AFRIK 2026
Girlhood
Afrik is an annual spring fashion show produced by the Cornell Pan-African Students Association. The event honors the organization’s mission of celebrating cultural unity and diversity across the African diaspora by showcasing designs from African, Caribbean, and African American students to over 1000 attendees.
“Right now we're in a moment where everything is very tight and constricted…I wanted to show a variety of fun silhouettes to show that we can wear fun shapes.”
~ Abisola Ayoola for Collegetown Magazine
About the Looks
While fashion has always been my professional aspiration, I have other passions, including civic engagement and policy. In my experience as a public servant, I was constantly challenged with striking a balance between style and professionalism. Evidently, this period of my life provided me with one of the most important things you can have as a young woman and a professional: confidence.
Towards the end of my term, I was asked what I would have done differently, and I responded that I wanted to make more “good trouble”. Although my run as a civic servant has ended, I find that fashion in itself is an outlet for advocacy. Because what we wear is an outward expression of what we feel inside, fashion is, and has always been, political. The question that is consistently on my mind is “How can I make a statement without saying anything at all?”
I know many women in my life who are averse to wearing skirts and dresses, and have their own unique experiences navigating femininity. Both my design work and my personal style feature wide leg pants and wide sleeves, as I like to find simple ways to incorporate drama in my everyday life. There was a time when women were not allowed to wear pants, and there was also a time when people wore wider pant legs as a means of protest. This set is for the chic, refined, girl who makes good trouble.
This entire piece is cut on bias, reflecting an integral aspect of my design process: working with circles. In times of uncertainty and change, I have gone back to the things that bring me comfort and provide me peace. There is beauty in returning to the things we enjoyed as a child, and it only felt right to honor this circularity in its own piece, both figuratively and literally. I intentionally created this ensemble to have the most dynamic fit; it is made for all bodies and all girls.
The Process
In reflecting on her childhood, Abisola was intrigued by the various ways in which women and girls express femininity. She aimed to create a collection that spoke to all girls in a way that was personal and celebratory. She explores shape and texture, incorporating textiles that speak to the softness and boldness that work together to form each individual.
This collection explores the different stages of girlhood and honors the inner beauty within every woman.
