Wednesday 6th of May 2026

Nairobi, Kenya

Tag: African Beauty

Facebook Africa launches ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ ahead of Africa Day – Celebrating Africa’s Growing Cultural Impact on the World

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

As part of its celebration around ‘Africa Day’ on 25th May, Facebook (www.Facebook.com) announced the launch of its global campaign titled: ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ – a series of short films unveiling the stories of eight phenomenal creatives and small business owners from across the continent who are breaking ground across the world.

Available to view on a dedicated ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ microsite and the official Facebook Africa page from 21st May 2021, the films provide a glimpse into the global successes of African creatives and businesses hailing from Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Gabon.

This includes fashion designer Laduma Ngxokolo from South Africa, whose clothing brand ‘Maxhosa’ has been worn by global names such as Beyonce and Alicia Keys, and most recently had his designs featured in the film ‘Coming to America 2’. Also featured are Sauti Sol, a collective Afro-pop music group hailing from Kenya who have gained international recognition with nominations and shows in Europe and the US, and Mark Angel, a Nigerian comedian who has amassed over 15 million global followers on Facebook. The series is aimed at showcasing, hero’ing, and honouring the people that are impacting Africa, as well as the world, through their music, arts, and crafts.

Included in the ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ campaign are:

  • Mai Atafo (Nigeria) Fashion designer and bespoke tailor

  • Lafalaise Dion (Côte d’Ivoire) Fashion designer and visual artist

  • Jessica Allogo (Gabon) Founder of Les Petits Pots de l’Ogooué Garmout Food brand

  • Blinky Bill (Kenya) Musician, DJ, Rapper, and Producer

  • Sauti Sol (Kenya) International award-winning Afro-pop group

  • Lola Pedro (Nigeria) Founder of Pedro’s Premium Ogogoro drinks brand

  • Mark Angel (Nigeria) Digital comedian, scriptwriter, and video producer

  • Laduma Ngxokolo (South Africa)  Founder of fashion brand Maxhosa and creative artist

Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director, Facebook Africa, said “At Facebook, we’re deeply invested in the creative industry in Africa, and nowhere is it more exciting to witness this vibrant creative scene than here on the continent. These people and businesses are changing the way Africa is seen, not just in Africa, but around the world, and are cementing our position as leaders in innovation and the creative industries.

We know that Africa is the future, and in honour of ‘Africa Day’ and the Africa Union’s 2021 celebration of African ‘Arts Culture And Heritage’, ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ is our way of recognizing just some of these remarkable individuals who continue to inspire the world.”

As part of the ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ campaign, Facebook will be creating dedicated ‘Africa Day’ Facebook profile frames available to Facebook users, and holding free virtual training for SMBs and Creators across Africa through its local training partners. Focused on providing other upcoming creatives and entrepreneurs with the digital know-how to take their ideas global, these will focus on creativity and Instagram including how to creatively engage with your audience through Instagram; Reels school, Interactivity in stories, and how to get creative with ads.

Media Contact:
Idea Engineers
PR agency for Facebook Africa
facebook@ideaengineers.co.za

Content courtesy of Africa News & Nairobi fashion hub 

Eliza Christoph Luxury, Ethical Fashion Brand Launched to Embody a Kenyan Sensibility With Color, Pattern, & Sustainability

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Chic, urban, sophisticated, vibrant, and inspired Eliza Christoph enters the fashion zeitgeist on a mission.

Founded by Kenyan-born and NYC-based Liz Njoroge, the newly launched brand is an homage to her homeland and an upscale nod to its betterment. Poised to empower women in Kenya by creating jobs for skilled artisans and supporting their training, the brand offers more than sustainable, ethical luxury. Eliza Christoph offers principled, handcrafted clothing and accessories that wholeheartedly embrace the vibrant prints that are the spirit of Kenya.

For clothing and accessories made outside of Africa, the brand donates a portion of the profits to communities where their artisans live and work.

Classic in design, the timeless approach to each garment’s composition is as youthful as it is elegant. The pieces mix unique, vibrant prints with timeless and versatile silhouettes to create luxury staples that add effortless sophistication to any closet. The first collection consists of shirt dresses, skirts and silk scarves.

The dresses come in Dutch-wax-printed fabrics and uniquely designed and printed Italian cotton poplin. The skirts are made from the same cotton poplin, and the scarves are 100% Italian silk.

