We returned for Afropunk Brooklyn 2016 and this year was better than ever! I loved connecting with all the people who discovered our brand for the first time and the jewels who returned and remember us from last year. Leading up to Afropunk I was super nervous, even more than the first time I was selected from hundreds of applicants to be a vendor. This year my expectations were much higher because I wanted to improve from my freshman year and perfect my festival pop-up.
The love and energy was overwhelming and my main focus was engaging with everyone that stopped by the booth. I enlisted my best friend and girlboss wedding and event planner Michelle to keep me as sane and organized like she does her brides on their big day. The most popular pieces were our "Commitment Issues" nose cuff, "Boundless" Choker, "Perpetual" wrap necklace and "Venus" Body chain. By the end of day 1 most of the top sellers were sold out.
Afropunk is more than a festival it is a collective of individuals overflowing with creativity and self-love. The #BlackGirlMagic, #MelaninMagic, #CareFreeBlackGirl, #_____ add any collective self-love hashtag and chances are it's on full display and I'm here for all of it. One of my favorite things to do is venturing away from the booth to check out all the dope looks. This year everyone came with their fashion A game. In my opinion the fashion at Afropunk rivals that of fashion week and lets be honest the majority of designers draw inspirations from street style and events like Afropunk. This year their was no shortage of inspiration.
I missed most of the performers but had the chance to watch Ceelo and Ice Cube. They were amazing! Next year I'm posting "I'll be back in 20 minutes" sign so I can catch so more performances lol.
Thank you to everyone that stopped by to say hi and shop with us! Welcome to the Made by Malyia Jewelry tribe! See you next year!
Check out the pics below! Check out my feature with Refinery 29 Click HERE
Day 1 August 27,2016
