ABSTRACT
This chapter explores avant-garde image-making from African luxury brands that at once reinforces, defies, and transcends the framings of culture and nature. It is no coincidence that many of these forward-looking aesthetics are linked to, or rooted in, queer culture. Through an analysis of the brands Rich Mnisi and Karabo Poppy, this chapter shows how urban and futuristic luxurious modalities are both used by and forged from queer subjectivities, which have been mobilized to create effective brand messaging and have become brands in their own right.
