Lidewij Edelkoort launches Proud South: inspiration lies in the southern hemisphere

With the purpose of presenting a fascinating visual experience about the creative forces of the southern regions of the planet, Lidewij Edelkoort and Lili Tedde bring together, through the colorful and expressive lens of contemporary fashion, photography, styling, and art, emerging and established talents from faraway places in the trend book Proud South.

Together, they prove that the axis of global creativity has indeed shifted dramatically: now the prying eyes of trendsetters turn to the multiple themes that connect sensational talents from Latin America and Africa, as well as South and Southeast Asia: these were the regions researched by Lidewij Edelkoort.

Not bounded by maps, hemispheres, or the rigid system of the North, Proud South represents an international movement of emancipation. As Edelkoort notes, "A generation of Southern creatives is rising up, expressing local craftsmanship, embracing regional materials, recognizing ancestral practices, and cultivating native values. One senses a sense of excitement running through this unique book, so palpable that Edelkoort says it feels like being "in a pressure cooker, creating local flavors with a sense of urgency."

Having followed Southern ingenuity for several decades, Edelkoort explains what makes the South so special: "Each outfit has a soul, and each photo knows how to capture it, elevating fashion into another kind of realm of totemic and empathetic power. Ordinary items are elevated from their everyday functions, acquiring foreign status and inner knowledge, being both unique and universal. These strange powers gravitate around each other like atoms of a creative aesthetic bomb, waiting to explode on the fashion center stage, captured by talented designers and clever brands. Then they are eternalized by exceptional photographers who aim to open the floodgates of Southern creativity, gushing ideas into the morose and repetitive landscape of fashion design, meandering with a sense of wonder, developing the expressive power of what Southern design can become."

Proud South includes essays by noted contributors, such as writer and journalist Modupe Oloruntoba, textile and craft activist Kavita Parmar, author and collector Keith Recker, and fashion artist Carla Fernandez, with her strong manifesto. The profiles emphasize several influential talents, including Moroccan photographer Mous Lamrabat, Senegalese artist Omar Victor Diop, Indian brand Pero, and Xhosa knitting brand Maxhosa. Photo essays illustrate Southern pride with gusto, from the work of the renowned Jackie Nickerson to Neville Trickett's groundbreaking series Carrot Picker Girls. An additional black and white portfolio explores the history of photography in Southern regions, decoding the origins of today's stream of talent.

With over 400 pages of inspiring images, this extensive compendium is also an object of desire, designed by Mariola Lopez Mariño, who puts the looks on the pedestal they deserve and proudly protects them with a sophisticated gold overcoat. Currently on pre-sale, Proud South will be available in mid-August 2022 and is an engaging tool to discover what trends will be coming out of the oven in the coming years.