Natalia Mroz, Pretty in pink at the soda shop (PEOPLE & PORTRAIT 2024)

Miliwani, a girl from the Samburu tribe in Northern Kenya. From birth, Samburu women wear elaborate beaded collars which can reach beyond their shoulders as they grow up. At dusk, the girls often gather to sing and dance with the young warriors from surrounding villages, and the movement of the big necklaces is a big part of the celebration. The Samburu are often referred to as the ‘butterfly people’ for their attention to their looks, but jewellery is much more than decoration, denoting social and marital status. White beads like Miliwani’s stand for purity, the colour of cows’ milk, the Samburu’s much revered source of livelihood. Around her neck a little mirror lets Miliwani prepare for the dance.

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