The Beat - The Udu

The udu drum originated from the Igbo people of Nigeria. Unlike other percussion instruments, the udu drum was invented and developed by the women of the Igbo people from clay pots.In fact, Udu means pot in Igbo.

These clay pots are used to carry and store water from the river to their homes. Although the udu looks like an exotic instrument, the udu is a big part of the Igbo's way of life, and you would find a lot of these littered in their homes.

Shop the Aimas udu print here.


Image Source: http://bodyandmindforallwomen.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html

Feel the Rhythm - it's THE BEAT

The Udu Pants

It's always great to see heritage shine through in design, and with "The Beat" collection, it not only shines but boogies too.

Inspired by African history and culture rooted in music, musical instruments and dance, this collection - by the artistic brand Aimas (best known for handpainted tees and fabulous accessories), sees the use of own designed prints translated onto casual, wearable pieces.

The collection tells the story of African music and its role in society - for example, the use of songs for religious ceremonies and rituals, to teach and give guidance, to tell stories, to mark the stages of life and death and to provide political guidance or express discontent. In African culture, the beat of a drum can be used to relay a message in what many understand as drum languages or "talking drums".

Shop "The Beat" Collection today exclusively on www.myasho.com

My Asho Press- Country & Townhouse

Country and Townhouse- January 2012

Cream Silk Trousers- Tiffany Amber

Just in- caxtonalile cards

caxtonalileCARDS is a fun print company that creates greeting cards that are true to Nigeria's cultures. The cards aptly express feelings that would preferably be expressed through a card,  they are patriotic without losing the western aesthetic that a lot of people desire. 

Choose from a wide range of funny quirky and colorful greeting cards for a wide range of occasions from birthdays, to wedding congratulations, valentines and much more.

Please visit caxtonalile on My Asho to see more of the collection.

Just in- Afromania by Nkwo

New and in stock, check out the latest pieces from Afromania by Nkwo

Printed cropped pants

White Maxi Dress

Jumpsuit

Print Skirt

Please visit Afromania by Nkwo on My Asho to see more of the collection.

Carol Vorderman in Tiffany Amber

Check out UK television star, Carol Vorderman in a gorgeous piece by one of our great designers, Tiffany amber. Get an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes of Carol's Tesco magazine photo-shoot.

A lot of work goes into creating a great ad. Discover how the magazine team put the shoot together - from getting the lighting right to choosing the correct clothes and the appropriate make-up to make it all come together.

Don't forget, you can also Shop Tiffany Amber online at www.myasho.com

My Asho Xmas Pop-Up Boutique

Following the success of the first pop-up shopping event this summer, My Asho, the UK based online fashion store, which retails leading African designer brands proudly presents our XMAS Pop Up Boutique on the 3^rd and 4^th of December in Notting Hill, London.  

On offer will be a great selection of Menswear, Childrenswear, Women’s clothing and accessories, and Homeware from designers including TAN by Tiffany Amber, Christie Brown Ghana, Jewel by Lisa, Urbanknit, Chichia London, Kiki Clothing, Isossy children, Aimas and more.

The boutique is situated in the heart of Notting Hill, and will offer stylish party dresses and clutches for the festive season, cosy home and dining furnishings as well as newly available menswear labels all at affordable prices. 

The event is a great opportunity to view in-person the detailed craftsmanship, vibrancy and boldness of items typically sold via MyAsho.com. The pop-up shop will be available for a limited time only and collections will be available while stocks last with prices ranging from £5-£90.

Join us at the My Asho XMAS Pop-Up Boutique

When:  Saturday 3^rd December 2011: 10am - 6pm

            Sunday 4^th December 2011: 10am – 6pm

Where:  47 Pembridge Road, Notting Hill, W11 3HG, London, United Kingdom

My Asho in Marie Claire November 2011

My Asho is delighted to be featured in the latest edition of Marie Claire magazine. The Ituen Basi Oghogo bangles come as a set of 6 skinny bangles wrapped in a mix of African fabrics. Available at www.myasho.com

'My Asho' brings African fashion to global market

If you missed it the first time, here is another chance to see when CNN dropped by at the My Asho pop-up Boutique.

New Changes for My Asho

My Asho is proud to announce some new changes coming soon.

 Since our launch in June 2009, our small team has dedicated itself to showcasing and making available select pieces from Africa's top designers. Your feedback has been very encouraging and constructive and we have mixed it all together to come up with some changes which we hope you will like.

