After last year’s Brixton Light Festival, lots of people read my blog post and were sad they missed the festival and asked how they could be sure not to miss the next one. So consider yourselves warned: The next Brixton Light Festival takes place on Saturday, September 2nd, 2023. I have every reason to believe it will be even more spectacular than last year’s festival. Mark your calendars and follow @BrixtonLightFestival on Instagram for updates.

Now I want to tell you about last Friday, Youth Day, when members of the Brixton community hosted a market/cycling demonstration/fashion show as a lead-up event for the Brixton Light Festival.
I’ve lived in Brixton for about two years and I’ve come to have high expectations for events like these. But I was still not sufficiently prepared for the electrifying display of creativity, talent, and community spirit I witnessed on Youth Day.

I don’t want to muck up this post with too many words. Just look at the pictures and try not to feel too sad if you missed this incredible day — September 2nd is just around the corner.
Brixton’s Youth Day in Photos
There were three main events: a clothing and art market with local vendors, a spinning and stance bike competition hosted by the Sentech Croozers, and a fashion show featuring emerging local designers and models.






Although all the day’s events were fantastic, the fashion show took things to a stratospheric level of coolness. Guests lined up several rows deep along the runway, which was drawn in chalk on the crumbling Brixton tennis court, and a scrum of amateur photographers (me included) jockeyed for position at the end of the walk. House and kwaito music pumped as the models strutted down the runway, the crowd roaring its approval for every look. I have no idea how much time passed. I was dazzled.
Apologies to the models: I’m not certain of all your names, so with the exception of Wandile I’m leaving them out. Hopefully I’ve got the designers’ names right. And apologies for all the dope outfits that didn’t make it into this post — there were too many.











Congratulations to Pprriim and Gavaza, who shared the prize for best designer, and all the other winners and participants. I can’t wait for September 2nd.

Thanks to Tamzyn, Fassie, Cammy, Lucy, Percy, all the other incredible people at Shade, and everyone else who made Brixton’s Youth Day amazing.
♥
So sorry now that I did not come through. Just love that jacket by Orange Juice.
I like the knit couture, but I like the name “Black Jesus” best of all.