The double-faced Dutch wax fabric is printed in rich colors with a labor-intensive technique that applies wax resin before submerging the fabric in dye. For the cotton poplin prints, the brand created its own unique print designs inspired by historic African prints and Africa’s natural beauty. The bold prints blend the founder’s love for her home country and passion for modern and contemporary art.

The Eliza Christoph silk scarves bring art and luxury together in a delectable silk scarf. Uniquely designed, the scarf prints are hand-painted and digitally designed to depict the magnificent Kenyan sights and experiences. The scarves are made and printed in Italy on 100% silk and finished with hand-rolled edges for a refined look.

Produced on a non-seasonal calendar in limited runs, the clothing is hand-inspected for perfection. In keeping with their mission, Eliza Christoph will continue to give financial support to the African communities that inspire their collections.

About Eliza Christoph

New York-based Eliza Christoph is a sustainable and ethical luxury brand with the mission of creating the world’s most exquisite clothing and accessories while improving women’s livelihoods in Kenya and other African countries. Founders Liz Njoroge, Creative Director, and Christopher Ramsey, Chief Executive Officer, launched Eliza Christoph after years of travel, research, and development in Africa.

Founder and Creative Director Liz is inspired by her upbringing in Nairobi, Kenya, where women wear vibrant prints and sophisticated clothing for everyday life and celebrations. Having spent her childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, and later in New York City, U.S., Liz’s designs blend traditional African print inspirations with New York City modernism. She mixes unique, vibrant prints with timeless and versatile silhouettes to create luxury staples that add effortless sophistication to any closet.

Eliza Christoph’s fabric prints and scarf designs blend African scenes and nature with modern and contemporary art to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces. Each design is hand-painted or digitally designed in collaboration with our textile design team. For our print designs, Eliza Christoph selects only the best quality, sustainable materials from around the world.

Eliza Christoph employs highly skilled African artisans, who are paid a fair wage and receive benefits, to handcraft their luxury clothing. For clothing and accessories produced in Italy, a portion of the profits go back to the communities where our Artisans live and work. We carefully choose our supply chain partners for their ethical and environmentally sustainable practices.

Contact:

Jess Kennedy
Communications Manager, Eliza Christoph
jess@elizachristoph.com
1.929.416.2558
Website:https://www.elizachristoph.com
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/eliza_christoph
Press Release Service by Newswire.com
Original Source: Eliza Christoph Luxury, Ethical Fashion Brand Launched to Embody a Kenyan Sensibility With Color, Pattern, & Sustainability

Content courtesy of News Wire & Nairobi fashion hub 

Rwandan fashion designer to represent East Africa at African Fashion International ( AFI )

Posted on by Fashion Police

Multi-disciplinary, textile and fashion designer Amza Niyonzima is among four African creatives expected to participate at the forthcoming African Fashion International (AFI) and pan-African network of creatives slated for May 25 in South Africa.

Niyonzima, whose clothing brand ‘Masa Mara’, made it to the AFI  line-up of runway collections and will represent East Africa alongside David Tlale representing the South, Said Mahrouf for the North and Ituen Basi from the West.

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In commemoration of Africa Day, which recognizes the founding of the African Union, AFI will host an intimate fine-dining, fashion, and music experience for guests and creatives who are steering the African renaissance.

The pan-African experience will fuse fine-dining with fashion, and will incorporate music and dance elements led by renowned producers and artists such as Ayo Solanke a Saxophonist, Vuyani Dance Co and Ndlovu Youth Choir.

The experience is hosted in collaboration with Aurum restaurant and pan-African chef Coco Reinarhz.

“The African Union’s Agenda 2063 aspires for, amongst others, cultural identity and heritage that contributes to Africa’s transformation. The notion of a renaissance, which refers to the European period of transformation that was driven by philosophy, literature and art, calls on us to rediscover and elevate the arts in order to transform Africa into a hub of creativity and innovation,” said Dr.Precious Moloi-Motsepe, AFI’s founder and CEO.

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Since its founding, AFI pioneered pan-African co-operation within the fashion industry.

In 2019, AFI launched a campaign, African Fashion Unites, to bring continental creatives together in response to xenophobic attacks.

In a similar response to the pandemic that has harshly impacted small and emerging creative entrepreneurs, this showcase is a pathway to ensure their sustainability whilst celebrating the aspirations of African people and the African Union.

For audiences at home, the collections that will be shown on the runway will be available to shop online at www.houseofnala.africa and at AFI’s concept store House of Nala at the Leonardo in Sandton, South Africa, and streamed online on AFI Facebook page from 19h00 SA time.

