Proud South, Lidewij Edelkoort, Lili Tedde and Mariola Lopez Mariño

Proud South is a vivid, globe-spanning visual manifesto showcasing creative ingenuity across the Global South—spanning Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. The book brings together the work of emerging and established talents—designers, photographers, stylists and artists—each offering something deeply rooted in ancestral craft, yet resonating with contemporary edge. As curator Lidewij Edelkoort observes, a “southern generation of creatives… embracing regional materials, ancestral practices and indigenous values” is redefining global aesthetics with urgency and soul.

More than a catalogue, Proud South pulses with cultural insight and visual verve. It features over 400 pages of fashion spreads, portraits and documentary photography—including work by Jackie Nickerson, Omar Victor Diop, and Mous Lamrabat—alongside essays by writers and curators such as Modupe Oloruntoba, Kavita Parmar and Carla Fernández. Designed by Mariola López Mariño, the book is itself a curated object—bound in luminous gold and made to feel like a celebratory archive of southern creativity poised to shift the axis of global inspiration.

About the Author
Lidewij Edelkoort is a renowned trend forecaster and cultural theorist whose work bridges design, fashion, craft and anthropology. As founder of Trend Union and co-founder of the World Hope Forum, she has long championed sustainable practices and indigenous wisdom within contemporary design. Her curatorial vision is rooted in storytelling, materiality and the quiet power of tradition.

Lili Tedde is a curator and editor with a deep sensitivity to visual culture and social change. Working alongside Edelkoort, she brings a thoughtful perspective to global narratives of craft, highlighting emerging talent and honouring ancestral knowledge through carefully curated editorial projects.

Mariola Lopez Mariño is a designer and art director whose work blends elegance with editorial precision. With a background in visual communication and a finely tuned aesthetic sensibility, she brings conceptual clarity and tactile beauty to each project. Her design for Proud South transforms the book into a crafted object—bold, poetic and deeply intentional.

Publication date: 2022
Publisher: Lecturis
Pages: 424
ISBN: 9789462264441