Connect with us

Africa

John Boyega: ‘Sustainability in fashion is key to me, but people need to be educated’

Published

4 years ago

on

British-Nigerian actor John Boyega has a lot going on. With filming for his trio of Star Wars films over, the 29-year old actor has been confirmed to join Oscar winner Viola Davis and GQ cover star Lashana Lynch in Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman Kin, a period film focused on the 18th-century African kingdom of Dahomey. In addition, the Peckham-born star is the lead in the upcoming war epic 892 and if rumours swirling in the Twittersphere are anything to go by, there’s a chance he’s going to replace Daniel Craig as 007.

Golden Globe Award-winning Boyega has also turned his hand to designing and has partnered with H&M to create a range of sustainable clothing, which goes on sale at the end of this month. The Edition by John Boyega collection comprises wardrobe staples – checked overcoats, oversized cardigans, roll-neck knits and chunky sneakers – cut from recycled wool, organic cotton, post-consumer waste and deadstock, and Vegea, a vegan alternative to leather.

Ahead of the collection’s launch, GQ sat down with Boyega to find out what sustainability means to him, what goes into his everyday wardrobe and how his personal style has changed since he became an actor.

I have a diverse style. I’ve always tried to incorporate a range of colours, patterns and different fits that are referential of native wear into my wardrobe. I’ve worn everything from Louis Vuitton catwalk looks to traditional Nigerian dress. I’m still trying to work my style out, I’m incredibly curious to see where it can go and how far I can push it.

Sustainability is key to me. People need to be educated. I had a normal upbringing in the UK and the only thing I ever really knew or heard about sustainability was linked to recycling and what the bin men were willing to take away. Fashion is a good way of being responsible for your own sustainability and carbon output, as, let’s face it, people can’t always be sustainable in every aspect of their lives. With your fashion choices you can be better more easily, as there are so many brands doing good stuff, or you can learn to reuse. I wanted that to be intrinsic to the H&M collection.

I love wearing Nigerian gowns. I wear these wildly-patterned robes in the house that I’ll never show anyone else that I rock, but they’re amazing. I love a loose fit; they’re so comfortable. I wear Nigerian dress more in public when I go to Nigeria, but here not so. I actually wanted to subtly hint at my heritage in the H&M collection through the patterns and prints.

There’s a lot of good fashion in Nigeria. When we did Pacific Rim we went on a press tour there, and designers got wind. They were sending me stuff and it opened my eyes to how much talent there is in the country.

I’ve been wearing H&M as long as I can remember. It’s long been my go-to for simple, everyday pieces. Nowhere does it better, to be honest. I like to mix those budget-friendly products with higher-end ones.

I have made some fashion mistakes. I used to wear these trousers which were slim around the ankle, and then were bigger at the thigh. My thighs are far too big for that. I looked totally ridiculous and even bigger than I was.

Image may contain Clothing Apparel Footwear Shoe John Boyega Sitting Human Person Furniture and Chair

Acting has made me a better dresser. As you climb the acting ladder, your team expands and you have people helping you to dress. In the early days I just wore what I was told, but as I’ve learned more, I have found more of an identity and now I know what works for me.

Jake Pentecost has excellent style. That’s my character from Pacific Rim. He had subtle African print gowns. They are banging. I was producing that movie so I had more say on his costume, so I played into my own heritage.

I’d love to play Prince Akeem Joffer. Eddie Murphy’s Coming 2 America character had an excellent wardrobe that touched on proper African style.

Fixer-upper fashion was what I grew up with. Me and my peers received the same pay, so we all could afford the same sort of thing, which wasn’t a lot. One of my close friends was really good at making the most of little, and he managed to make every outfit look new, even if it was just recycling the same shirts over and over. That inspired me to be more mindful.

Nike Air Maxes defined being cool. It meant you were in with the right crowd when I was growing up. As I got older I realised there was more out there and I am now open to anything.

I love Daily Paper. The designers always try to send me stuff, but I secretly buy it instead. I want to support them as much as possible.

Virgil Abloh’s work for Louis Vuitton is amazing. We collaborated together on my Critics’ Choice Awards look, which was great. He just gets it.

I’ve just started wearing jewellery. I bought my first diamonds last year, just ahead of turning 28 as a treat to myself. I was with Jamie Foxx in Atlanta – we were working on They Cloned Tyrone – and he took me to this jeweller he regularly goes to.

I thank my sisters for the way I dress. We had that weird transition when we were early teens where we could share clothes. I used to wear their trousers. But then other girls in my life would be like, ‘John, come on’.

My job has made me better with my grooming regime. People forget that sure, people do my make-up and hair, but they’re also teaching me stuff. Through those experiences, I now have incorporated lip scrubs and face rollers into my everyday.

My hair is always based on circumstance. My roles have heavily influenced what it looks like. For 892 it had to be short. For Tyrone it had to be crazy big. I adapt to films. When I can have what I want, I like a fade.

Clean cut and no facial hair is the way forward. I’ve got a young face and can’t grow a beard, so obviously I’m going to say that. I’m hoping I’ve got the Pharrell gene, to be honest. But I don’t think people are into beards anymore, as they were a few years ago.

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Africa

NBA pick Khaman Maluach Hoping to ‘Change the Narrative’ About Africa

Published

4 months ago

on

June 27, 2025

By

Immediately after getting drafted, Maluach was asked: “So many people, when they think about Africa, think about strife, think about war, think about not so great things about the continent, let alone South Sudan. How much of a responsibility do you think you have in changing perceptions of what people think Africa is in terms of thinking more about the resources, thinking about the people of Africa and South Sudan, specifically?”