About the designer

Niyonzima developed a love affair with fashion and art at a young age. Even as a young boy, he meticulously put his outfits together, and used his clothing to express his culture, personal taste, and his zest for life.

His fashion journey began when he started customizing his personal style, this sparked interest from friends.

He began creating and printing his own t-shirt designs, and also taught himself patterns and sewing. This propelled the designer to seriously consider the development of his own clothing line in 2013, which he proudly named Ma Casi, which means ‘strength’ or ‘power’ in Swahili/Lingala.

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According to the designer, the name ‘Ma Casi’ was inspired by African strength, which is exemplified by our formation of powerful empires, and our ability to conquer our struggles victoriously.

“Ma Casi’ honours our freedom to go anywhere and to be anywhere in the world by our will. December 2014 marked the inception of a new collection called The Brave Ones,” Niyonzima said.

This new collection captured Niyonzima’s ever-evolving nature, and represents a new direction for his brand aspirations: Masa Mara, which means ‘The Brave One’.

Masa Mara came from a Rwanda saying Amara Masa (Empty handed or something from nothing).

Content courtesy  of The New Times & Nairobi fashion hub 

Rosario Dawson, Thebe Magugu, and More Join Vogue’s Virtual Forces of Fashion Summit

Posted on by Fashion Police

On July 7 and 8, 2021, Vogue will host its fifth annual Forces of Fashion summit. The virtual series will feature candid conversations between industry leaders, including designer John Galliano, makeup artist Pat McGrath, stylist Zerina Akers, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour. And today comes the announcement of a new panel spotlighting five important new voices in fashion from across the globe.

Thebe Magugu, Priya Ahluwalia, Yueqi Qi, Abrima Erwiah, and Rosario Dawson will join Vogue.com editor Chioma Nnadi for a discussion about what it means to build a brand with impeccable authenticity. Each brings a strong point of view and an entirely fresh perspective. Magugu recently won the coveted LVMH prize for his South African–based clothing line of the same name. Ahluwalia has made waves with her eco-friendly menswear on the London fashion scene and beyond.

Qi’s eponymous, Shanghai-based label features otherworldly beading with a modern sensibility. (No surprise, as Qi, previously worked as an embroidery designer for Chanel.) Finally, Erwiah and Dawson’s brand, Studio One Eighty-Nine, showcases the beauty of African design while prioritizing artisanal craftsmanship and ethical business practices; the New York design duo was also recently nominated for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund 2021.

More details and tickets are available on the Forces of Fashion website. Check back for updates ahead of the event, which will take place on July 7 and 8.

Content courtesy of Vogue Magazine 

African Fashion Foundation Set To Host First-Ever Creative Industry Retreat In Africa

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

The African Fashion Foundation (AFF) presents the first-ever Creative Industry Retreat in Africa. The three-day event is scheduled for Wednesday, 19th May to Sunday, 23rd May 2021 and aimed at igniting and facilitating critical and valuable discussions around the industry ecosystem.

The three-day event will provide a unique platform for industry players and stakeholders to convene, collaborate and build solid partnerships needed to scale the fashion ecosystem in Africa. Ghana is set to be the convening point for this trailblazing three-day event. It will focus on the theme “Building a Sustainable Value Chain for Africa’s Creative Industry”. Discussions will focus on the need to forge real links in Africa’s creative industry, the strategic role of Development Finance Institutions within the sector and the need to drive the sustainability agenda.

 

This groundbreaking event seeks to foster industry collaboration and position the creative economy to become sustainable and resilient. It will host top creative industry players and professionals including Claudia Lumor – Glitz Africa, Adama Ndiaye – Adama Paris, Nisha Kanabar – Industrie Africa, Roberta Annan – African Fashion Foundation, Adeline Akufo-Addo Kufuor – The Lotte Accra; Viola Labi – Founder of Woven Worldwide, Jennifer Ronne – Victoria Grace Fashion; Fashion Icon & Broadcaster KOD, P. Y. Addo-Boateng – Mi Prime Entertainment, Emmanuel Uba Okoro – Emmy Kasbit, Nuel Bans – Debonair Afrik, Rebecca Donkor, Maame Adjei – Sweet Roots Media, Arieta Mujay Barg – Creative Strategist, Renown Fashion Writer Ekow Barnes, Writer & Humanitarian, Rozan Ahmed and Fredericka Brooksworth, Founder of Fashion Scholar.