1. More products - we will be working even more closely with our designers bringing you more of their pieces as they are created. This means you don't have to wait for seasonal collections to be released, new pieces will be released to the My Asho on a more regular basis.
2. More designers - we will be adding more African designer brands to our Site. This allows us to offer a wider product range and also a wider range of clothing sizes. So, if you are a designer, please do contact us for information on how you can get your products on My Asho.
3. Faster dispatch dates - Currently there is a waiting period of up to 4 weeks for certain items. My Asho will be reducing this date and hopes to get specially customised products to you at most within 2 weeks. Other items should be dispatched immediately.
4. Even better customer service - we are a small and very busy team, but we always want to provide excellent and personalised customer care. Every order is special to us, and for that reason we will be introducing dedicated customer care representatives who you can contact to assist for help with tracking your orders, payment or delivery issues and managing exchanges or returns.

If you have any questions about our changes, please do contact us. If you have any suggestions about ways in which we could improve, please do leave us feedback.

My Asho Pop-Up Boutique: Second Chance

Did you miss out on The My Asho Pop-Up Boutique experience?

Did you get home and wish you had bought that funky jumpsuit or cool tee?

Well here's a fantastic chance to get your hands on pieces exclusive to the Pop-Up shop still at the fantastic prices that were available on the day.

Available for a limited time only.

My Asho Pop-Up Market

Happy Shopping!

My Asho Pop-Up Boutique

Get The Look: Summer on The Beach

Here are some ideas for your summer holiday shopping. Nice simple but bright pieces that you can add to your holiday packing list.

Perfect for lounging by the beach or swimming pool or just for taking it easy, always with a splash of colour.

Happy Birthday My Asho !!

My Asho is 2 years old today. We are very excited and blessed to be celebrating our 2nd anniversary. On behalf of ourselves and all our wonderful designers, we would like to say a very big thank you to all those who have continued to visit and shop with us over the past two years. Your patronage is truly appreciated and we look forward to bringing you even more fabulous fashion finds from talented African designers.

To mark this special day, please enjoy a birthday treat for 25% off ALL clothing for the ENTIRE month of June! Just use the promotional code MYASHOISTWO at checkout. Happy shopping!

My Asho Giveaway!

Taking cue from our friends at Urbanknit, My Asho is having a giveaway!

Our giveaway item is the beautiful Mkono necklace from Lalesso. This necklace was designed by Jennifer Kinnear and handmade by SOKO Kenya - the production house initially set up by Lalesso and which currently produce the ASOS Africa collections.

Mkono Necklace

The Mkono necklace is made using recycled brass and has a gorgeous cockle shell pendant. It makes an ideal summer accessory and we think it is best worn with statement summer dresses from Lalesso, which you can view and purchase here.

HOW TO WIN:

Browse around the My Asho website and let us know your favourite items by leaving a comment here. That's it!

For additional entries:

• Blog about the giveaway and link to this post or the My Asho website. Please leave a comment here to let us know.
• Submit to any social network (StumbleUpon, Facebook, etc) - Click on the "Share This" at the bottom right of this post. Leave a comment here to let us know.
• Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter. And then leave a comment here to let us know.
• Follow us on Twitter. And then leave a comment here to let us know.
• Become a My Asho Facebook fan. And then leave a comment here to let us know.

It is important to leave a separate comment for each of the entries, as this increases your chances of winning.

WHO CAN WIN:

Anyone can enter and you can do so as many times as you like.

The giveaway will run for 14 days so will end at midnight GMT on the 1st June 2011 (which happens to be our 2nd Birthday!). A winner will be picked at random and announced. We will need to contact you for your address so we can ship out your gift, so please do visit this blog on the 1st June when the winner is announced. And yes! We will ship to most destinations around the world - FREE OF CHARGE!!!

Good luck and please spread the word!

This giveaway is now closed. The winner is lin3arossa. Congratulations!!!!

Dress of the Day

My Asho is loving the Green Maxi Dress by AiFA. Perfect for the spring sunshine. Grab yours today while stocks last! 

Green Maxi Dress by AiFA

Introducing: Biki John - Our Contributing Fashion Editor

My Asho is pleased to introduce our new contributing fashion editor - Biki John. Biki is a London based stylist and image consultant with years of experience in the fashion industry. She has worked on amazing editorial shoots with ARISE magazine (get your copy at MyAsho.Com today), Zoot, Anglomania and more. You can view samples of her work below or visit http://www.bikijohn.com/ to view her full portfolio.

ARISE Magazine - Issue 9

Singer VV Brown

Zula

We are super thrilled to have her as part of the My Asho team and look forward to lots of exciting new posts. Stay tuned ....

Lalesso Spring/Summer 2011

We are delighted to stock Lalesso's brand new SS11 collection. This eco-chic label has grown from strength to strength since its launch 6 years ago. To find out more about Lalesso and their ethical production partners SOKO, please click here.


You can shop Lalesso now at My Asho. As a special treat for all our blog readers, we are offering 10% off all Lalesso items if you shop before 2nd May 2011. Simply use promo code LALESSO SS11 during checkout.Enjoy! x

Chepeo Dress

Legea Playsuit

Goka Necklace

Kilele Ring