Away from Africa

Today I went to Harlem, to the Harlem Book Fair, to see Atim Oton at the Calabar Imports booth. Atim and her friend Cassandra in Harlem For those decrying the "whitification" of Harlem, I didn't see much of it. Maybe they stayed home. On the other hand, there were many Africans, in all kinds of traditional dress, speaking different languages, including French. I saw no books at the Book Fair, but there were booths selling clothing, jewelry, hair products, African art... There seems to be no need to travel to the African continent anymore to buy anything: I saw Ghanaian-made dresses, bags and clutches, necklaces made of fabric at Calabar; traditional glass and amber bead necklaces; children's clothes; statues and masks, fabric and more (but no books). Maybe the books were elsewhere. Adana Collins (above) creates hand-painted earrings and braid ornaments for very reasonable prices. Her company's name is Lovable Treasures , and she also sells at Calabar...

Atim in the Front Street store Calabar was an international sea port as far back as the 16th century. Calabar Imports is a fitting name for Atim Annette Oton's Brooklyn-based stores. I visited her in the seasonal Dumbo store, at The Shops at 145 Front Street. Atim is one of the first African-born architects we met in New York. At the time she was teaching, and publishing a design magazine called Blacklines; she had interviewed my spouse, Epée Ellong , for an article about his architectural projects in Cameroon. It's now my turn to write about her! The store is in Dumbo, in the shadow  of the Manhattan Bridge The store and business is owned by  Atim Annette Oton and her mother,  Heloise Annette Oton.  The main store is located  in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY.  Calabar Imports carries a dizzying array of unique handcrafted items: affordable fashion clothing, fashion accessories, jewelry, home decor and gifts. T...