The Retreat also seeks to reiterate AFF’s commitment towards sustainability and showcase its sustainability project, Recycle, Re-work, Re-use, a fashion sustainability project which was launched in March in collaboration with five young African fashion brands to address the issue of fashion waste and sustainable product life cycles. They include Omaliko Godson Ebuka- Maliko, Omafume Niemogha- Peperrow, Samuel Otteng, Baboa Tachie- Menson – Balm labs.

Content courtesy of Modern Ghana & Nairobi fashion hub 

Nigerians Spent Up to $1.82bn on Wears in 2020 as Fashion Overtakes Travel in e-Commerce Earnings

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Nigerians spent as much as $1.82 billion purchasing fashion items online in 2020. According to a PayU report, consumers in the country spent more on clothing last year than any other e-commerce category.

Fashion overtook travel and mobility to top consumer spending during the year. Other categories of online shopping expenses include electronic gadgets, video games, food, and digital music.

In 2020, Nigerians expended a total of $8.06 billion on e-commerce products, representing a 6% increase of $480 million compared to the $7.58 billion spent in 2019.

More Fashion, Less Travel

Earnings from the Fashion sector slightly surpassed Travel in the past year, accounting for 22.6% of the total $8.06 billion Nigerians spent on e-commerce sites. Covid-19 lockdowns and curfews meant that many more people were compelled to shop online, leading to greater e-commerce spending among consumers.

Nigerians spent $1.82 billion on online fashion products in 2020, 44% higher than the $1.25 billion recorded in 2019.

Just behind Fashion, Travel amassed the second-highest spend of $1.79 billion, contributing 22.2% of total e-commerce revenue. The travel sector got the highest spending in 2019 ($3.13 billion) but the sector suffered from Covid-19 mobility restrictions and travel bans which shot down earnings by 42.9% to $1.7 billion in 2020.

As part of the wider e-commerce industry, the travel & hospitality sector comprises all payments completed on online platforms for flight booking and hotel reservations such as Travelstart, Wakanow, and Hotels.ng.

Electronic gadgets ($1.34 billion) and Video games ($1.21 billion) were the only other two item categories to record up to $1 billion in consumer spending in 2020. With more people at home for longer periods, there was a higher demand for gadgets including laptops, phones, and PlayStation to facilitate remote work, learning, and entertainment.

Similarly, this also drove up consumer spending on food and personal care products to $484.3 million, up by 59.6% from $303.4 million in 2019.

Nigeria Leads Africa in e-Commerce

Nigeria remains Africa’s biggest e-commerce market with 76.7 million online shoppers, followed by South Africa’s 22 million and Kenya’s 13 million.

More opportunities exist now than ever before for online and omnichannel merchants across Africa. This is especially true for merchants in fashion, beauty, electronic gadgets, and digital goods.

Nigeria’s 50% adult population of 107 million has played a key role in driving e-commerce spending in the country. The population aged between 15-54 years in Nigeria dwarfs South Africa’s 32 million and Kenya’s 28 million. Therefore, the number of online shoppers is expectedly way higher.

However, it is not that Nigerians are spending more than their African neighbours. South Africa, for instance, expended over $3 billion on e-commerce platforms in 2020, with an average $136.4 per shopper. This is higher than Nigeria’s average of $105.1 spent by each consumer.

For context, South Africans and Kenyans have greater purchasing power due to higher minimum wages of $205.9 and $193.54 respectively.

Fashion was the sector with the highest consumer spend in 2020 in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, and PayU projects that consumer spending on wears in each of these markets could reach $2.27 billion, $1.48 billion, and $504 million respectively by the end of 2021.

Content courtesy of Tech Next & Nairobi fashion hub 

Fashion Designer Kithe Brewster’s Catwalks Remove Cultural Roadblocks

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Kithe Brewster is an American stylist and fashion designer and founder of the Kithe Brewster brand and company. Leaving for Paris at age nineteen proved to be the right cut for him, as he immediately grasped the French scene, becoming a hot stylish on the move.

After seven years in Paris, he moved to London, where music styling became his forte. While in London, he worked for magazines such as Elle, Scene, Vanity Fair, Interview, Flaunt, Chic (Dutch), French and American Jalouse, and Surface, among others.

His work for these publications gained attention from the crème de la crème of fashion, as well as the European and Hollywood celebrity elite. He has styled covers for Flaunt magazine with stars such as Adrien Brody, Cate Blanchett, Drew Barrymore, Selma Hayek, Winona Ryder, and many others.

