African Fashion Designers take on COVID-19 in style
Posted On : May 29, 2020
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Turning face masks into a fashion statement in Africa, the face mask has become a global symbol in the fight against COVID-19. But for fashion designers in Africa, the masks are more than just a protective piece of cloth. Here are some of the best styles from the continent.
Who says face masks have to be bland?
In Africa, fashion designers are injecting some style into masks to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic encouraging mask use while letting people show some individuality.
Here are some face mask collection from Africa fashion designer:
Lagos style Protecting yourself and others Lagos style: Nigerian fashion influencer Angel Obasi showcases her red and white face mask with matching clothes.
Integrating each outfit For designers like Sophie Zinga, photographed here at her workshop in Dakar, the task is clear: “As a fashion designer I think we are going to have to integrate each outfit with fashion masks.”
Luxury items High-end fashion made in Africa: This mask, worn by Nigerian fashion stylist Sefiya Diejomoah, is studded with sparkling diamante jewels. “When you come out in a stylish mask, it doesn’t seem as though we’re fighting a war,” Diejomoah says.
Economic necessity For many fashion designers in Africa, creating protective gear such as mask has been a way to keep business going despite the economic downturn.
Tackling mask shortages in Rwanda Rwanda-based tailor Alexander Nshimiyimana (second from left, above) told DW he has been producing colorful masks like these because of the stock shortages in the country. Nshimiyimana has tried to keep the price of his masks as affordable as possible so that more people can get access to one. His masks sell for around 50 US cents – while those in Rwanda’s pharmacies retail for around US $2.
Stylish masks in Kenya Kenyan fashion designer David Avido (above), founder of the label ‘lookslike avido,’ poses with a mask he made, created from leftover cloth. Since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in Kenya in March, ‘lookslike avido’ has so far created and distributed more than 10,000 masks for free to communities in and around the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
Cameroon sister designers do their bit Ange Goufack (left) and her sister Edmonde Kennang (right) have been producing these colorful face masks in Cameroon, with added plastic across the eyes. Since April 13, the government there has made it mandatory for people to wear face masks in public to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Donating masks to hospitals in Tunisia When the coronavirus crisis started, Tunisian designer Myriam Riza (above, adjusting a mask at the workshop of her Miss Anais label) was contacted by hospitals suffering from mask shortages. She produces the masks and distributes them to hospitals using donated fabric. To offset the cost of continuing to provide free masks to clinics, Riza decided to create masks for individual paying customers.
Masks with personality in Algeria Mounia Lazali, a designer in Algeria, has sewn and donated hundreds of masks – singer Joe Batoury models one of her designs, above. She told DW people “want to assert their culture and their tastes, so I think that the mask will not escape the fashion effect. If that can encourage people to protect themselves more, art will have succeeded in its mission by entering citizens’ everyday lives.”
Masks for the youngest
A boy in Abidjan is wearing a matching hat and mask created by Ivorian fashion designer Arthur Bella N’guessan.
Individual styles For young fashion buffs at University of Lagos like Uche Helen, wearing custom-made masks is a way to stand out.
Splashes of color in Liberia Liberia-based The Bombchel Factory is an ethical fashion company which helps its all-female staff to become self-sufficient by offering them training in making garments. It is turning unsold skirts into bright face masks like this one, above. For every purchased mask, another gets donated to someone unable to quarantine at home – because they don’t have anywhere to stay.
Donating masks Arthur Bella N’guessan also creates custom masks that match his customers’ clothes. His current daily output of masks stands at more than 1,000 a day and he gives many of them away for free.
Classic print In many African countries, wearing a face mask in public has been mandated by the government to fight the spread of COVID-19. Designers and tailors all over the continent have been stepping up to meet the demand.
Bright colours In the Nigerian capital Abuja the rules are simple: the brighter, the better. This woman is showcasing the pink face mask she is wearing with her hijab.
Matching mannequin A mannequin in the workshop of Ivorian designer Arthur Bella N’guessan sporting matching mask and clothing.
Lagos has more than twice the population of New York City and a robust fashion scene, where designers have long harnessed style as a tool for communication.
The city’s runways have promoted recycling, gender equality and traditional African artistry themes meant to nourish the greater good, said Omoyemi Akerele, founder of Lagos Fashion Week. Some fashion houses are consulting doctors, she said, and sourcing fabric for mask production. (The community has also donated soap to garment workers.)
“Fashion is a voice for change,” she said. “It can save lives.”
Many in Nigeria and the United States haven’t grasped the severity of the coronavirus threat. Warnings from celebrities can help. (The U.S. surgeon general urged Kylie Jenner, for instance, to inform her 167 million Instagram followers about the importance of social distancing.)
We encourages all aspiring fashion bloggers not to give up on your dream do what you love, and saying Whats on your mind, “post regularly and don’t give up! The worst thing you can do is have big breaks of not posting—your readers will feel really disappointed, and you’ll lose their attention.”
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