FASHION

Afropunk Festival Returns to Brooklyn, Closes Out Summer Festival Street Style on a High Note

Photographs by Myles Loftin

Aug. 28, 2017

SZA holding a microphone and singing during a concert

Afropunk never disappoints when it comes to street style, and this year was no exception. The Brooklyn edition of Afropunk got underway Saturday with sets by Princess Nokia, SZA, Solange, Sampha, and Thundercat, but the real show wasn’t on stage—instead, it was in the audience, where fans turned out in their most impressive festival ensembles that make Coachella look positively tame. With the signs around Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood that read: no racism, no sexism, no homophobia, no transphobia, no fatphobia, no ageism, no ableism, and no hatefulness, Afropunk invites its attendees to create a space of body-positivity, and that apparently extends to its fashion. As the last major New York festival of the summer, it closes out the season on a high note. In the crowd, we spotted countless musicians, as well as Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson, professed fan of down vests and “romphims”—see all the best looks from the 2017 Afropunk Festival street style, here.

A woman with a blonde afro, golden dangling earrings at the Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with red dreadlocks and a denim jumpsuit at the Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with a light brown afro and a golden bralette with matching short at the Afropunk festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with white face paint at the Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

Two women at the Afropunk Festival: one in a red top and pants and the other is in striped pants and...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman in a yellow and blue matching set and a blonde buzz cut at the Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with beads in her hair and a white puffer-sleeved crop top with tigers on it

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman beads in her hair, smiling with her eyes closed at the Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with an afro and sunglasses in her hair posing in a violet dress at the Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with and afro and sunglasses in her hair wearing eyeliner above her lid at the Afropunk Fest...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman in a yellow off-the-shoulder crop top, and a yellow with turquoise headpiece at the Afropunk...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

Two men at the Afropunk Festival, one is wearing a denim jacket and black beret and the other a whit...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man wearing a black beret and golden sunglasses at the Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man wearing a white t-shirt and black fanny pack at the Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with a blonde afro in a ponytail at the Afropunk festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with braids and beads in her hair, and an off-the-shoulder maroon top at the Afropunk Festiv...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A person with an afro and a comb in their hair, a white long-sleeved tee and denim shorts at the fes...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A person with an afro and a comb in their hair wearing blue eyeshadow

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with blond braids and teal lipstick wearing a sequined, cropped, strapless top at the festiv...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman wearing a floral headpiece, a brown caftan and gold skirt revealing her breasts at the Afrop...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with blonde braids, teal lipstick and light blue eyebrows smiling and looking up at the Afro...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with curly hair, shiny eye shadow and a septum piercing smiling at the Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman singing on the stage at the Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with a blonde buzz cut and golden hooped earrings looking into the distance at the festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with white face paint, in a white shirt and pants. and a blue puffer vest at the Afropunk Fest...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman in a green trench coat, with a buzz cut and sunglasses on her head at the Afropunk festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with a red buzz cut, a white tied up button-up and low-cut jeans with yellow circles on them...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman in a black bikini top, striped pants, a dragon necklace and an orange beret at the Afropunk ...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

SZA performing at Afropunk Festival in a pink top and voluminous curls

SZA performing at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with a blue buzz cut, blue goatie and blue round glasses with feathers around his shoulders at...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

SZA performing at Afropunk Festival in a pink top and pink pants

SZA performing at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with a short hair and dangling gold earrings looking directly at the camera at Afropunk Festi...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with dreadlocks, a black bandeau top, black leather pants and a red beret at Afropunk Festiv...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with a dreadlock ponytail, yellow sunglasses and a septum piercing at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman in a white laced, long dress at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with a rainbow colored headband and white glittery face paint at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

Solange performing in front of a big crowd at Afropunk Festival

Solange performing at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with a yellow buzzcut, eyebrows and goatie with a tulle skirt propped up by a large leather bl...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with a grey afro, beige sunglasses and dangling large earrings smiling at the camera during ...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with an afro, sunglasses and white denim overalls

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with white sunglasses, a gold hoop earring and a nose piercing at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

Two men walking under a red umbrella, one in a red dress and one in a white dress

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with multiple dreadlock ponytails and a blue jacket at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with dreadlocks and beads in her hair wearing a blue dress at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with two dreadlock ponytails, one at the front and one at the back during Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A bald woman in a white cropped off-the-shoulder top and low-waist jeans at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman wearing a yellow headpiece, sunglasses with shells on them, a gold statement necklace and pu...

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with dreadlocks, a beret, a white t-shirt and denim overalls at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with a dreadlock ponytail, a blue headpiece and striped t-shirt at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with short hair, white face paint and a blue top at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man in a white t-shirt that says "beyhive boys" and sunflowers in his hand at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman wearing a sombrero and sunglasses with a white net tank top, at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man wearing a black beret, yellow sunglasses and a grey vest at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman in a black sheer top and yellow plaid skirt at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man in an orange t-shirt and silver chunky jewelry at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with a dreadlock ponytail and yellow sunglasses at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with a dreadlock ponytail with beads in it at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A blonde curly woman in a pink jacket and matching skirt at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with pink flowers in his hair at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

Four people at Afropunk Festival hugging and posing for a photo

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with a long afro wearing a floral top and matching pants

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman at Afropunk Festival with purple hair and a blue flower as an accessory

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman wearing a yellow wig and yellow earrings with a plaid dress at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman wearing flower-shaped sunglasses and grey dreadlocks at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with dreadlocks and a dark blue satin shirt at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man wearing a Supreme snapback and orange sunglasses posing for a photo at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A woman with long yellow dreadlocks and a septum piercing at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man at Afropunk Festival with a light pink doo-rag and jewels on his face

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A man with light blue hair and circular sunglasses at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

A main with his hair braided in the shape of horns at Afropunk Festival

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.

An attendee of Afropunk Festival in orange sunglasses and a white tee

Street style at Afropunk Festival. Photo by Myles Loftin for W Magazine.