Chimamanda: Intelligent & Stylish

March 28, 2014

Written by Kuwala Co

March 28, 2014

Written by Kuwala Co

If you haven't heard of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, then you may be living under a rock. She's an award-winning Nigerian author and one of today's most notable feminists.

Some of Chimamanda's most distinguished works include Purple Hibiscus and Herself. Her latest fictional novel, Americanah, won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize. Her novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, has been adapted into a feature length film, which premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and is set to release internationally this year.

On top of her written accomplishments, she has delivered some of the most thought-provoking, yet charming, lectures on TEDTalks. Her talk on "The danger of a single story" delves into how misconceptions are formed by relying on a single narrative, like the many misconceptions about the African continent. Her talk "We should all be feminists" was recently sampled by Beyoncé on her "***Flawless" track from her self-titled album.

In a recent interview with ELLE, Chimamanda speaks on the growth of her personal style and asks Why can't a smart woman love fashion? Inspired by this interview, Kuwala has highlighted some of her most beautiful outfits along with some striking quotes. We hope you enjoy this blog post and take a few pointers from this intellectual style queen.

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"As a child, I loved watching my mother get dressed for Mass...I loved, too, the way she dressed me in pretty little-girl clothes, lace-edged socks pulled up to my calves, my hair arranged in two puffy bunny-tails."

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"I had learned a lesson about Western culture: Women who wanted to be taken seriously were supposed to substantiate their seriousness with a studied indifference to appearance."

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"The only circumstance under which caring about clothes was acceptable was when making a statement, creating an image of some sort to be edgy, eclectic, counterculture. It could not merely be about taking pleasure in clothes."

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"An old friend said, 'Wear what you want to; it’s your work that matters.' But he was a man, and I thought that was easy for him to say."

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"I love embroidery and texture. I love lace and full skirts and cinched waists. I love black, and I love color. I love heels, and I love flats. I love exquisite detailing. I love shorts and long maxidresses and feminine jackets with puffy sleeves. I love colored trousers. I love shopping."

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