His personal clients have included Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, Iman, Diane Lane, Eva Mendes, Usher, and Heidi Klum. He has spent a great deal of time in the Middle East, in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and the UAE. He was Creative Director of DIFW, the original Fashion Week. “I predicted on record,” he says, “that Dubai would become a major fashion capital.”

Currently, in Dubai, Brewster spoke to Gulf Today

Why did you choose the fashion industry as your place of work?

I would like to think my early exposure to the arts in all aspects was definitely a deciding factor. From a very young age, I was extremely conscious of clothing and its many textures. At five or six, I truly understood the definition of beauty.

Looking back, I adored rummaging through my mother’s closets and just appreciating the quality; I was quick to notice when something missed this quality.

It was truly organic in this sense, thus I believe I was chosen. As a man of faith, there are no coincidences. I believe it is the Creator’s plan – the journey and the results.

What are the African-American sensitivities you bring to fashion?

Being African and American contributes a great deal to my creative DNA. I am balanced in rich history and tradition. As a designer, my gift is my hands, draping and manipulating fabric to create one-of-a-kind designs. This is rich African tradition the sense of color and dynamic.

There is a European side of my makeup, which leads me to seek out Europe to discover this sense of style. I was a huge success as a stylist, fashion editor, and celebrity stylist, because of the balance of multiple culture comprehension. In fact, it’s the understanding of all global cultures combined, that is needed to truly be a voice in fashion.

Is fashion only for celebrities or can it be shared by others?

Fashion is, in my belief, for everyone. I definitely think we all want and need the confidence of looking and then feeling good. I spend a lot of time observing the influences in modern society. I’m certain it trickles down, in some capacity, to reach everyone.

Is Faith a constraint on fashion?

I believe Faith is in no way a restraining measure in fashion. For example, my time in the UAE and other Arab countries, helped me to see the progression of High Fashion and Modesty. When I was Creative Director of Dubai Fashion Week, I helped to discover the amazing talent of Rabia Z.

I had the huge pleasure to nurture her and pushing her vision of modesty and the Muslim woman. At that time, twelve years ago, we made history with her first show in Dubai. I get goosebumps when I think back and hear the live drums and the first entrance of the first model.

We proved successfully that within modesty, one can be fashion-forward and completely true to one’s faith, respecting the modesty it is built upon. I cried like a baby that night when she received a true standing ovation. We had managed to inspire Muslim women. It was a historic moment and I have watched a global progression in High Fashion inspired by the modesty of Muslim women. Let’s not forget my first ever collection was inspired by Emirati women.

Is there a distinction between ex-pat fashion and Emirati fashion? If so, what are their defining features?

There is a difference between ex-pat fashion and Emirati fashion. There is a merging of sophistication and class in Emirati fashion. Expat fashion tends to hinge upon trends from Europe, yet slightly behind. As an ex-pat, I say this in an opinion-based manner. What’s beautiful is when all of the incredible high fashion intertwines with traditional and modest apparel.

Why did you think Dubai could be a fashion center of the world?

I felt twelve years ago that Dubai would become a fashion capital because I saw the vision of Sheikh Mohammed and the impact of the year that I spent coming back and forwards from New York. The buildings were going up all around me. I saw it happening.

I felt the hunger for this country’s own place within fashion makeup. I pushed so hard to catch them up to the rest of the world. On a funny note, I got rid of the raised runways and had the models walk on the floor. It caused a huge uproar: it was in the papers. But when the rest of the world saw the shows that came out of Dubai, they were blown away. I convinced American Elle magazine to cover Fashion Week. It was a huge step that was aligned with Sheikh Mohammed’s vision.

How will you define your style?

Maison Kithe Brewster will define its style by being discerning and not by overcapitalizing or overexposing the brand. By always being consistent in style. By not selling the same thing to hundreds of clients.  By quality and personal attention to every client. By never running out of ideas, and creating original excellence.

Content courtesy of Gulf Today & Nairobi fashion hub 

What Went Down on Day 1 of SA Fashion Week SS21 Digital Collections

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Sustainable fashion. Self-expression. Graceful and edgy artistry. Classic and playful elegance. Personal stories. And going back to basics.

