Monday, August 20, 2012

Music artist Mya in the design for an African clothing brand

8:22 PM | Posted by African Fashions | | Edit Post

Mya, an American music artist, is set to design pieces for the next African brand Kosghie O collections as part of “Koshie O Woman” campaign.  The campaign is an initiative which celebrates a strong, self-assured and bold woman who is capable of juggling various daily activities while maintaining her fashion and being stylish. Mya is a Koshie O lady and will be co-designing the name pieces for the spring/Sumer 2013 collection in support of this campaign.

According to Nina Baksmaty, founder and director of Koshie O, ‘everyone in the team is excited to work with Mya. We love her talent and her fashion. It's our belief that Koshie O and mya will give a storm magic together’.

Samples of the pieces will be made available for buyers this month and will be available for buyers in spring next year. Mya is expected to donate 5% of the sales from her collection to Mercy corps, a global humanitarian agency.

This will mark the first Koshie O collection where its prints will be applied on fabrics. The Koshie O woman campaign is allowing women who embody that the brand stands for to co-design few pieces for Koshie O 2013 spring/summer collection. Fans of Koshie O will follow the progress of events in the design process of the celebrities through social media outlets before the pieces are made available for sale come 2013.

The brand has become the new flag bearer for the new concept in luxury which teams the urban aesthetics with refined African craftsmanship in absolutely a contemporary project. The designer has a focus on premium fabrics that are selected, processed and hand sewn by Ghanaian dressmakers and artisans. A distinctive way of mixing style and culture references the represents African fashion and a step higher.
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Saturday, August 18, 2012

Fashion and model casting

10:17 AM | Posted by African Fashions | | Edit Post

AWFL casting was considered a fun and memorable day for those who took part at Grange Coty Hotel, London. The place boasts a classic but sophisticated layout which portrays an elegant casino feeling. The model casting took place in the conference room of Grange where AWFL team shook hands with employees who are setting up. Away from the stereotypes, the day has a prompt starting and by the after noon, you could see influx of fashion models, who would shortly leave and meet industry experts on the panel. Among those on the panel were editor in chief and director Sinem, Fashion Stylist Sonia, catwalk Choreographer Julius.

As hours passed by, more and more talented faces came in, making the judges get spoil for choice. Though they were able to whittle it down to the best among them, the judges had a challenging time too the fashion models on that day of event were definitely set to wow the crowd and confirm that Africa fashion week London is not only one of a high standard event, but one which will be remembered.

AWFL fashion fun day flyering at Spitalfields

In that connection, the Africa fashion week London team, not long ago, took a trip to Stratford Westfield to grace public with their lovely faces while informing them more of the AWFL 2012. Everyone who attended the flyering day was highly enthusiastic and had fun and a very enjoyable time, so if you were not, you definitely missed a lot.

Most members of the public enjoyed specifically the sessions of photo taking which made people look as if they had become fashion models. The enthusiasm was enjoyed by those who were in the event. The team also gave out 3000 flyers in a day to the busy crowd of Westfield Street. All this is in the effort of making African fashion shine on the global scene, and that makes another reason for you to smile.

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Thursday, August 16, 2012

Colorful South African Nelson Mandela line coming soon to US

12:00 AM | Posted by African Fashions | | Edit Post

Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s most famous freedom fighter also had a reputation of sharp dresser will see people in US soon but clothes inspired by him.

A Dallas based distributor naming itself as Company b says that its 46664 clothing line was named after the prison number assigned to Nelson Mandela and will be in stores for the holiday season. According to CEO Aaron Patton “there’s a global brand which is relevant in Atlanta as it’s in Johannesburg.” Designers have now captured and integrated the best of South African fashion style and global trend.

The company signed a deal with Nelson Mandela Foundation to become exclusive distributor of the 46664 Fashion both in the US and Canada. 10% of the sales will go to the foundation which unveiled the clothing line last year in Nelsons home country. The foundation features many dazzling garments with unique South African touch including the traditional patterned shirts (shweshwe). 

Patton says that US has a huge interest in color and prints, “an intelligent, preppy and yet progressive style among millennial generation”

The first profit margin of the already selling 46664 clothing for everyone; men, women and children were meant to finance libraries in the rural provinces of South Africa. Patton explained that the most of the products is sources and manufactures in South Africa so as to raise the local fashion industry and create employment opportunities.

