“My inspirations are mainly from the ’70s in Africa — Ivory Coast or Senegal,” William Broux said when I stopped him and his friends near Fort Greene Park on a Saturday in late August. “I just mix it with what I have and what I can have because I’m a student and, you know, I can’t afford all the clothes.”
Broux, an Ivorian himself, and his friends, Djily Barry-Boone and Joel Oguachuba, all 21, were coming from Spike Lee’s annual “BK Loves MJ” dance party, an outdoor celebration of Michael Jackson’s birthday. The three young men were dressed in a retro style reminiscent of the Jackson 5’s heyday, when Afros, denim jackets and bell bottoms ruled.
Barry-Boone, who is half Senegalese and half French, said he had been dressing this way for about two years. But for Oguachuba, who is from Nigeria, it still feels a bit new. “I’m starting to dress more like this because I want to go out with them and match the vibe a bit,” he said. “But I have my own separate style.” (Oguachuba and Broux are college roommates in Toronto, so the influence runs both ways.)
Throughout our conversation, several people approached the three young men and asked to take selfies. They took naturally to the celebrity treatment.
“We came late and still had a lot of compliments,” Broux said of their experience at the party. “We took a picture with all the people and talked with everybody. It was great also to listen to Michael and honor his path.”
The post The Jackson 5? Look Again (and Check Your Math). appeared first on New York Times.
