There’s a magnetic aura that calls your attention when Demeatria Boccella enters a room. She also embodies quiet confidence with a hint of charm that makes you correct your posture when you see her approaching, which is exactly what happens when we meet at Ice House Studios in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh. Boccella, the founder of the FashionAFRICANA organization arrives donning a full-length Comme Des Garçons trench, an oversized white shirt, and black trousers by Maison Margiela. Her signature shaved head is also a key accessory. The multi-hyphenate is a walking personification of effortless elegance and grace.
Boccella describes her fashion aesthetic as layered minimalism. It’s a phrase that perfectly depicts the FashionAFRICANA studio which is sparse as we walk in. Only a 20-foot golden Afro pick, an 8-foot Yoruba mask, and a slew of Mario Epanya’s striking beauty portraits scattered around the room give a hint of the regal opulence associated with Demeatria’s brainchild. Guests will get a chance to experience these details when they walk through the gala doors on November 21 for the second annual AFRICANISM gala. What will ensue is a global celebration of culture, heritage, and creativity.
As founder and executive director of FashionAFRICANA, Demeatria has been on a mission to magnify Black designers by making them digestible within the arts landscape of Pittsburgh. She founded the organization 23 years ago. What began as a street fashion show in 2001 has grown into a series of exhibits and in-person events that have put Pittsburgh’s fashion scene on the map. A few past exhibitions include showcasing Mario Epanya’s Glamazonia and Cedric Mizero’s Murizini. But as the visionary responsible for bringing Paul Tazewell’s, Costumes of The WIZ Live to Pittsburgh and introducing Heroes & Sheroes, Ruth E. Carter’s first costume retrospective to the world, the impact of Boccella’s work now stretches far beyond the city’s borders, reaching across the ocean, to the shores of Africa.
For the inaugural gala which took place last year the Cameroonian couture designer Imane Ayissi, costume designer Paul Tazewell, and fine artist Charly Palmer each received the spotlight. Notably, Tazewell and Palmer were Africana Icon awardees. Tazewell is largely known for his creations for Bring in ‘Da Funk directed by George C. Wolfe in addition to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton.
In conversation, Boccella explains that the mission of FashionAFRICANA is to create a bridge between Black creatives here in the United States and those on the continent. “Through our initiative, we’re not only creating cross-cultural connections, we’re creating a platform to showcase artists while providing opportunities that close the [artist] equity gap,” she shared.
It’s the kind of exposure and engagement that Boccella didn’t have access to, but desperately needed as a young Black girl growing up in Pittsburgh’s Glen Hazel neighborhood. She says she was born a creative, but she also credits her mother for her appetite for fashion.
“I remember being a toddler, maybe four or five. And my mom would tie these scarves around her head,” Boccella tells ESSENCE. “In the 1970s, back in the day, they would [tie] scarfs everywhere, around the chest, around the head everywhere. And I remember her tying these scarves and creating these flowers on the side and doing all these things, she looked so stunning.”
Demeatria dreamed of becoming a model and working in the realm of fashion someday. But those dreams were quickly dashed when she did not see women with strong African features and dark skin like her own, on television or in the pages of the Vogue and Glamour magazines she devoured as a child. This frustration, paired with the teasing she suffered as a darker-hued child, destroyed her perception of beauty and self-worth. “At one point, my depression was so severe that I cut up every photograph of myself,” she recalls.
The founder says this is why she’s so passionate about creating safe creative spaces for youth and also furthering FashionAFRICANA. She is driven by not wanting the younger generation to feel othered as she did in her younger years. “When you walk into these rooms, you’re going to see positive reflections of yourself. I want them to be proud of who they are,” she said. Here she notes that part of her journey of self-love and acceptance was through learning about her African ancestry through arts and fashion. “I feel like it kind of saved my life, so [this] has been my driving force.”
At the second AFRICANISM gala guests will feel like they’ve been transported to a Black utopia, said Darnell L. McLaurin, FashionAFRICANA co-founder and creative director. He added that it will be a space immersed in celebrating the African Diaspora. Performances by rappers Mayce Tomlin and Che “Rhymefest” Smith in addition to a dinner honoring Tony Award-winning artist Kenny Leon will ensue. Additionally, the fashion fête will showcase the work of Ivorian visual artist, designer, and former journalist Dion Dewand Marcia Lafalaise. Guests are in for a night of glamour.
