The Ebenezer building complex in Lagos, Nigeria is a microcosm of the metropolis itself. It is a chaotic mix of commercial and residential use, legal and illegal occupancy, and permanent and transient populations. It is a hybrid place filled with every kind of urban denizen and subculture – tenants, squatters, hustlers, refugees – and a place of stark and often stunning contrasts.
The name Ebenezer means “stone of help” in Hebrew, and The Pink Lounge is the warm, queercore of the Ebenezer. It is where the two ex-lovers Akasha and Dame find a home amongst a family of sexually diverse friends. Together, they brave the dangers of living in an unpredictable environment where one’s neighbour could be an ally or an assailant, where survival depends on the bonds of queer love and community. Just like The Ebenezer, Akasha and Dame are a play of similarities and contrasts – both femme, but one a proud yet deeply conflicted top, the other a shameless power bottom.
Continuing our series exploring gender diversity in Africa through the prism of The Pink Lounge, Maxivive presents the Ebenezer [He/They] Dry/Wet 2024 ready-to-wear collection.
Our concerns now shift to the geometries, politics and poetry of modern urbanism in the Global South. This groundbreaking collection highlights the structural nature of Maxivive’s radical approach: traditional kembe trousers with the sartorial lines of Western baggy jeans, or collage-like ensembles and jockstraps composed of materials like woven grass, muslin and gaberdine, and adorned with crystals, lace and glitter-infused wool. Modern cites always cannibalize the countryside, forever encroaching on it and luring away its inhabitants. We subvert this logic by presenting our collection on an urban farm in Amsterdam.
Maxivive means ethical and fearless urban futurism. And we raucously celebrate the queer practice of place-making. We believe that the architectural wisdom and compassion inherent in our approach to avant-garde fashion design should be a model for city planning.
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