.The brand triumphs against odds and remains the unmatched crowd-puller to Europe’s biggest African fashion showcase.

Guest of Honour: Mrs Oludolapo Osinbajo addresses the AFWL crowd.

.The brand triumphs against odds and remains the unmatched crowd-puller to Europe’s biggest African fashion showcase.  Africa Fashion Week London 2016 came and concluded with its renown pomp and grandeur, showcasing 40 designers from across Africa and its Diaspora and over 50 exhibitors - delighting thousands of  fashionistas,  shoppers, as well as high profile dignitaries including Mrs Oludolapo Osinbajo – wife of the vice president of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo. The BBC World’s Focus on Africa screened a pre-event catwalk show live to its 3 million plus viewers, a day before - setting a backdrop to what was to come in the main shows held on 9 -10 September.  Mrs Osinbajo was not only the guest of honour, but she was also at the show to support to Step Up - her charitable initiative which trains women and men with various skills required to start up a small business. The initiative took to the AFWL runaway with Step Up African print bags in conjunction with designerLady Biba.  Also in the house were officials from supporting partners – ONE LAGOS, The Bank of Industry (Nigeria), The Nigerian Export Promotion Council, The Sun Nigeria and The New African Woman.   This year, over 6,000 lovers of African fashion and fashion inspired by Africa descended on London Olympia for the increasingly popular show, which is in its 6th year -  three of which have taken place at the  famous west London  venue.   That’s not to say there were not issues… “Our main challenge this year was the Olympia venue staff. Despite the fact that this was our third year at the Olympia, they were very difficult to work with and made seamless execution of this year’s shows very hard to do, but we did what we had to.  We look after so many designers and exhibitors.  They come to our platform because of what we can offer, so we had a duty of care to make sure they have the best experience.  This year, though, was certainly a challenge.”                                                                                           AFWL CEO and Founder Ronke Ademiluy ________________________________________________________________________________ Over a thousand attending the last show were left stunned, when the grand finale by headline designer Tanzania’s respected Mustapha Hassanali, was stopped, when venue staff abruptly cut off of power 5 minutes into the highly anticipated show.  But despite what was going on behind the scenes, the African Fashion Week London revellers were in for the usual hefty dose of African splendour. Back-to-back, both established and up coming designers wowed the jubilant crowd. Starting with the opening show by Didi Creations who lit up the runway in vibrant mustard yellow, red and blue Kaftans, right up to the Hassanali’s final show Mirage collection – an explosion of sequins meet chiffon which stood true to the medical doctor, turned designer’s signature inventive evening gowns, AFWL did what it does best – excite London and Europe at large, with what Africa offers. The AFWL audience were especially delighted to see menswear take to the stage as a major force this year.  Channeling Congo’s Sapeurs and innovative street-wear. Caesar Couture, Niposkin and Sly Monay and London’s Soboye brought the A-game to men’s fashion. And in a first for the AFWL catwalk, Modest Wear was a feature of Saturday’s show. Bold textiles and exquisite embroidery starred in an innovative collection by The Co-Identity Collection aimed at Islamic women.          “Overall it was a great show, despite the challenges we had with the venue; feedback from designers, exhibitors and the general public has been good, but we know there is room for improvement in the way we protect our staff, guests, designers and exhibitors from negative outside influences,” concedes Ademiluyi.   2016 Designer Collections – Day 1 2016 Designer Collections – Day 2 SPONSORS PARTNERS & MEDIA PARTNERS

AFTV-Mecerdes Benz fashion week Joburg SS16

Soboye to showcase their Men's and Women's wear inspired By colour blue at African fashion Week London

SOBOYE will also be showcasing their SOBOYE BLUE collection on the AFWL 2016 runway.

Soboye Blue is a collection of Men’s & Women’s clothing inspired by the color blue…
Blue is tranquil, calming and moody. The color of the mighty sea and the expansive sky, it evokes the excited feeling of cruise travel and far off horizons.

Apart from being a great base color SOBOYE considered Indigo and it’s many hues as the starting point to build a directional collection.

Light and dark Denim is used liberally and mixed with African Print to add punch to a sharp collection of tailoring and separates. Vlisco Ankara is used to trim Jackets and trousers whilst full print shirts punctuate the collection.

