I Want to begin to talk about Spirit Culture and how I define it. My business has had many names over the last 22 years. Ancestral Visions, Visions Artwear, and now I am settling on Spirit Culture because I realize the wholistic nature of the artwear that I create. This artwear is part of spawning a culture born out of “Self Determination” the great slogan of the sixties.

Several years ago I read Malidoma Some’s “Of Water and The Spirit”. In the early chapter when he talked about being captured by the Catholic Missionaries the first thing they did to the children was to change their clothing and disallow their village language to be spoken. With this forced stripping the childrens physical and emotional trauma deepened and the complete cultural deprivation began to break their spiritual connection to home. “The visible reflects the Invisible”.

Clothing is a behavior and cultural statement. With clothing and how we wear it we express style. Style is both internal and externally motivated. My friend Litina and I have gotten dressed knowing that the way we put ourselves together that morning we were acting as healers to all who beheld us that day. I have a friend Anukhet who says “a Queen is a Queen 24 hours a day”, so she always dresses royally.

Style is Intentional. Style is Deliberate Creation. Style comes from Feeling! STYLE is CONNECTION with YOUR GARMENTS, your body’s (dance) movement, your conversation, the food you are cookin, the house you are cleaning, the errand you are running, the guest you are being or the guest you are serving. Spirit Culture is about style. Style is Connection. To Connect is Eros. Eros is the root for Erotic.

I create clothing that I feel a connection to the fabric, the cut, and the flattering design and color. My beginning was to create designs flattering to all body types. Well, that was over twenty years ago and now there is a new generation of designers that have caught on to this trend and my designs. Now, refinement is the design key currently.

I will continue this conversation on Spirit Culture. I must break for Gratitude Card creation. Peace and Love, Akiba

I am joining this wonderful group of women in Charlotte known as Sibella founded by a vivacious sister named Sybil. I love these ladies, my new sisters because they are artsy spiritual “one mind”, networking spiritual girls in Charlotte. The organization is going global so if you are a woman ready to realize your fulfilling dream Sibella is a great non-invasive easy support vortex of nonjudgemental non sectarian beauty lovin… Check us out at sibellaonline.org

I love what I see in me as I unwrap.

I love the summer cause we dress and move with vibrancy and vitality. Lots of skin with lots of fabric to stay fresh and fluttery. I love the dance of the cloth with the slightest movement of our bodies. I love the lightness of the cloth depicting our delicate nature. I love the vibrant colors and the greatness and majesty of white that comes across as clear light around our bodies.

What goes with the clothes can be much fun. The sun brings out a sense of celebration and relaxation. The sun brings us out of our wrappings internally and externally. It is great to unwrap ourselves to see what’s real.

This summer is my first early summer in Charlotte. I have a lot going on. The Show at Nnenna Freelon’s is June 23rd. I will be reestablishing the studio in July, and the National Black Arts Festival begins July 14th and ends the 23rd. I will be showing the last 5 days.

My friend Jackie Kakembo is going to Niger in a week for six weeks with Operations Crossroads Africa, and I will send some tee shirts for her to give to my artisan friends there to batik for Spirit Culture. They will be ready for Chicago Festival of the Arts Labor Day Weekend. They are great collectibles!

Silk screening is in my blood I know it. I will be creating some Spirit Culture products you’ll see them by this winter in the Collections Page of my website

I will be delighted to connect with a design partner here in Charlotte cause as I unwrap I find that I like to collaborate, I like partnership. I would love a partner to do yoga and meditation with and then embark upon our creative production work. So many ideas need to be crystalized and manifested. Yeah, it will be great to create and environment of gratitude and creative fulfilment with a partner.

I am experimenting with a spirit skirt/dress in mustardy color linen. The waist band rolls over for skirt and stands up to cover breasts for dress.

Thank you Gilles and Amshatar my angels.