This was Day 1 of SA Fashion Week SS21 digital collections which included fresh talent and legendary designers. Words: Kgomotso Moncho-Maripane

The SA Fashion Week tagline, “The business of ethical fashion” encapsulates its ethos precisely. Running with this, sustainable fashion became the underlying theme with which designers in the New Talent Search were tasked to follow when designing. Upcycled and deconstructed fabrics were a running thread all around.

With a collection inspired by “De-gendered geometry”, Michael Ludwig Studio showed how the fluidity of structures, proportions, and colors shape evolving identities.

MC Alpine played with interesting shapes and details, while Sipho Mbuto took an avant-garde approach to deconstruct denim.

Stand-out looks from the competition include Fikile Zamagcino Sokhulu’s soft and edgy collection boasting a red, white, and black color palette with images that boldly speak to the beginning and the resilience of life, relevant to what our world is going through.

Her collection was inspired by “how planet earth strives for an ecological balance within the forces of nature.”

The debut of Thulani Vuyo Mlambo’s Saint Vuyo shone with notable layering and tailoring. With a brand ethos taken from his lineage, the collection invoked the spirit of Africa’s women armies like the Dahomey Amazons – the all-female warriors of West Africa. Again, a testament to strength and survival.

However, it was Artho Eksteen’s winning combination of fine art and fashion design that saw him take the 2021 New Talent Search winner title.

His collection takes cues from the Surrealist method of Exquisite Corpse where a collection of images or words is collectively assembled to reveal a completed artwork.

Eksteen played with the juxtaposition of different fabrics and textures; different silhouettes and prints to bring together a body of work that is appealingly ugly-beautiful. The beauty is also in how functional the collection is even if it was to be deconstructed.

Read more on the New Talent Search Competition finalist designers here and watch out for our fashion shoot with New Talent Competition winner Artho Eksteen soon!

The Satiskin Rise & Shine Collections brimmed with playful and classic elegance showcasing designers who are retail ready. Romaria charmed with their signature monochromatic wool prints offering subtle pops of woven color. Even more charming were the wool accessories that ranged from bags to headbands.

The story behind the Ezokhetho collection is about the designer, Mpumelelo Dhlamini, having lost his dad. And so, the bold and joyful colors are in celebration of his father’s life. The designs are inspired by a character that the iconic Thembi Nyandeni played in the comedic drama series, Kwakhala Nyonini called uMfazi Wephepha.

The much-loved character was loud, opinionated, fashion-forward, and money-driven. Dhlamini interprets this with exaggerated shapes, playful proportions, and a sophisticated and desirable finish.

Previous New Talent Search winners, ERRE are consistent in the exquisite nuance they bring out in the fabrics they choose to work with. In the past, they have worked ingeniously with leather and moved past its limitations.

Here they highlight scuba fabric, velvet, and techno mesh with voluminous, dramatic, and powerful silhouettes.

Lara Klawikowski exuded elegant grace with her Inflorescence collection that boasts botanical hues and organic shapes resembling tarot tulips. Big on sustainability, her romantic looks were achieved from rewoven plastics and offcuts. See our recent story on Lara here.

Chiefs of Angels presented a rebellious edge with their punk rock-themed collection.

With Oscar Ncube’s fabric ripping and distressing, he showed a more punky expression than the technical design.

Jacques van der Watt closed off the night with a show that goes back to the very essence of what has made Black Coffee a formidable force in the design world.

The geometric prints and architectural structures were recognizable. It is the collection’s military and laid-back mood that brings it back to now as we fight for survival in this Covid19 pandemic. As poet Lebo Mashile says, “Style is in the survival of my people.”

Content courtesy of ASA Online Magazine & Nairobi fashion hub 

South African Fashion Week Kicks Off

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

South African Fashion Week (SAFW) begins its three-day schedule of shows today, with 28 designers, including LVMH prize finalist Lukhanyo Mdingi and finalists of SAFW’s 2021 new talent search competition, showcasing their collections digitally.

According to Lucilla Booyzen, director of SAFW, the trans-seasonal collections on the schedule were shot at the beginning of April at South Africa’s Mall of Africa and viewers will be able to purchase tickets on the SAFW website to view the collections via streaming platform Quicket.

While the digital format remains a necessity due to continued government restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19 in South Africa, Booyzen also said broadcasting the shows digitally has the benefit of increasing the platform’s reach beyond South Africa.

This year’s main focus for SAFW is slow fashion, Booyzen told BoF. In practice, this focus takes different forms for different designers, with upcycling and working with natural fabrics like cotton, mohair, and wool being commonly utilised slow fashion tools among those showing at SAFW.