Following on from the successful ‘Afro Dandy’s’ collection SOBOYE trail-blazes with their modern take on design and fuses their Nigerian heritage with their British upbringing…

Samson SOBOYE the creative director behind the brand is also the owner of the Afro-Chic Fashion & Lifestyle Boutique SOBOYE, which celebrates and showcases the best in African Design.  Also a reputable Fashion Stylist and Central St. Martin’s Graduate, Samson has spearheaded the way in London for the love and appreciation of high-end African designed and manufactured products and is the go-to boutique for many a celebrity and as well as discerning clientele.

Having shown at Lagos Design & Fashion Week 2014/15 and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, this will be Soboye's debut showing at Africa Fashion Week London.

AFWL 2016 Will Include 5 Catwalk Shows | 60 Designers | AFWL Expo & Entertainment.

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• FRIDAY THE 9TH OF SEPTEMBER – Fashion Show and Exhibition

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• SATURDAY THE 10TH OF SEPTEMBER – Fashion Show and Exhibition

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DETOUR FASHIONS AND ZADIRA AFRICA TO SHOWCASE AT AFRICA FASHION WEEK LONDON 2016

DETOUR FASHIONS AND ZADIRA AFRICA TO SHOWCASE AT AFRICA FASHION WEEK LONDON 2016

 

Detour fashions is a brand that gives women a chance to explore and be inspired to improve their lifestyles and personalities. Its timeless pieces are simple, elegant yet trendy. Founded in 2007, Detour is an emerging fashion house that potrays elegance, simplicity and sophistification in its designs.

Detour Fashions was founded by Kagiso Lesotlho in  2007.  Kagiso was a protégé to the late Elizabeth Mmanfedi Lesotlho (grandmother) who was in her lifetime a dress-maker of repute who crafted various outfits to sell.

Detour Fashions signature reflects vintage style with a tweak of classic style and fine detail. 

 

 Zadira Africa which was established in 2013, is an indigenous company based in Nigeria, with Ms. Ebidomo Okudu as the CEO. They manufacture bags, shoes and accessories made in fabric, leather and skin built on a timeless and contemporary design aesthetic, depicting the rich culture of Africa.

Zadira Africa develops all its designs in Nigeria which are then handcrafted by gifted craftsmen from all over Africa under tight quality control. Zadira Africa products are handcrafted out of the finest leather and fabrics available.  Their bags, shoes and accessories are unique and exclusive , providing you with function and durability as well as affordable prices.

Couture D’Afrique shows that Africa is the future of fashion

Powerful pan-African event concludes a successful MBFWJ16

Johannesburg, Gauteng, 16 August 2016 – Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg 2016 ended on a fashionably high note when AFI Privé presented Couture D’Afrique in association with PUMA SELECT, to a high-profile audience in a venue that didn’t have one seat unoccupied. The clothes were created by the designers and the show featured a selection of shoes and accessories from PUMA SELECT.

“Couture D’Afrique brings together pan-African designers on one platform,” says Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, executive chairperson of African Fashion International (AFI). “It features a group of the most inspiring designers from eleven African countries, who have an opportunity to showcase their country in the most captivating way, whilst also bringing the most beautiful African fashion to a global stage.”

Talented Angolan fashion designer Soraya da Piedade is passionate about design and her label, and she creates fashion for strong, independent women. She presented an elegant and innovative sheer and stripes collection in yellows and greys, with full skirts and tailored trousers.

From Gabon comes Jessica Nguema-Metoule, with her brand Otinguema. While she has fashion experience from around the world, her inspiration comes from the cultural richness and diversity of Africa. Otinguema featured a colour palette of greys, blues and pinks in a stunning casual summer range.

Proudly representing South Africa was Laduma with his beautiful MaXhosa range. His distinctive knitwear brand celebrates his proud Xhosa heritage and it continues to impress audiences locally and around the world.

While Congolese-born Tina Lobondi was raised in France and now lives in London, her heritage always forms part of her collections. This well respected designer did herself proud with a sea green and blue collection of trousers, shorts and dresses.

Female-owned fashion brand Haute Baso is committed to collaborating with fellow Rwandan artisans, and the brand uses fashion as a vehicle for empowerment in Rwanda. Haute Baso was a lesson in how to effortlessly combine military, utility and camo to create a slick womenswear range.

