Marie Gomis-Trezise explains how Nataal grew to become the premier platform for African creative talent

Having just arrived in London from Brussels earlier that day, Marie Gomis-Trezise took to the stage with a surprising amount of energy. From the very start of her talk it was clear how she had come to be creative director of global media brand Nataal: her infectious smile and her passion for the brand’s work were tangible even from the seats at the back. She told us that she was first drawn to Nataal because of the boundaries they were pushing in terms of the Black aesthetic, and it’s from this that the brand’s network of contributors grew to be a huge, international family, she explained.

Since taking over the creative direction of Nataal and its printed magazine of the same name, Marie has overseen a plethora of exciting projects. This includes the release of two issues of the magazine and collaborations with big name fashion brands such as Farfetch, Balmain, Valentino and Thom Browne, among others. Marie walked us through the many, many photoshoots and stories that Nataal has created and published in the last few years, showcasing some of the best creatives currently working in Africa and throughout the diaspora. She finished by showing the audience “the cherry on the cake” – a recent collaboration with the V&A that saw Nataal contribute to its new major exhibition named Africa Fashion, which is currently on show at the museum. A central aspect of the collaboration was the short film Who Dey Shake, which the audience were able to watch at the end of the talk.