Dakar; Africa’s Fashion Capital

Arts and Entertainment, second prize stories

00-06-2001

An explosion of ideas has made Dakar Africa's fashion capital. About 30 ambitious young designers develop their own personal styles outside the world's better-known fashion centers. An international fashion week takes place at the same time as the annual Dakar Carnival, leading to some unexpected sights.

Commissioned by: Contrasto / Focus

Location: Dakar, Senegal

Photo Credit: Shobha

Shobha was born in Palermo in 1954. She lives between India and Italy. In 1970 she moved to Milan, in 1977 she went to live in India, where she devoted to meditation and to study oriental music.

In 1980 she goes to America and in 1981 she come back in Sicily, where she started photo reporting as a photographer for the newspaper "L'Ora" in Palermo, with her mother Letizia Battaglia and a group of young photogr aphers. Her images portray the political and social world during the years of the "mafia war", Women and the Mafia, one of the reports of greater Importance, is published by leading international newspapers. With Petra Reski journalist, she published the book: Rita Atria and the Turncoats of the mafia, published in Germany by Hoffmann.

In 1987 she started dealing with social themes and international political issues and moved to Cuba to works for several foreign pnewspapers. She published with the journalist Alessandra Riccio, Commander Congratulation! A baby girl was born in Cuba and Women, published in Italy by Edizioni della Battaglia and in France by Desmart.

In 1991 she joined the agency Contrasto. In 1995 she Exhibited at the XLVI Venice Biennale and realize reportage on contemporary art in the world.

In 1998 she won the World Press Photo Award for a reportage on Sicily, and Became an exhibition and a book Entitled The Last Gattopardi by Paolo Falcone, published by Contrasto Agency.