For 10 editions, the brand By Aninha, by Ana Paula Pereira, has been producing creative and striking pieces for AFD

Ana Paula Pereira, known as Aninha,’s passion for accessories transformed a side job into professional work. Having recently graduated in Public Relations, she decided to enroll in the fashion course and, unlike her colleagues who focused on the clothes, she was enchanted by the adornments. “It started with a necklace, which a friend’s mother had bought and she liked it and wanted to reproduce it. Then I said I would try to do it. It had a small embroidered heart and from then on I kind of identified with that piece”, he recalls.

Aninha found in accessories a way to express her creativity in a dynamic way and aligned with her needs. “I didn’t see myself having to sew, do the modeling to develop the clothes and, therefore, I am neurodivergent, I have ADHD. So I need more dynamic things. The accessory gives me the possibility of producing more in less time, you know? And doodling, starting a piece, stopping, moving on to another”, he shares.

See the complete mini-doc about By Aninha:

Around 18 years ago, the By Aninha brand emerged with delicate pieces, pearls, bows and hearts. Over time, accessories began to vary in size, materials and styles, moving on to fashion fairs and collaborative stores in shopping malls in Salvador. Creative and determined, Aninha arrives at Afro Fashion Day in its first edition, which for the fashion creator represented a great challenge at first sight: “I had never participated in a fashion show, I had never made pieces for a fashion show, so for me it really was something kind of in the dark, despite my production capacity being great at the time, due to the fairs”, he reveals.

As the editions went by, Aninha guided her work based on the fashion show, exploring new materials such as wood, beads and metals, and adapting the size of the pieces for a greater visual impact on the catwalk. “Afro kind of guided my professional trajectory. I never stopped producing for Afro, it was like fuel for the brand to exist at a certain point in my life”, he emphasizes. One of the changes highlighted by Ana during her journey at the event was when she started taking a goldsmith course in 2020, allowing her to create designs and produce accessories from scratch, exploring new raw materials such as aluminum and brass: “It gave me the necessary courage to do something new. It was a longer process. I had to cut, saw, look for materials. But the pieces achieved their objective. It was a very big accomplishment for me. I really found myself”, she says emotionally.

Afro Fashion Day carries a deep meaning for Aninha, which highlights its importance as a space for representation and visibility. Furthermore, the creator highlights the aspect of unity and mutual support that the event promotes between creators and stylists. “Afro brought these black creators to light and I realize that there is a great union, the possibility of us strengthening each other’s work, it promotes a connection that is really important for us to expand”, he states.

Mini docs Afro Fashion Day:

Media and Digital Strategy Editor: Jorge Gauthier

Culture intern: Luiza Gonçalves

Media team: Eduardo Bastos, Arthur Leal and Gabriel Cerqueira

Afro Fashion Day is a project by the newspaper Correio with sponsorship from Avon and Bracell, support from CAIXA, Shopping Barra, Salvador Bahia Airport and Wilson Sons and institutional support from Sebrae