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Africa Fashion Week London 2012

Africa’s Fashion Designers continue to score high marks in a trade that until recently was dominated by their counterparts from more established markets in Europe, and the United States of America among other giant territories.
Some years back, it was excruciatingly painful to go for a fashion show in say Paris or Milan and not see enough African representation.

The dynamics have long changed, and Africa’s fashion community have become lords of their own rings, and pushing an agenda that must hit home – “dominate, grow, and showcase until they can’t have enough of you”.

Africa’s Fashion Designers continue to score high marks in a trade that until recently was dominated by their counterparts from more established markets in Europe, and the United States of America among other giant territories.

Some years back, it was excruciatingly painful to go for a fashion show in say Paris or Milan and not see enough African representation.

The dynamics have long changed, and Africa’s fashion community have become lords of their own rings, and pushing an agenda that must hit home – “dominate, grow, and showcase until they can’t have enough of you”.

And this, they’ve perfectly held onto for the past half decade or so. These days, the big fashion shows of Milan, Paris, New York and Istanbul are not complete without an African touch. It is refreshing to note that at such big shows, if you don’t find an African designer in there, you will find at least some African fine print used into detail by a top designer.

That admission on the part of the organizers of such big shows that they can’t continue to leave Africa out of the party, more often, is enough a statement to prove how powerful the African designer has become with time.

Opportunities to partake in first-class and highly revered fashion shows stare Africa’s fashion designers in the face. All year round, there are numerous shows that open its doors to hundreds of Africa’s established and sometimes, up and coming designers.
It is a rare opportunity that goes a long way to help improve the African fashion designer. Often times, most are able to leverage on the opportunity it offers, and are able to build their own network of industry persons who later become useful to their trade.

And then of course, there is an accompanying level of global fame that comes with participating in such shows, one of which is the Africa Fashion Week London.

The AFWL “is at the fore front of capturing the surge of the African inspired trends in the fashion industry,” and is “open to designers of all nationalities, who are inspired by Africa in their designs”.
“This fashion week is not just open to African designers but any designers that feel they have a twist of Africa in their designs or consider they have something to offer to Africa,” the organizers have said.
The organizers say the two day event “celebrates the work of African inspired designers in the United Kingdom, and also dedicates its efforts to promoting and supporting inspiring talents”.
It is touted to be the UK's biggest Fashion Week outside of the mainstream London Fashion Weeks.

 

 By Obed Boafo

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