”South African Fashion Week’s goal of facilitating a slow fashion culture steeped in ecological sustainability by 2025 is supported by the majority of designers who are aligned with the platform,” Booyzen said.

This edition of SAFW also features a tribute to Wandi Nzimande, the co-founder of popular streetwear and lifestyle brand Loxion Kulca, who died earlier this year. The Loxion Kulca collection to be shown on the SAFW schedule was designed by House of Ole founder, Ole Ledimo.

Content courtesy of Business Of Fashion & Nairobi fashion hub 

How Viola Davis Won Awards Season with her Colorful Red Carpet Style

Posted on by Fashion Police

In this strangest of awards seasons, Viola Davis was a rare bright spot.

The 55-year-old star, who’s nominated for Best Actress at the 2021 Oscars for her performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” has captivated fashion lovers with her parade of colorful red-carpet looks over the past few months, injecting some much-needed joy into a year defined by a global pandemic and a long-overdue reckoning with systemic racism.

To be sure, Davis has long gravitated toward bold, bright hues on the red carpet. Who could forget the red-hot Armani she wore while accepting her Best Supporting Actress statuette for “Fences” at the 2017 Academy Awards, or the bubblegum pink Michael Kors column she chose for the same show the following year?

But, in 2021, the majority of the Juilliard grad’s vibrant-as-ever red-carpet looks were designed not by the usual red-carpet heavy hitters, but lesser-known labels led by creatives of color.

As a result, her outfits from monochromatic marvels by Greta Constantine to a custom peplum confection courtesy of Duro Olowu have made major statements in more ways than one.

“Pretty dresses are, well, everywhere,” Greta Constantine designer Kirk Pickersgill, who created two bold gowns that Davis wore this season, told Page Six Style. “By contrast, dresses that celebrate your strength and empower both you and your tomorrow are far more difficult to come across.”

The designer added that by championing black-owned brands, Davis “has opened the doors for so many of us that have been locked out.”

“There is nothing more beautiful than an individual using their platform to not only look good but also do good,” Pickersgill told us.

Ahead of Sunday’s Oscars, let’s take a look back at Davis’ winning style throughout the season.

Lavie by CK for the Golden Globes

“It’s about feeling good and looking good in your queendom,” Cameroon-born designer Claude Kameni told Page Six Style of the inspiration behind the show-stopping mermaid gown Davis chose for the Golden Globes in February.

Kameni had just one week to complete the puff-sleeved dress from printed African fabric, but the end result, which had her at “a loss for words,” was “definitely worth the all-nighters.”

“We started saying, ‘Viola’s gonna violate this dress,’” the self-taught designer quipped, with a laugh, adding that she hopes to see more A-listers following Davis’ lead when it comes to supporting black fashion talent.

“There’s a whole bunch of talented designers that need their names out there; it shouldn’t just be the same designers all the time,” Kameni said. “Give someone else a spotlight!”

Greta Constantine for the Critics Choice Awards

“After months of panic and fear, we wanted garments that excited us, styles that evoked a sense of hope,” Pickersgill told us of Davis’ ruffle-trimmed cerulean frock. “By producing bright, structural garments, we were looking to bring a smile to the face of both the wearer and the beholder.”

Pickersgill added that seeing the star in her bright blue gown was about “so much more than the fashion. It was about capturing a moment in history that celebrates black creativity in all of its beautiful, challenging, inspiring forms.”

Duro Olowu for the NAACP Image Awards

Appropriately dubbed the “happy dress” by stylist Elizabeth Stewart, this cheery printed peplum frock was a perfect pick for Davis to wear during her double win for “Ma Rainey” and “How To Get Away With Murder” at the NAACP Image Awards in March.

Nigerian-born British designer Olowu has also dressed Michelle Obama, Lupita Nyong’o, and Thandiwe Newton, to name but a few.

Louis Vuitton for the SAG Awards

According to the French fashion house, Davis’ lime green gown took 140 hours of work and 10,000 sequins to complete. The gold and silver embellishments formed a geometric pattern that ran parallel to a pair of zippers down both sides of the strong-shouldered dress, perfectly framing the star’s silhouette at the SAG Awards in early April.

Greta Constantine for the African American Film Critics Association Awards

Davis picked another look from Greta Constantine’s spring 2021 collection this one in ruffled sunny yellow for her last pre-Oscars appearance on the awards circuit when she netted the icon award at the African American Film Critics Association Awards.

