Exploring Fashion & Culture in the most African U.S. City

All posts filed under: Our Closet

Photos by Paa Kwesi Yanful (@kwesithethird) This year Noirlinians was invited by #EssenceFest to take over their Instagram account for a weekend to tell (Our) #MyNOLAdiary. We met up for an afternoon with Kwesi, one of our favorite local Ghanian photographers for this shoot with a twist…for once, we got to choose the locations of the shoot*. | We are Noirlinians, and this is #OurNOLAdiary | *in typical Noirlinians shoots/blog posts, local or New Orleans based Black photographers […]

Photos by Phrozen Photography Post Soundtrack: Immigrant (Sade) The Treme (St. Augustine Church): The community of Treme can be described as colorful, vibrant, creative, strong, & diverse. Formally known by the French as Faubourg Treme this community is named after Claude Treme the Frenchmen who sold the land to the city of New Orleans so they could build sub divisions and sale plots for housing behind the much crowded French Quarters. Treme was special from the start. […]

Photos by Malik Bartholomew (Phrozen Photography) Post Soundtrack: We Are Family The Treme: I selected several sites in Treme and one of the site locations I selected was the underpass of the Claiborne Avenue Bride better known to native New Orleanians as “Under Da Bridge” or “Tha Bridge.” This site is extremely important historically and culturally to Black New Orleanians. Before the construction of the Claiborne Avenue interstate bridge the street Claiborne Avenue was home to the downtown […]

Photos by Patrick Melon Post Soundtrack – Say It Loud (James Brown) Lot by Dbl Blk Cafe: This location is a place central to downtown New Orleans. It made sense to get some of the urban grit that makes any industrialized city recognizable as such. With the golden beams of the sun creating amazing highlight I was able to create a lot of contrast between my subjects and their environment.

Photos by Patrick Melon Post Soundtrack – You Must Learn (KRS1) Crescent Park: Crescent Park has a beautiful cityscape in the background showing the layout of the central business district. Its simple and clean cut design in stone is appealing to me in and of itself. My subjects wore their more easily identifiable ‘ethnic’ clothing in this area which I feel is fitting considering the existence of the park. Although the area is beautiful and I certainly appreciate it, […]

Photos by danielle c miles Post Soundtrack – “Ambidextrous” Be Steadwell The Corner: Corners, neutral grounds, stoops, shade trees and corner stores have long been cornerstones in Black communities across the nnorld. From the exchange of neighborhood gossip to political debates, dominos, chess games on legless tables balanced on the knees of the players, to the trading of goods and services beneath signs that scream “NO LOITERING!”– which is perceived as more of a request than […]

Photos by danielle c milesPost Soundtrack – “Brown Skin Lady” BlackStar 7th Ward: This shoot was done in my neighborhood, the 7th ward of New Orleans. Its right outside of the Treme (well it used to be the Treme before they built the Claiborne overpass which divided the Black neighborhood. The Treme is a historically Black part of New Orleans (the backatown) and is America’s oldest surviving Black neighborhood.

Photos by danielle c miles – The Corner: Corners, neutral grounds, stoops, shade trees and corner stores have long been cornerstones in Black communities across the world. From the exchange of neighborhood gossip to political debates, dominos, chess games on legless tables balanced on the knees of the players, to the trading of goods and services beneath signs that scream “NO LOITERING!”– which is perceived as more of a request than a demand, cornerstores — these […]

For Wanjiru and Putu Photography by Asia-Vinae “Preach” Palmer Post Soundtrack – “Mama Says” Ibeyi Photos by Asia-Vinae “Preach” Palmer : “The Sister Houses” – Abandoned houses in New Orleans have stories. They are more powerful than the rust that coats the iron gates and more alive than the vines coating the sides of the building. This location is in the middle of Treme and Uptown New Orleans, it is in the heart of the […]

Noirlinians is an AfroFashion blog exploring the complex relationship between culture, clothing & identity in the diaspora. Featuring Liberian artist and designer Denisio Truitt of DOPEciety and poet and organizer Mwende “FreeQuency” Katwiwa, the idea for the blog emerged after a fast friendship developed between the two based on their African heritage and artistic interests.