'The Flyest Wedding in Africa', is a collaborative sartorial series by Stephen Okoth (Picha Marangi) and Elizabeth Korikel, a translator and beading artist from Kamarase, Turkana. The fictional art project combines their love of bold, monochrome hues with Korikel's statement jewellery and Okoth's knack for re-designing second hand clothing.
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In early 2018 Picha Marangi, a photographer and stylist from Kibera, travelled to Turkana on assignment. While in Turkana, Picha Marangi met Elizabeth Korikel, a translator, beading artist and singer. Each day at work they complemented each other's style, struck by how they both loved bold color and statement pieces. Along the way love blossomed. To celebrate their nuptials, they created looks that incorporated their shared love for vivid color, Elizabeth's beading work and Picha Marangi's redesigned thrifted clothes. These are their wedding photos. The Flyest Wedding in Africa is a fictional art project and the first project from The Artists Xchange, a year long undertaking that brings together artists from Turkana, Karamoja, Kampala and Nairobi to produce work that responds to the issues facing the Ateker region (Turkana & Karamoja) in a direct or abstract manner. The artists work in various disciplines including video art, film, fashion, music, visual art and photography. The Artists Xchange is a companion project of the feature documentary Turkana: Race for Resources (www.turkanafilm.com) which will be released in 2020. Credits Artists: Elizabeth Korikel @lizkorikel (Beading) & Picha Marangi @pichamarangi (Styling and Clothes) Project Director: Jackie Lebo @jackielebo Project Lead: Chelagat Tum @kitalebird Photographer: Migwa Nthiga @migwa Makeup: Suki @sukimakeupafrica Hair: Corrine Muthoni @corrinemuthoni Graffiti: Bankslave @bankslave Garment Construction: Tina Masese @tinamasese Metalwork: Sam Onyango Photographer's Assistant: Kiragu Thuo @jkiragu Production Assistants: Sylvia Okoth @archi.ang & Njeri Mwangi @canjemwangi A @contenthouseke project @bokehfff @twygmag @bbcafrica @everydayafrica @basco_paints #fashionphotography #fashionlife

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A flamboyant photographer, Stephen Okoth's style is often compared to that of Congolese sapeurs. Craving to show the world a different side of Kibera beyond the insular stories of violent crime and drugs, he coined the phrase, Picha Marangi, and armed with a camera and riotiously colourful outfits, saturated social media with his signature style.
In September 2018, fashion film by Nathan Collett titled Picha Marangi, starring Stephen Okoth, won best film at Bokeh SA International Fashion Film Festival.
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In early 2018 Picha Marangi, a photographer and stylist from Kibera, travelled to Turkana on assignment. While in Turkana, Picha Marangi met Elizabeth Korikel, a translator, beading artist and singer. Each day at work they complemented each other's style, struck by how they both loved bold color and statement pieces. Along the way love blossomed. To celebrate their nuptials, they created looks that incorporated their shared love for vivid color, Elizabeth's beading work and Picha Marangi's redesigned thrifted clothes. These are their wedding photos. The Flyest Wedding in Africa is a fictional art project and the first project from The Artists Xchange, a year long undertaking that brings together artists from Turkana, Karamoja, Kampala and Nairobi to produce work that responds to the issues facing the Ateker region (Turkana & Karamoja) in a direct or abstract manner. The artists work in various disciplines including video art, film, fashion, music, visual art and photography. The Artists Xchange is a companion project of the feature documentary Turkana: Race for Resources (www.turkanafilm.com) which will be released in 2020. Credits Artists: Elizabeth Korikel @lizkorikel (Beading) & Picha Marangi @pichamarangi (Styling and Clothes) Project Director: Jackie Lebo @jackielebo Project Lead: Chelagat Tum @kitalebird Photographer: Migwa Nthiga @migwa Makeup: Suki @sukimakeupafrica Hair: Corrine Muthoni @corrinemuthoni Graffiti: Bankslave @bankslave Garment Construction: Tina Masese @tinamasese Metalwork: Sam Onyango Photographer's Assistant: Kiragu Thuo @jkiragu Production Assistants: Sylvia Okoth @archi.ang & Njeri Mwangi @canjemwangi A @contenthouseke project @bokehfff @twygmag

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Korikel and Okoth met in 2018 during an artists' exchange program by Content House Kenya, a creatives collective started photographer and filmmaker, Jackie Lebo. One of Lebo's projects is The Last Fight, a sports documentary about Kenyan boxers from Nairobi and Nakuru. The Flyest Wedding in Africa is the first project from the exchange program intended to facilitate collaboration between artists from Turkana, Karamoja, Kampala and Nairobi.

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Alix Grubel

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