Style Score: Jesse Boykins III & More Share The Soundtracks To Their AfroPunk ‘Fits
Aside from amazing music and a palpable celebration of black culture, AfroPunk Festival was home to a wild assortment of personal styles, bold fashion statements and a plethora of songs that inspired them all.
Raise your hand if you know this is a silent truth: you go to AfroPunk for the music but stay for the elaborate style, community vibes and potent feelings of self-love. The 2015 installment of the fest did not disappoint in any department.
While performances from Grace Jones, Lenny Kravitz, Lauryn Hill, Kelela, Kelis, Sam Dew, Kaytranada, Gold Link, SZA and more proved to be electrifying festival highlights, it was the attendees' personal fashion that truly stole the show.
Flip through for some of our favorite festival 'fits and the assortment of songs that inspired them.
Jesse Boykins III
VIBE: Which three songs inspired your outfit today?
Jesse Boykins III: This is fun. Michael Jackson “Off The Wall,” Bob Marley “Three Little Birds” and Prince “If I Was Your Girlfriend.”
If you could go shopping in any black activist’s closet, whose would it be?
Kanye West. He’s fearless. He’s always been fearless. Not only in his music, but in the moment. One of the hardest things to do is be fearless in a moment and say what you want to say and feel how you want to feel. Especially when you grow up black in America and you’re on a platform that is larger than just a black demographic and you have a fan base that ranges around the world and your impact is actually genuine and real, and you do things and say things to make people feel like they should do some soul searching.
Moyosore Bankole
This 26-year-old consultant decided to show off her love for traditional African dress with her midriff-bearing outfit. When asked what three songs inspired her trendy look, Bankole said, "Erykah Badu's 'Didn't Cha Know,' 'Found My Smile Again' by D'Angelo and Juju-Shina Peters' 'Afro.'"
Crystal Anderson
All eyes were on this 33-year-old blogger, who proudly wores a green-sequined suit and clear briefcase to AfroPunk Festival. Her three songs of choice were "November Rain" by Guns-N-Roses, Jay Z's "Change Clothes" and "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross.
Tahirah Hairston
It's obvious 25-year-old Tahirah is a style writer. Her floor length gown paired with fun frames are a dead giveaway. When asked what three songs inspired her casual look, the BK-based writer said she drew inspiration from Rihanna's "B***h Better Have My Money," any song from the early 2000s and of course, the classic 90s film Clueless.
Lori Stewart
This 33-year-old web content producer and visual artist kept it simple with a sprinkle of color with the help of her flowal crown. The Chicago native said her three style songs were TLC's "Crazy, Sexy Cool," "Know Yourself" by Drake and Toro Y Moi's "Fax Shadow."
Jelisa Tannis
You couldn't miss this 23-year-old Brooklyn native's giant afro and colorful romper even if you tried. The Hunter College graduate said Frank Ocean's "Hero," MGMT's "Electric Feel" and Sharon Jones and Dap Kings' "Inspiration/Infromation" was where she drew her inspiration to create her AfroPunk look.
Elijah Malon
Mr. Malon's style was clean, crisp and classic. The 22-year-old Queens native, who's studying business at Pace University, cited Aloe Blacc's "I'm The Man" and Jidenna's "Classic Man" as his song inspirations and from the looks of it, he's right.
Deniro Farrar
The 28-year-old Warner Brothers recording artist from Harlem kept it minimal and cool with his look. Farrar said K.Dot's "Alright" and "B***h Don't Kill My Vibe" along with with Future's "F**k Up Some Commas" all helped him achieve his chill look.
Tiffany Williams
Summer is winding down and 32 year old Tiffany Williams is making sure to soak up all the sun before she heads back to the classroom to teach her fourth-grade students. When asked what inspired her colorful romper, Williams, a Queens native said the one and only Grace Jones.
Carmen Noelia
This Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter wasn't going to let AfroPunk happen and she not be in attendance. Rocking a navy-blue dress with tan Fedora and glasses, this 26-year-old said she was inspired by Jill Scott's "Prepared" from her new album Woman, "GFG" by Miguel and her very own single "Far Away."
Alexandra Hernandez
Thirty-seven year old Alexandra put her fashion buyer biz savvy to good use when getting ready for the day's festivities. Wearing an army dress and knee-high boots, the Brooklyn resident said Erykah Badu and Common's "Love of My Life" was heavy on her playlist as well as Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" and of course, Grace Jones
David Abreu
This 23-year-old threw fashion rules to the wind and boldly rocked leather at this year's AfroPunk festival. The Queens-based production assistant said Kaytranada's "At All" and Nicolas Jaar's "A Song For Us" was all the help he needed to pick out his outfit for the day.
Akuka Shabaka
This LA transplant moved to Brooklyn to study fashion design at Parsons. Although she kept it simple, this blue-haired college student said Soulection's "Blind Man," Kendrick Lamar's "King Kunta" and Warrior King's "Empress Divine" all helped her to achieve her regal look.
Cheniya Brownley
Also studying fashion design at Parsons, this 18-year-old achieved her cool and comfortable look by listening to SZA's "Babylon," Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" and Lianne La Havas' "What You Don't Do."
