characters on the models.
What is the future of Afrochella?
I know Afrochella is going to grow and pull people from all over the world, just like it did last December. Afrochella is also helping up and coming artists. That’s the main goal: to provide a platform to showcase what Africa has to offer. The world now sees what we can do! Currently, Afrochella’s impact is mainly felt in Ghana and Africa, but in the coming years I hope it is global.
What would be your advice to African creatives getting their start?
Don’t give up on your dreams. A lot of people will say you need to do this, you need to do that. What your heart tells you is what you have to do. Do it and work hard at it, and you will see the results in the end. I would also advise creatives not to put each other down. Together we stand, divided we fall. If we all work together, we will make even bigger moves. I didn’t make all these moves by myself. Other creatives recommended me to someone and so on; that’s how it works. So, if you see someone thriving and you are not, that doesn’t mean you bring the other person down. They may be your collaborator in the future. In short: work hard, put God first, and work together.
