Okrika stands for queer identity, okrika stands for waste and sustainability, okrika stands for global inequality. But tonight, okrika means that we embrace all those complexities and transform them into fashion. With Okrika! De Balie and high fashion brand Maxivive present an exclusive fashion show.
De Balie and Papa Oyeyemi, the designer behind the fashion brand Maxivive, are interested in the complicated reality that Okrika represents. Queer identity, the relations between the Global North and the Global South, waste and sustainability in the fashion industry are all tied up in when we think about Okrika. With this fashion show, we celebrate the beauty of these complexities.
Freethinker Festival is part of Amsterdam 750 years. On 27 October 2025, Amsterdam will be 750 years old and in the run-up to this milestone, various programmes, including Freethinker Festival, will be organised to celebrate.
About Okrika
Africa is the world’s largest importer of second-hand clothes. Approximately 80% of Africans are consumers of used garments from countries in the Global North. A lot of these clothes are imported via Okrika, a town on an island in Southern Nigeria. Over time, the word Okrika became the word to refer to the vibrant and increasing market for pre-owned garments.
For queer people especially, okrika are like fetish objects that give the wearer an aura of uniqueness and a foreign look – while on a modest budget. The anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Nigeria are strict – and punishments severe. Okrika offers a relief from that reality.
Text in Dutch
Okrika staat voor queer identiteit, okrika staat voor afval en duurzaamheid, okrika staat voor mondiale ongelijkheid. Maar vanavond betekent okrika dat we al die complexiteiten omarmen en omzetten in mode. Met Okrika! presenteren De Balie en het modemerk Maxivive een exclusieve modeshow.
De Balie en Papa Oyeyemi, de ontwerper achter het modemerk Maxivive, zijn geïnteresseerd in de gecompliceerde realiteit die Okrika vertegenwoordigt. Queer identiteit, de relaties tussen het Noorden en het Zuiden, afval en duurzaamheid in de mode-industrie zijn allemaal verbonden als we aan Okrika denken. Met deze modeshow vieren we de schoonheid van deze complexiteit.
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