On Saturday, Jan. 31, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Victorious Africana Fashion Show will be held at Walkers by the Sea, bringing members of the community together to view diverse African fabrics while providing historical renditions and cultural tastings.
Hosted by Divinely Different, Inc., the Victorious Africana Fashion Show will have its fourth fashion show. Ufakobong “Victoria” Utibeabasi, owner of the Victorious African Store, has been formally providing African fashions that cater to all ages and sizes since 2007. Her daughter, Edidiong Utibe, highlighted that next year will make it 20 years since the store has been operating as a brick-and-mortar business.
“It formally came to be in 2007. So next year will make it twenty years since opening the brick-and-mortar. But the store has informally started in the trunk of my mom’s car,” said Utibe.
Utibe added that after her mother moved to the territory in the 1990s, she began selling African movies and clothing out of her car in the early 2000s. She said her mother was a teacher and also used the opportunity to educate her customers.
“She used to do African movies and some outfits here and there,” said Utibe. “I guess there was a lot of ignorance about Africa at that time. What the media showed, I guess they thought that was what Africa was all about. The media has a narrative they want to push. But we come to know today that Africa is one of the richest continents, but back then it wasn’t well known.”
From selling items out of her car, Utibeabasi continued developing her business in fashion. Regarding the fashion show, Utibeabasi said she started doing it the last few years because, “People would come to the store, and told me you have so many nice things, you should do a fashion show. The clothes don’t look as appealing, you should showcase it.”
She added that doing so allowed customers to see what the clothing looked like on a person and essentially led customers to purchase the garments after seeing them fashioned. This, in turn, encouraged her to do more shows.
“If she notices something isn’t selling, she would take it off [the mannequin] and wear it and they would ask ‘oh my gosh, where did you get that,’” said Utibe.
Of the fabrics, there are different ones to choose from. “We have different African fabrics, Ankara is the main one,” said Utibe. “We have a variety of different styles, patterns, designs, for all ages.”
Utibeabasi wanted to highlight that the clothing items can be worn daily and not only for special events.
“The clothes are not just for Black History Month. It’s something you can wear day to day,” she said.
“The show helps to tell a story,” said Utibe, and added that the fabric provides historical context and symbolism. “It helps celebrate heritage, creativity,” which is something they showcase during their fashion shows.
Additionally, Utibe said that the shows give the youth models an opportunity to “shine and come out of their shell.”
“The transformation from the first practice to the show is just amazing,” Utibe said.
This year’s show will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Walkers by the Sea, which was the location of their very first show. They are even anticipated to showcase their collections at the agricultural fair on St. Croix.
When asked if there is anything special about this year’s show compared to previous years, Utibe said, “Besides the outfits, because they’re all custom-made, I think it’s more similar to the last show. We’re going to be having some more entertainment for people in the community to entertain with their talents,” she said. “As far as expansion, “we’re trying to incorporate African food.”
Next year, the mother-daughter duo added that they’re hoping to get sponsors and a larger venue for the fashion show. Games and fun activities such as trivia, the best dressed, and a Naomi Campbell catwalk competition will give the audience a chance to earn prizes. There will also be an “elder honoree,” who, Utibe said, aligns with their business values, highlighting someone in the community who made an impact.
To suggest an honoree, call 340-473-2909 or 340-344-5983. Persons interested in attending the fashion show can purchase tickets at the Victorious African Store in Tutu Park Mall or on 7th Street. Online ticket purchases can be made on Eventbrite. Tickets are $50 for adults and $30 for children, with group rates available for persons with more than one child, or for parties of 10 or more adults.
Lastly, though fashion is the main focus of the business, Utibeabasi says that her mission extends beyond fashion, aiming to provide natural health solutions as alternatives to pharmaceuticals.
“It’s not just beauty or fashion. We have herbal products,” she said.
“She’s not so big on all of these medications that have all of these things in it. God has provided a lot of healing to us,” added Utibe.
Fashion show attendees are encouraged to come dressed in their best African attire.
