We’re doing things a little differently this time ladies, sometimes it’s necessary to shine a light on certain things that just stand out… Many of us think of eyewear and immediately associate it with trips to the opticians, endless hours spent picking out the right frames, and thick lenses. Well for us at Afro Indie, eyewear is so much more than that. Society as a whole continues to move further and further in the direction of non-prescription eyewear becoming normalized, and we definitely don’t hate the idea! As well as giving you a more mature, studious and trendy look, non-prescription glasses can actually help to take the pressure of being ‘different’ off of people who wear glasses with a prescription. In terms of fashion, we know that glasses are widely seen as having connotations of seriousness and intellectuality, but there’s nothing wrong with bringing a little fun to the party! We wanted to add personality to the sophisticated eyewear frames and give them the #Signature Afro-Indie look. Today we’re bringing you up to speed with everything you need to know about the ‘Amara’ Fabric Frames. Sit tight, your eyes are about to be opened!

THE TRUE MEANING BEHIND ‘AMARA’

As you probably know well by now, at Afro Indie, we are all about creating a connection between women of color, and their culture of origin. One of the ways in which we aim to do this, is through the recognition of hybrid fashion, and the incorporation of this concept into our brand. With the ‘Amara’ Fabric Frames, not only has an abundant amount of creativity and passion gone into creating them, but an understanding of both African and Western cultures has impacted the final product. Looking at things from a more literal perspective, the name ‘Amara’ translates directly from the Nigerian Igbo language into ‘Grace’ or ‘Gracious’. Grace refers to an indescribable quality that appears to make one stand out positively. This can be looked at from a religious standpoint, whereby the quality that cannot quite be named comes from God. For others, the quality is closer to a certain elegance or poise that transcends one’s physicality, perhaps merging in with their general state of being. For us, the ‘Amara’ Frames possess this quality without a doubt, which is part of what makes them so special!

COMPOSITION

What goes into making the ‘Amara’ Fabric Frames? Steady hands, A load of Ankara Fabric, and a whole lotta passion. The product incorporates the tribal West African Ankara fabric into the Western structure of bifocal lenses, we can only call this revolutionary! This piece is handcrafted with a gorgeous vibrant print on the fabric that will make for a great color pop with just about any outfit. In one color way that gives major citrine vibes; it features vivid green and orange colors that work together to give the frames a bold aesthetic. The frames in this color-way can be matched with the ‘Gasira’ Fold Over Clutch, which, funnily enough features the exact same Ankara print fabric as the ‘Amara’ frames. Handmade and handcrafted to the same level of perfection, you can get your hands on the ‘Amara’ Fabric Frames in the fuchsia, pink and turquoise color-way. These are adorned with a more oriental style, bright and bold fuchsia and turquoise fabric. This style is for the ladies who love experimenting with eye-catching colors and prints. Pair them with our matching ‘Sade’ Head Adornment and a cute button-down denim top to bring the look together. 

STYLING 

Again, onto the part we all love the most! Styling the ‘Amara’ Fabric Frames will add a fun twist to a preppy, smart-casual look. You might think that the vibrancy of the frames calls for a muted work outfit, I mean, after all, it is a corporate setting, and blending in is important right? Wrong. In such a mundane corporate world filled with greys, blacks, and whites; standing out isn’t such a bad thing is it? The ‘Amara’ Fabric Frames would go beautifully with an effervescent, green pantsuit, with a black ruffle shirt. Add a pair of deep orange court shoes, and you’ll be serving Toni Childs in no time! It might sound a little crazy, but this look relies on the coordination of the accents on the glasses with the main parts of the outfits, which means that everything complements each other just great!

The ‘Amara’ doesn’t stop there though! Whilst wearing them to work might be a bold choice, you can also throw on the frames for a casual café date with the family, or maybe Sunday lunch at grandma’s? The ‘Amara’s can add an exciting twist to your casual outfit. We all have that dress, you know, our ‘wholesome’ white dress that comes out for cute occasions that call for some church girl vibes? The truth is, these kinds of outfits can sometimes get a bit monotonous, the perfect remedy for this? ‘Amara’. Tie this fit together with a high pony, and throw on some colorful ballet flats, and you’re good to go!

That’s it for today folks, we’ve loved bringing you into the world of ‘Amara’ and hopefully now, you’re an expert! There are so many ways you can rock our Afro-Indie accessories and though we’ve chosen to shine a spotlight on one particular piece today, we have a plethora of other options that will suit your unique style. If you liked the ‘Amara’ fabric frames, then you won’t be disappointed by the rest of the Afro-Indie store. You can check out our eyewear here. And as always, you know we always love to see the unique looks that you come up with. Send your photos over to us using our contact form or, be sure to use the hashtag #WearYourHeritage or #AfroIndieStyle on Instagram or Twitter for a chance to be featured on our social media pages. We can't wait to see how creative you get with our pieces and we know you won’t let us down. As always, keep Queenin' in these streets. Until next time!