This year’s gala theme is entitled AKWAABA or Welcome Home. In Boccella’s words, the universe chose the theme. She explains that since this is the first time they will be inviting their supporters into their studio it seemed fitting. While she was in the process of deciding on the featured designer and artist-in-residence Boccella noticed Lafalaise introduced the story of her newest collection with a “Welcome Home” message. “[I] knew it wasn’t a coincidence,” she added.
Whether by chance or fate, it was Lafalaise’s mastery of cowrie shells, and Afro-futurism stitched into each of her works. The ancestral ties woven in each piece drew the team to her aesthetically pleasing designs.
The visual artist shared that “Abondance,” her latest body of work was inspired by the powerful symbolism our ancestors cherished and the deeply rooted connections many of us share with our heritage. “It merges a touch of modern aesthetic with the essence of our culture. As creators, we have reached beyond the physical to craft something extraordinary, guided by the symbolism of the cowrie shell,” Lafailase explains.
Here the artist explained that the shell is a representation of creation, source, divine femininity, and strength. “My work honors the creativity and collaboration of artisans across Africa, from the fabrics of Zimbabwe and Senegal to the crafts of Madagascar, all converging at the place of origin, Côte d’Ivoire.”
Introduced to the mainstream by Lupita Nyong’o, Beyoncé, and the Agojie of The Woman King, Lafalaise’s haute cowrie couture has become widely recognized. And the trailblazing designer promises to present something fresh for her debut at the gala. She describes it as a “spiritual journey rooted in heritage.”
Lafailaise expresses that the upcoming festivities will be more than a traditional fashion show. Instead, it will be more in the territory of an artistic performance “that celebrates the act of creation, the divine and the craftsmanship of Africa,” she declares. Through the collection, she is aiming to break boundaries and open up new dialogues. She is hopeful that it will all foster a deeper understanding and admiration between continents. Lafailaise says this will be a moment to remember that we are all intrinsically connected. “I hope this experience will awaken [a] sense of unity within everyone,” she adds.
The upcoming fête will be more than just an evening of fun. All gala proceeds will also support the goals of FashionAFRICANA, which provides arts and cultural education to middle and high school students. Mary McKinney Flaherty, a co-chair for this year’s event shared in an email that the evening will showcase the team’s commitment to the younger generation of creatives. She also notes that they do so year-round through programs like The Art of Design & Storytelling and the Bill Nunn Theatre Outreach Project’s August Wilson New Voices Competition. Each of these assists with cultivating the next generation of artists and leaders while empowering young, Black Pittsburgh natives to find and develop their voices.
One core program that is important to Boccella is the Next Narrative Monologue Competition, founded in 2007 by Todd Kreidler and Kenny Leon. Along with Atlanta and New York, Pittsburgh was one of the first cities to participate, thanks to Boccella’s friend and mentor Bill Nunn. When Nunn had to step back due to his cancer diagnosis, Demeatria became the managing director Pittsburgh chapter in 2009. Since then, she’s been chaperoning this region’s monologue winners to New York to perform on Broadway.
“Being able to witness the transformation of our young people through the words of August Wilson is life-changing,” she gushes. “That’s why you have people like Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and Viola Davis who are so committed to [Wilson’s] work. When we have our monologue competition in New York, they and other legends have volunteered their time doing master classes with our youth.” Boccella mentions that the celebrity volunteers have made a difference–she notes that the chapter equips participants with exposure, knowledge, and craftsmanship from legendary artists. “Seeing it unfold is confirmation that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”
When asked what she hopes AFRICANISM gala guests will walk away with, Boccella references an August Wilson quote. “There is an Africa in each of us that we have to get in touch with to understand our relationship to this society,” she says proudly.
She explains that she loves the quote wholly because when she first started FashionAFRICANA alongside her team she wanted everyone to feel included. This is the throughline that connects the organization with next week’s affair, according to Boccella, everything was designed to foster community.
Boccella is hopeful that attendees will get a chance to see the beauty of the city and also the African Diaspora. “The arts is such a perfect vehicle to bring people and communities together and learn about each other. The only way we can change beauty standards in this society is to invite them in,” she adds.