Oh Africa!

Correspondent (Fashion)

When you think of fashion capitals of the world, Nairobi, Cape Town or Brazzaville might not be what first comes to mind. I can imagine it would be equally difficult to easily think of three fashion houses originating from the African continent.

African fashion has unfortunately received little attention in Europe. We choose to narrow our fashion horizons, celebrating the work of the French, the Italians, the British and the fashion houses of the United States above all others. When we think of Haute Couture, it is often the same selected names that spring to mind.

The term ‘African Fashion’ may encourage thoughts of African inspired prints and designs; creations that pay homage to the beautiful continent through patterns, shapes and reflections. But little has been made of designers from the countries within Africa. What about the creativity coming out of countries like Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa? The huge continent is bound to be home to some of the world’s greatest fashion designers. Ghanaian fashion week certainly demonstrated this huge pool of talent.

Among those easily to be considered world class is Ewemade Erhabor-Emokpae, creator of the label Shakara Couture. The line is inspired by the designers long held admiration for the glamour and sophistication of the 1920’s and 50’s. Her 2012 collection, showcased at the Music Meets Runway event, was beautiful. Long, luxurious dresses with intricate lace detail effectively emulated the elegance of the 20’s era that so influenced Ewemade. The campaign for 2013 was also time inspired, replicating the essence of the 1950’s housewife, going about her daily ‘chores’ dolled up to the nines! Silk, lace with a hint of those signature ‘African’ inspired patterns, the collection is colorful and iconic, going above and beyond to make a name for itself in the competitive world of couture.

Impressive was certainly a word to describe Nigerian-born Andrea Ushedo’s design debut! The 2013 collection took the fashion world by storm, sparking curiosity among enthusiasts and fellow designers alike. An edgy and slightly risqué take on Nigerian fashion; this was certainly a fresh perspective on couture that had not been seen before. The designer’s fun and adventurous personality shone through in each piece. Successful collections with a personal touch are always nice to see; rewarding not only for the designers themselves but also to all those who witness.

South Africa is responsible producing the label Milq & Honey; dark earthy tones, gold panel details and a twist to every piece are the three qualities important to designers Gabriella and Kelly Davids. Milq & Honey speaks to the strong confident woman who is sexy and edgy yet glamorous and classy. Animals, natural colours and energetic patterns compliment earthly shapes. Although dark and earthy tone are typical of Milq & Honey’s ensemble, their debut at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Cape Town this year proved the Davids’ can also impress with colorful expression. Bright neon and summery tones complimented well their line of summer appropriate casual wear.

The African continent is slowly but surely impressing the fashion houses of the West. Lanre Da-Silva Ajayi, Thula Sindi, Deola Segoe and Ozwald Boateng are names on the horizon; one can only wait in anticipation to see what these African superstars can bring to the runway.
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Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RunawayFirstRow.jpg, Goulao)