Maluach’s native country, South Sudan, is undergoing a humanitarian crisis. His family fled the country to a suburb of Kampala, Uganda, in search of safety and opportunity during the South Sudan crisis. He now hopes to change the narrative about the region by highlighting its good parts on the world stage.

“I think about showing them the good parts of Africa,” Maluach said at the press conference after he was drafted. “I’m thinking about showing them the great places in Africa, like Kigali, whether it’s Senegal, whether it’s the safaris in Africa, and showing them the cultures we have and the people we have, which is different from the stuff they see on TV. I just want to change the narrative, the narrative of our people and how they see my continent.”

Maluach was born in Rumbek, once an important city in South Sudan that was ravaged by the country’s civil war. The 7’2″ center’s road to success was far from easy. The nearest basketball court to his house was nearly an hour’s walk away and usually packed. Moreover, he played his first game in Crocs, not basketball shoes. But his dedication was enough to catch the eye of local coaches Wal Deng and Aketch Garang.

Through the effort that he put in, Maluach made it to the NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal, then to the Duke Blue Devils, and now the Suns. He hopes the moment inspires kids on the continent.

“Living in Africa, I had the whole continent on my back. Giving hope to young kids,” he said after the Suns selected him No. 10 overall.

Maluach considers basketball a gift God gave him, and hopes to finish off his NBA career as a Hall of Famer.

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Continue Reading

Africa

Nigeria’s first female fighter pilot Kafayat Sanni excels in Ghana

Published

4 months ago

on

June 27, 2025

By

After making history as Nigeria’s first female fighter pilot, Flt. Lt. Kafayat Sanni has emerged as the Best Allied Student and won the Best Assistant Commandant Paper award at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Accra, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

In a statement released on Saturday and cited by NAN, the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the awards were presented on Friday during the College graduation ceremony which had in attendance top military personnel and dignitaries from across Africa.

Ejodame recalled how Sanni first made the news in 2019 after being decorated as the Nigerian Air Force’s first female fighter pilot following her pilot training in the U.S.

“Since then, she has flown the Alpha Jet as well as undertaken training sorties on the Super Mushshak as a prolific instructor pilot, producing and mentoring younger pilots for the NAF,” Ejodame said.

“Her outstanding performance at GAFCSC not only symbolises personal excellence and resilience but also underscores Nigeria’s growing leadership in regional defence and commitment to gender inclusion in the armed forces.

“This remarkable achievement further reflects the Nigerian Air Force’s strategic investment in human capital development under the visionary leadership of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar,” he said.

In 2017, Sanni emerged as the overall best pilot at the Nigerian Air Force’s 401 training school before she moved to the United States to train at the U.S. Aviation Leadership program.

Upon completion, Sanni returned to Nigeria, where she, alongside 12 new fighter pilots, was decorated.

As Sanni became the first female fighter pilot in the 55-year history of the Nigerian Air Force, her colleague, Tolulope Arotile, also became the Force’s first female combat helicopter pilot.

“It is a privilege for me to be winged as the first female fighter pilot in the Nigerian Air Force,” Sanni said after being decorated.

Sanni said at the time she had always wanted to be a fighter pilot, and “I was just lucky to be chosen.”

“It was also my choice. It was what I wanted to do. And I felt that everyone is not supposed to fold their arms and watch what is happening in our country.

“Everyone could always play their part. So, I did not think there was any reason for me to think that it is not possible for me to actually fly the jet because there was no female that ever flew the jet. I believe I could achieve it and I did,” she said.

She then went on to advise younger girls to “never say no to opportunities.”

“They should always strive to be the best and put in their efforts. They should never look at anything that seems to want to overpower or overshadow them. For me, you can always attempt things and if they do not work out well; fine. But at every point in time, you just need to put in your best.”

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Continue Reading

Africa

Hotel groups Hilton and Marriot announce African expansion plans

Published

4 months ago

on

June 21, 2025

By

U.S. hotel chains Hilton and Marriott have announced African expansion drives to tap into the continent’s rapid tourism growth.

Rising business and leisure travel on the continent has made it increasingly attractive for multinational companies and Hilton said on Wednesday that it plans to more than triple its African portfolio to more than 160 hotels.

The company plans to enter Angola, Ghana and Benin for the first time while returning to Madagascar and Tanzania, its statement said without providing a specific time horizon for the expansion plans.

Marriott expects to add 50 properties by 2027, it said on Wednesday. Those will include entry into five new countries: Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Mauritania.

The group’s existing African portfolio encompasses nearly 150 properties and 26,000 rooms across 20 countries and 22 brands.

Airlines have also increased their African capacity.

Emirates now offers 161 weekly flights across Africa, recently adding daily services to Entebbe and Addis Ababa. United Airlines launched a direct Washington-Dakar route in May and Delta will begin a seasonal daily flight to Accra in December.

International arrivals to the continent rose 9% year on year in the first quarter of 2025, the United Nations World Tourism Organization says, 16% above the same period of pre-pandemic 2019.

That momentum is translating into economic impact. Tourism accounts for between 3% and 7% of gross domestic product in countries such as Kenya, Morocco and South Africa, and up to 15% in tourism-heavy economies such as Namibia, World Bank and national statistics show.

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Continue Reading

Trending