From Tanzania comes the award-winning and charismatic menswear designer Sheria Ngowi, with a brand that is primarily motivated by the dressing style of Ngowi’s late father. He produced a sleek, elegant range that portrayed the image of the African gentleman.

Voluminous skirts and tribal prints came from KikoRomeo by Ann McCreath. This leading fashion label specialises in African-inspired contemporary clothing, dressing Kenya’s A-list and putting the country firmly on the global fashion map.

The award-winning, playful and colourful brand Mina Evans is proudly Ghanaian. The luxury fashion brand perfectly showed off the feminine form in the ultimate little black dress and jumpsuit, with gold accessories.

With tasteful tunics and trousers, one of Côte d'Ivoire’s top designers Ciss Saint Moïse, proved that modest wear is highly fashionable. In a testament to his character, he also showed appreciation for his models by high-fiving them on his way down the runway.

Adama Paris is the label owned and operated by Senegalese fashion designer Adama Amanda Ndiaye. She is the epitome of multicultural fashion and her show was all about big headdresses in pink or blue, with matching shoes and a collection of monochrome magic.

The womenswear brand Osuare, is worn by some of Nigeria’s biggest celebrities but as it’s inspired by cultures from around the world, it has global appeal. Osuare had fun with this collection, producing a range of white minis with colourful beaded elements throughout.

“Couture D’Afrique embraces and celebrates fashion from across the continent and it was a spectacular way to end off a successful week of fashion. We are immensely proud of all the designers who showcased their beautiful clothing on this global platform. Our commitment at AFI is to take African fashion from the ramp to the global stage and we believe that this fashion week and this fashion event is the vehicle to achieve this,” says Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe.

 

                                   THE SUN NIGERIA PARTNERS WITH AFWL 2016

to present

The  London Conference on Globalizing African Fashion

 

Nigeria’s highest selling newspaper has teamed up with Africa Fashion Week London to bring another dimension of awareness to the globalization of African Fashion.
Africa Fashion Week London 2016 will host a conference designed to attract foreign investments to the continent’s fashion industry, in addition to the familiar catwalk shows and exhibition.
In his words of support, the Chief Executive Officer and Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Publishing Limited, Eric Osagie, says;
“… it is time the African fashion industry is taken more seriously as an income and job generator, as well as a sector capable of weathering the ups and downs of the African economy.
Africa has huge potentials of becoming one of the world's apparel and textile milieu. But to achieve this, significant international investment is needed to build the industrial infrastructure required.
At the London conference, we aim to enhance the value of African fashion industry on the world stage especially as regards youth development and job creation, attract investments and create avenues for the public-private sector partnership negotiations to create symbiotic relationships that will mutually benefit investors and stakeholders.
London is one of the major fashion capitals of the world. It is a great honor for us and the African continent to have a professional international platform to promote African fashion industry, Africa heritage, African Values, African Textiles through AFWL.
Africa is already generating global brands with value chains. This event will obviously revitalize the demand for traditional craftsmanship and creating jobs.”

 FEATURED TOPICS:

• Place of African fashion in the global market:  Problems, prospects and perspectives.
• Youth empowerment through the fashion industry.
• The growth of the African Garment Industry: why multinationals are using Africa in their supply chain.
• Exploitation or Big Business?:  the use of African artisan craft in major fashions without credit.

WHY ATTEND THE LONDON CONFERENCE ON THE GLOBALIZATION OF AFRICAN FASHION

• Hear keynote speaker's views on why African fashion has such an impact on global fashions.
• Hear from major clients on why Africa is being heralded as the next major exporter of finished garments for the world market.
• Pinpoint which areas of the sector will be the focus of investment.
• Draw out lessons from current projects and the importance of collaboration to the delivery of future developments.

ABOUT AFRICA FASHION WEEK LONDON (AFWL)
Launched in 2011 and founded by Ronke Ademiluyi and her team, AFWL has contributed enormously to the growth of the African fashion industry.   AFWL's mission is to promote emerging and established African designers from across the globe.
Africa Fashion Week London is known for its collaborations of catwalk and exhibitions, which highlights the industry's established and emerging African designers.  For six consecutive years, AFWL has been at the forefront of capturing the surge of the African inspired trends in the fashion industry. Its annual event aims to celebrate the work of Africa and African inspired designers in the UK and worldwide.

