Glam Africa: The Lockdown Edition (2020)

TEAM
LETTER
When I was growing up, my dad would
always say that too much work does not
kill, it is lack of work that kills. So when the
stay-at-home order hit a few weeks ago,
I knew it was time to brace for perhaps
the most unusual and unprecedented
period in most of our lifetimes. As much
as I’d love to go on about how the past
few weeks have been such a shock to my
system that I spontaneously burst into
tears at least once a week, the overall
truth is that I’m just grateful to have a
roof over my head, some food in the
fridge, and to be in an industry in which
I can work without necessarily having to
leave my house (at least to an extent).
If you’re like me, you’ve spent the past
month and a half catching up on your
favourite TV shows, scrolling through
Instagram, cooking, eating, sleeping,
and waking up just to repeat the process.
But the truth is that as much as I’ve
enjoyed the extra time to do nothing,
it’s important to keep active - to feel
busy. So when we got the green light to
begin working on Glam Africa’s first ever
exclusively digital edition, I couldn’t have
been more excited. Finally, something to
focus my energy, an excuse to get creative,
plus a much-needed distraction from...
shall we say, current affairs? Now that
we’re done for the quarter, and despite
the many sleepless nights, I can honestly
say that I’m a little sad, but happy that
we finally get to share this extra-special
edition with the world.
Putting The Lockdown Edition together
was not an easy thing to do (my brother
yelling at his friends over Fortnite
everyday in the next room certainly
didn’t help to speed things along). But
Glam Africa is blessed to have a team
full of hardworking individuals, who
are all committed to showcasing African
lifestyle, and African people, in a unique
way. This is true across the board, from our
uber-talented in-house contributors like
Chisom, Sasha and Joy, to our esteemed
CEO Chioma, whose dedication and
drive you can’t help but want to do justice
to. If nothing else stands out, I hope the
passion we all poured into this edition
catches your eye, although I’m willing to
bet you won’t stop there.
I hope you’re comfortable because there’s
plenty to look forward to in this issue.
From stay-at-home style inspo to selfcare
tips, our introductory ‘Lockdown
101’ section has got you covered with
everything you need to turn that isolation
frown upside-down. If you’re stuck at
home with a youngin’ or two, you might
even pick up some tips and tricks on
how to finesse the lockdown as a parent.
Welcome to your new masterclass!
I’m particularly excited to share our
features section with you, our readers,
which of course is brimming with black
excellence! Forget the lockdown, because
Glam Africa is taking you on a world
tour. First off, allow us to introduce
you to Canadian supermodel Nini
Amerlise, whose pre-lockdown trip to
the motherland to reconnect with her
African roots produced one of her most
personal style stories to date.
Still dealing with some residual Year of
Return/Afronation withdrawals? Well,
thanks to multiple award-winning stylist
Kelvin Vincent, we’re taking you back to
Ghana to uncover some of the secrets of
the red-carpet game, as he breaks down
the greatest lessons he’s learned as a stylist
to some of Africa’s biggest stars. With
credits including the likes of Joselyn,
Efya, Becca, Zynnell and Juliet, it might
be easier to list A-listers he hasn’t worked
with, as opposed to the ones he has.
Also making her Glam Africa debut, I
caught up with my new friend Desirée
Henry via email to talk everything from
the Tokyo Olympics to overcoming
adversity as an athlete. Boasting
Guyanese and Antiguan ancestry,
Desirée is an official Adidas Ambassador,
and has competed everywhere from the
Olympics to the World Championships.
However, as I’m sure you know, the road
to success doesn’t come without setbacks.
But I won’t spoil that for you now. I highly
recommend you read her remarkable
story for yourself.
Of course Nigeria makes a slick
appearance with an extra-special
editorial, courtesy of Lagos’ reigning
queen of fashion content, Onyii Bekeh,
and one of my all-time favourite
photographers, Mikey Oshai - a deadly
pairing if ever I saw one. Showing off
designs from treasured Nigerian brands
ATAFO and CLAN, the word is Opulence
with a capital oop!
Which brings us to the pièce de
résistance: our cover story with Ghana’s
most beloved actress-cum-philanthropist
Jackie Appiah. I sat down with Jackie
in April to reflect on the past twenty
years of her career, as well as some of
the major moments, both onscreen and
in real-life, that made her a household
name. Titled ‘A Heart Made of Gold’,
the story is brought to life with a regal
photo set, masterminded by two forces
to be reckoned with, Gilbert Asante and
Moshoodat (good luck trying not to gasp
for air when you open page 43).
What more could you need - beauty
secrets, healthy eating tips? Look no
further because it’s all right here. I
hope you’re ready for a truly immersive
reading experience (grab some tea and
biscuits now if you need to), because
every single page was carefully curated
with the intention of lifting your spirits.
This edition is our love letter to you.
From all of us here at Glam Africa, stay
safe, and stay at home!
Eniafe Momodu
Managing Editor
Glam Africa Magazine
MAY 2020 · GLAM AFRICA
9