While Company b is yet to sign the deal with any retailers, Patton has hopes for lots of interest. He has expectations that 46664 will be sold in higher-end departmental stores and some of the independent retailers. Shoppers are also waiting till holidays when they will be able to buy items for the summer, which will be Mandela’s’ 94th birthday on 18th July.  This also sounds as good news for the African fashion industry to get some marketing on the international scène, where it has been doing well in the recent times.

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Saturday, August 11, 2012

African Fashion and Style Week Jamaica 2012

7:03 AM | Posted by M. Zahir Hossain (Dauler) | | Edit Post
If you are a fan of African clothes and always keen for new styles and trends, you must have heard of the Style Week Jamaica 2012. Like every year, this style show normally brings out the most fashionable African dresses that catch attention of people all across the world. Obviously, you should always keep an eye on the dates of styles weeks of other kinds along with the Jamaican. The party at this kind of show is heavy gets your adrenaline rushing. However, the only problem you might face after seeing this fashion week is that you will start to want the dresses the models wear but it will be hard to find those. One good place to find all the latest fashionable African dresses is www.afrawear.com

Sometimes known as the eeriest fashion week in the Caribbean, Style Week Jamaica is a four day fashion event. All these four days, you will be in a heaven of style and glamour. Moreover, there are so many things you will come to learn from these fashion events that focus solely on African clothes. The even normally occurs at different locations of the town in four days. What you might like very much is the City Style accessories show where you will find lots of new African fashion accessories. And the models they are awesome too. What designers and experts say is that an ordinary person who has interests in African fashions and styles but does not know much about them yet can learn a lot of things from the event. The African clothes exhibited on the show are extremely dynamic and unique from other African fashions shows.

And if you happen to be one of those ambitious dreamers who want to be an African fashion designer one day, the event can light up your way. There are so many internationally acclaimed models that came to the lime light from the Style Week Jamaica, such as Sam Taylor and Tafari Hinds. Every year there are new faces and designers coming out of closet because of the contribution of the event. To be honest, this kind of fashion event is the only vitality that keeps the life African fashion still on. There are still a lot of people who adore themselves with African clothes and do not wear and throw them away afterwards.



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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

From the books of memory-Nigerian fashion week highlights top African designers

5:06 PM | Posted by African Fashions | | Edit Post


The African influenced fashions, from Proenza Schoulerr to Yves St. Laurent’s 1960 collections and the Derek Lam’s spring 2012 shows, all have featured in designs for last decades. However, more African designers are using both heritage and international trend in gaining attention on the world stage.

Some few months ago, Arise Magazine Fashion week in Lagos, Nigeria for the second year, drew attention to the different works of the African influenced designers. Around 77 designers presented their variety of outfits mixing traditional fabrics with the international aesthetics to elevate the mundane with stylish women’s dresses and offering a flavor of haute couture in hotel –turned fashion haven separated from hustle and bustle of megacity of Lagos.

 Nduka Obaigbena, This newspaper and Arise Magazine publisher explained that its time the Africans demonstrate that they can also contribute to be the best and world class in fashion scene. However, the struggles affecting the poor and the rich brought havoc in this event which was meant to run six days. Despite the problems of electricity that hit on the first two days, the show finally began and drew crowd that embraces African fashion, not as a sideshow but main component of international fashion and design.

Some of the highlighted African designers included:

Tiffany Amber
Under Folake Folarin, a creative director of Tiffany Amber, he has been making dresses with Nigeria’s rich content for 13 years.

Tsemaye Binitie
Paris exhibition on the Alix Gres. His textured collection included sleeveless and black catsuit festooned with hand-embroidered vinyl to create a kaleidoscopic effect. He is a young designer with an experience from a British designer (Stella McCartney) and markets his designs in London, New York and Lagos.

Loza Maleombho
Is a New York based designer who unveiled a collection that draws from nomadic Tuareg based on the Sahara desert. She brought a twist by using West African fabrics such as colorful Ghanaian kente and Ankara print of Nigeria.