Fashion from the front row in Nelson Mandela Square

Highlights from day 2 of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg 2016

Johannesburg, Gauteng, 12 August 2016 – Fashion lovers, industry influences, local celebrities and the cool kids of fashion were all dressed to impress as they attended the second night of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg 2016. Hosted by African Fashion International (AFI), this premier fashion event provides the platform for some of the continent’s eminent designers to showcase the coming season’s hottest trends.

AFI Executive Chairperson Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe and her husband Patrice Motsepe were part of a celebrity-filled crowd that included Maps Mopanyane, Terry Pheto, and musicians Tamara Dey and Petite Noir. Influential media personalities including Aspasia Karras, Jackie May and Sharon Becker were also in attendance, looking like they had walked straight out of the pages of a slick fashion magazine.

The opening show of the evening was Philosophy by Jennie Button. Inspired by the bright colours of India, and with Eastern music setting the scene, the models floated down the runway in silky, flowing, feminine dresses that gave a lesson in summer fashion. The accessories were simple sandals and hoop earrings, but each model had striking copper make-up, resembling a delicate mask.

In a complete change of direction, the next set of models were wrapped up in Basotho blankets (designed as jackets and coats) with their hoods pulled over their heads and their hands deep in their pockets. These were worn over brightly coloured leggings and shirts inspired by famous artists like Picasso. Her final three dresses were deep red, form fitting and very striking. In keeping with the artistic theme there were streaks of black and white painted stripes on the dresses. With the soundtrack of African drums reverberating in the room, the Jenni Button fashion army had a final, impressive march up the runway.

One of the most established names in the fashion industry is Marianne Fassler, with her distinctive signature juxtaposition of clashing prints. She brings together different African cultures and highlights them in a modern way through her designs. Dresses had dreamy florals and stylistic flower motifs, accompanied by metallic accessories, from the lips to the gloves and the sparkling shoes.

Her glamour camo designs had bright blue and orange lace accents, while the African prints highlighted her proud African heritage. Her pièce de résistance was a delicate lace wedding dress that the model wore while holding a plant frond above her head like a lush, green umbrella. The doyenne of fashion called all her staff to join her on the runway as she walked to huge applause from the appreciative crowd. 

With carousel music playing in the background, Shana presented a dusty pink and champagne collection that was reminiscent of fun, summer days. Models wore their hair naturally and in long, loose waves, with few accessories. The shoes were from Nine West and the delicate jewellery was Raya Rossi. The spring range was uber feminine, playful and wearable. Tulle, frills and floaty fabric dominating the runway and butterfly elements reminded everyone that summer is coming.

Stefanie Morland brought in a touch of 70s with ruffles, tassels and lots of layers. Her silky spring collection included retro glam dresses in a range of colours from mustard to midnight blue, and fun summer shorts in a pop of yellow. Morland goes effortlessly from day to night, with eye-catching black dresses, with the most striking having a summer field of flowers attached to the inside of the back of the dress. Her final look was a nod to spring, with beautiful wedding gown and the model wearing a flower headdress. In their last walk down the runway the models had an Audrey Hepburn moment, holding what looked like long, slim cigarette holders, before theatrically posing together in the final moment of the show. 

Undoubtedly the performance of the night goes to Nhlanhla Nciza with NN Vintage. Watched by Ricky Rick, Theo, Reason, Khanyi Mbau performed her debut single which got the audience on their feet, setting the tone for the evening. The collection featured outfits with black and white strips, paired with bold pinks and oranges, while grey, layered dresses had fuchsia accents and hidden panels. What was completely different about this show was the models who were relaxed, evn smiling and even high-fiving as they passed each other on the runway.

Nhlanhla Nciza put on a show that was all about powerful, confident woman, and she did this with a crowd-pleasing collection of celebrities including Thembi Seete, Ntando Duma, Luthando Shosha, Jessica Nkosi and Babalwa Mneno. However, the biggest roar of the night came when Idols judge Somizi owned the runway by strutting his stuff in a pair of heels. In a celebration of both Women’s Month and South African music, it was a show that was unashamedly African and full of passion, energy, entertainment and fashion.

Day three of MBFWJ16 promises to hold just as much excitement and even more incredible design with a highly-anticipated designer line-up: Orapeleng Modutle Style Avenue, Sello Medupe, Ruff Tung, Leigh Schubert, Laduma and David Tlale.