Various adjectives come to mind when attempting to describe style maven Paola Mathé, the multi-talented tour de force behind Fanm Djanm and her personal blog Lost in the City. Bright, arresting, intelligent, supportive, confident and inviting are just a few. The stunning Haitian beauty and founder of Fanm Djanm joined HCX at Kinanm Lounge & Bar in Brooklyn on Thursday, March 19th for our An n’ Pale series with HCX Director Régine M. Roumain.
The evening opened with a special poetic performance by Schneider Laurent and Marc Henry Valmond. Theirs was a thought provoking, passionate, and seductive piece performed to an imagined beloved and paying tribute to such greats as Frankétienne.
When asked about the genesis of Fanm Djanm, Mathé beamed excitedly. “I wanted to have a platform to tell stories about different women, their strength and showcase African beauty and culture.”
One of the most insightful moments of the evening came when Mathé reflected on her time in Haiti. “My most vivid memories of living in Haiti were of the “machann“, the street merchants, who I wish I got to hug and got to know. I remember how strong they seemed and how colorful their head wraps were because they were always carrying a load on their heads. I realize that their loads weren’t only physical; most of these women were poor, many were single, working various jobs, taking care of family members, and most likely had no time to take care of themselves. I wanted to honor that.”
As to where the idea for the head wraps came from? “I had always worn head wraps and then at some point, I just became known as the tall lady wearing the head wraps! She joked.
Mathé seemed as fascinated and inspired by her followers as they were her. “I also think of the strong women I’ve gotten to meet here in New York. It’s important to have a platform for sharing their stories and a supportive network where we could empower each other.”
The evening appropriately ended on a fun note with an impromptu head wrapping session. We thank Paola for a wonderful night of dialogue.
Click here to look at photos of this An n’ Pale.
Click here to purchase a beautiful headwrap.
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