These are some of the designers whose work has gone to international levels. Their African fashion results are what most African fashionistas are proud of till to date.

Should you want to get any of the African fashion clothing form the top Nigerian designers, including plus size clothing and jackets, we are here to help you get the best.


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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Ethical fashion now in Africa

8:55 AM | Posted by African Fashions | | Edit Post

Some term it as Eco-fashion, while others call it Ethical fashion, whichever way, the main point is that they talk about the social and environmental conscious fashion. 

In 2000, a report was released that the world’s consumers spent 1 trillion dollars buying clothing outfits. This shows that fashion world has some power on the economic, political, social and environmental sectors. Though eco-fashion industry in Africa is still in its infancy, it will be great to see more of the African fashion manufacturers and designers start using sustainable processes and materials. We might go a level higher an overlook the issue and say- clothing is clothing and fashion is fashion, but is there ay difference? Maybe when you realize that the beautiful bag you bought recently was made after an animal was streamed alive, you will understand things better. Ethical fashion is one way of the many we (consumers) can use in reducing poverty while improving the environment and make world a better and safer place.

Ethical fashion-definition

According to EFF-ethical fashion forum, ethical fashion describes the design, retail, production and retailing of items. It covers range of issues such as pay and working conditions, sustainable production, fair trade, environment and animal welfare and such. Ethical fashion in Africa is aiming to address various problems such as environmental damage, animal cruelty, waste, exploitative forced labor, use of dangerous chemicals. In a bit to make consumers updates of how such outfits are produced, manufacturing partners through ethical brands such as ASOS Africa and SOKO Kenya offers traceability and transparency.

An eye on Africa

From research, mostly from the international brands that make use of plethora of raw resources we have in the fashion scene, you should realize that most African designers don’t use these raw materials, and instead prefers buying, cutting and sewing the materials.

More ethical industrialists and designers have recognized that organic cotton can be used as a sustainable alternative. Organic cotton helps in cutting cost, eliminating need for harmful and expensive chemicals and demand for higher price which in addition helps in reducing poverty. Scualternatives can be tapped to get more ethical African fashion practices.

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Monday, August 6, 2012

African Fashion and You

1:26 AM | Posted by M. Zahir Hossain (Dauler) | | Edit Post


Not just the designers and the media who make African fashion a worldwide hit. It is you and other people who keep buying different African clothes every month and still want more. Shoppers like you have a much greater effect on what designs really wind up in the boutiques than you might think.

African-American wedding ceremony customs have borrowed clothing as well as wedding methods from Western Africa traditions. In the USA, there are countless boutiques that provide design as well as consultation with regard to couples who wish to create a marriage that borrows Western Africa customs. You should know that Africa fabric often originates from European nations. England as well as Switzerland is recognized for their top quality waxed material. African materials need unique care. Find the dry cleaner that's equipped to utilize them. Repeat several symbols out of your wedding fabric inside your rings as well as invitations to transport the style though. You can buy African dresses from www.afrawear.com

Up to date age has taken a hugely popular, however highly questionable, type of clothing to Africa. Recognized in Far eastern Africa as mitumba, or even white male's clothes, they are the second-hand clothes delivered to Africa in the Western globe. Although mitumba is really a popular customer item that women buy a lot, even offered in areas where it's been outlawed, it's ravaged the neighborhood textile producers who cannot contend with the marketplace of donated items which are after that sold for gain by many companies.

Conventional African clothes represent various regions' organic resources as well as agricultural methods. Hence, locally developed cotton is really a typical aspect in African clothes. However, in the Sahel as well as in Northern Africa, individuals also make use of camels as well as sheep wool to weave material. In Western Africa, raffia palm is really a common fiber. In Western Africa as well as Madagascar, flax and jute comprise the main textiles. Unmarried women wear bead-work "izincu" bands around their waists, ankles and also elbows, along with beaded headbands and necklaces. This usage of color is always to show their particular status as single. Wedded Zulu females wear a lot more sedate "isicholo" less difficult and "ibhayi" shawls. Zulu guys traditionally use different animal-hide treatments, depending on their marital position. Silk is manufactured in East African continent and Nigeria. And people all over the world just love clothes produced in these regions. 
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