Warriors Walk Alone

Released under her fashion brand, Afrofunkk, the collection boasted the designer’s signature aesthetic of colourful, indigenous, and tribal prints married with individualism and warrior-like empowerment through garments, jewelry, and bags.

Also on display was Charlene’s second home d?cor and lifestyle collection under her brand the Sykadellic Shack, which saw displays of indigenous weaving in the form of baskets, rugs, and throw pillows, as well as handpicked ornaments and d?cor.

A lone traveler, Charlene’s one-woman journey seeking inspiration, artisans, and artifacts has taken her to Asia, Africa, and the Far East. Along her way, she collaborates with local creators to arouse her “funkky” pieces. During her extensive travels, she has lived with the Maasai tribe of Kenya for six months; a tribe she was drawn to and inspired by during her years of schooling at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, and says these and similar experiences continue to inspire her artistry and process. Her love of colour is homage to distinctiveness and her fabric choices scream for attention. She also strives for as organic an artistic process as possible – she ensures the materials she uses are designed from scratch and does not sketch her designs. Supportive of local and indigenous women on her continuous travels, she purchases unique fabrics and searches for techniques to achieve an authentic feel to her work – modern woman meets tribal warrior.

“Warriors Walk Alone is me creating my own funk. Like a warrior. They stand tall. They go out and hunt and they have to come back with the goods. Me going to these tribes all over the world is like hunting season. When I travel, I feel alive and in sync with the tribal energy of the planet, and I bring that vibe back to the world in the global language of fashion,” she says confidently about her newest collection whose designs range from earthy undertones to blitzing colours and prints that sometimes clash drastically but are pulled off spectacularly with an air of confidence and the right swagger.