Have you tried Spotify's new AI DJ?

👋🏽 EDITOR’S NOTE

Had the chillest Monday ever, this week. No kidding. Kicking off the week grooving to vibrant tunes curated by Spotify's new AI DJ chased away the Monday Blues like magic. For someone whose strength isn’t in making playlists, this add-on to the app is such a game changer for me and has elevated my streaming experience. In case you’re wondering what this is, look out for a piece about my experience trying out the feature on our website soon.

It’s fashion week season again! And though this hasn’t been the most dramatic year, some riveting conversations have been making headlines. From protesters going all out to crash walk shows to fans’ reaction to the recent PLT x Naomi Campbell collaboration. Check out the sections below for the breakdown into ongoing dialogues and sentiments of Gen Z during this period.

• Edisana Stephen, Newsletter Editor

🥳 Z BRAND OF THE WEEK

Subwae Studios, founded in 2018 by Christopher Akpo, is a Ghanaian streetwear brand that seamlessly combines contemporary urban aesthetics with traditional Ghanaian motifs. Beyond crafting visually captivating garments, the brand emphasises sustainability and responsible material sourcing. Subwae Studios draws inspiration from architecture, art, and the natural landscape for its creative designs and skillfully weaves elements of Ghanaian culture into them.

✍️ NEW ON KENGA

📢 FROM THE INSIDE

🔥 PEEP THIS

Conversation starter: Self-checkout at the palm of your hand? The newest in contactless payment, Amazon One in the United States and Tecnet’s palm payment in China sound the death knell for cash. Bad news for traceless transactions.

Art: The Afro-pop, “Banku music” pioneer, Mr. Eazi is turning into something of an Evil Genius, masterminding important conversations between art and music. This past weekend, he opened his curated art exhibition in Accra at the Gallery 1957, involving a body of work specifically commissioned by himself, in anticipation of his upcoming ‘Evil Genius’ album. This is on show until 18th October, when the exhibition will travel to London for the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair’s Special Projects. 2024 is the year of Nigerian art. For only the second time, Nigeria will have a pavilion at the Sixtieth Venice Biennale, commissioned by Edo State Governor Obaseki and curated by Nigerian British curator Aindrea Emelife. Call this serendipity (as Emelife does), that the Biennale’s theme is ‘Foreigners Everywhere’, just when Africa is really owning the art scene.

Beauty: There’s a lot of face time in the news these days as celebrities are finally more transparent about their cosmetic work. The impact? Normalising going under the knife, or the less invasive injectables as part of your beauty routine. How helpful is this transparency? Imagine if Botox was simply part of the ‘Everything Shower’ routine! Could this come at a worse time in history, when we’re seeing ourselves more than ever? 

Food: Remember #CaviarTok? Pringles is capitalising on the 10 billion views that this high-low snack gathered with a new limited “Crisps and Caviar Collection.” How about that for Girl Dinner?

🧏 JUST FYI…

• What’s Fashion Week without drama? In New York, Coach’s runway was interrupted by an activist parading body paint made to look like flesh and muscles, in protest against Coach’s leather use.

• Naomi Campell collaborating with fast fashion company Pretty Little Thing amidst other celebrities aligning themselves more with sustainability; Olivia Rodrigo x Depop, Naomie Harris x Omnes collection made from deadstock, rubs Gen Z the wrong way. She justifies this as “giving [emerging talent] a helping hand in their career.” And it isn’t Naomi without some snark 😬

• In London, the cyclical nature of history is in full view—what Mowalola did not learn from Karl Lagerfeld’s checkered legacy.

💡 Z-Lang

Cozzie livs — a term that refers to the cost-of-living crisis in many parts of the world.

😮‍💨 WEEKENDA

Ru The World, Ruger 

Jam out this weekend with Ruger’s fun and unapologetically contemplative debut album.

Miseducation, Netflix

If you liked The Sex Lives of College Girls, this South-African campus coming-of-age dramedy will have you hooked.

Accra Food Festival, Accra

Explore the city’s cosmopolitan culinary palette, with options ranging from local to asian-fusion to vegan.

accrapremium

View more on Instagram

In And Out Of Time, Gallery 1957 II, Accra

Experience the Ghanaian concept of ‘Sankofa’ through this exhibition that reflects on a non-linear concept of time.

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Unpack how history and community shape lives, including that of a new kid in this time-travel-meets-family-drama novel.

Z-Rated is a weekly newsletter that curates the latest on Gen Z culture in Africa and around the world. Subscribe to get it in your inbox every Friday.