Episode #108 with Kemi Lawson

The Swinging Palm Trees Podcast

"People (economists)have put together a number of lost earnings, looking at the interest value of money, and it comes into the trillions; we're talking of a profound amount. And so....it's not like anyone is expecting a country to transfer a Trillion pounds next week, but that shouldn't put you off reparations but it's getting the conversation started....imagine a Trillion pounds worth of value taken away from you: how would that affect you?"

On today's episode I chat with entrepreneur and co-founder of The Cornrow, Kemi Lawson. Kemi shares why she set up The Cornrow with her sister, her interest in history and Black stories. We both discuss narratives about Africa, contemporary Black Design, Afro-Futurism and Afrocentrism. As Kemi has a deep love for interior design within homes, it was natural that we talked about her mixed heritage and ancestry, what it means to her being Black British and how it has shaped her style. We also chat about 'The Black Home', the negative connotations surrounding mud houses, biohacking, cultural appropriation. And of course, Kemi shares with us the quote that continually inspires her.
Kemi Lawson is creative director of The Cornrow, an online home and lifestyle store which curates décor which celebrates the modern Afrocentric aesthetic, www.thecornrow.com. Kemi is passionate about Africa and African diaspora stories and how they relate to our homes. She blogs on @cottagenoir on Instagram. She also has written for numerous publications including Harper’s Bazaar and Living etc and has curated for the Museum of the Home in London Her own home has been featured in a number of interior books and magazines and is designed with an aesthetic she terms “Afro Aristo meets Caribbean nan chic”!
Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar, for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at [e-mail].
Keep Rising & Thriving. Aṣẹ!