“After months in which we had no choice but to take everything seriously, this was one of those garments that would invite you to let your guard down and simply be,” Pickersgill said.

Content courtesy of Page Six & Nairobi fashion hub

 

 

 

Alber Elbaz, Celebrated Fashion Designer, Dies at Age 59 of Coronavirus

Posted on by Fashion Police

Alber Elbaz, the Moroccan-born Israeli fashion designer best known for rejuvenating the Lanvin brand, died in France of COVID-19, according to reports. Israeli media has reported that he died of the South African variant of coronavirus, despite being fully vaccinated. He was 59 years old.

The designer, known for his elegant feminine dresses with visible zippers, first worked with Geoffrey Beene in New York, then with the houses of Guy Laroche and Yves Saint-Laurent in France before his 14-year run at Lanvin. He was controversially dismissed from that position in 2015. In late 2019 he formed his own company, AZ Fashion, and the first collection of its line AZ Fashion debuted this January.

In a New York Times profile, he explained his concept of “Anatoknit,” in which ergonomic lines worked to create tension and release for maximum comfort that took seven months of research and development. He was driven to design something stylish that a woman could wear and “eat a big piece of cake.”

While at Lanvin, Elbaz designed creations worn by many celebrities, including Beyoncé, Lupita Nyong’o, Pharell Williams, Natalie Portman, and Harry Styles, as well as Demi Moore, Nicole Kidman, Catherine Deneuve, Kate Moss, Uma Thurman, Julianne Moore, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Meryl Streep wore an Elbaz-era Lanvin dress when she accepted her Academy Award in 2012 for The Iron Lady, as did Tilda Swinton when she won for Michael Clayton in 2008. He was also credited as a special costume designer for Portman’s 2015 film A Tale of Love and Darkness.

Elbaz was also known for his good humor, made evident in this quote when asked about the importance of fashion: “Today, I was at Barneys for a couple of hours we had a trunk show. There was this woman I was helping, and she told me at the end of this little rendezvous we had, ‘I am going to be broke, but I am happy.’

I think this is the whole idea of what fashion is going to do today, and I am saying that, when everything is crashing, maybe it’s not a bad idea to invest in a good dress.”

Content courtesy of Vanity Fair & Nairobi fashion hub 

Birimian First Investment Company Dedicated to African Luxury Brands Launches

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Birimian, the first operational investment firm dedicated to connecting African luxury and heritage fashion brands with international investors, has launched to accelerate the international emergence of African creators and designer brands.

The aim of Birimian is to support African designers and help them facilitate and accelerate the growth of their businesses regionally and internationally, acting as a bridge between the continent’s entrepreneurs and creative talent, and strategic stakeholders in the international fashion and luxury industries.

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Founded by an all-female executive team, Birimian is led by Laureen Kouassi-Olsson, a seasoned executive in the African financial services and private equity industries, alongside Michelle Kathryn Essomé, the former chief executive officer of the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, who will be the chief financial officer and head of investor relations.

In addition, Céline Gainsburg-Rey, who specializes in supporting luxury brands, has been named head of strategy and marketing, while Olufunke Faweya, who has dedicated her career to operations management and international brand expansion, joins as head of brand operations.

Birimian will address the challenges associated with capital, production, and international distribution faced by African designers, explained the investment firm in a statement while establishing an “ecosystem of experts and professionals who specialize in value creation for independent labels and international brands”.

The investment firm will work with brands across the fashion, accessories, beauty, and cosmetics, and gourmet sectors and is launches with four brands that it provided support through a combination of financing and bespoke growth strategy.

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The first brands to join its portfolio are women’s apparel and accessories brand Christie Brown from Ghana, which has been worn by Beyonce and Alicia Keys, Loza Maléombho from the Ivory Coast that bridges traditional African aesthetics and contemporary fashion, womenswear brand Simone et Élise also from the Ivory Coast, and Belgium-based bag brand, Yeba.

New investment firm Birimian places a spotlight on African luxury fashion

Birimian said that it will focus on providing long-term financing of brands in the company’s portfolio, investing between 30,000 and 3 million US dollars in brands and creative enterprises at incubation, acceleration, and growth levels.

Alongside financing, brand consultation and coaching will be offered to ensure business processes and brand identity are in line with each designer’s goals, as well as strengthening of internal control and financial planning processes, and production and distribution capacity through strategic partnerships.

Birimian will implement expansion plans ensuring sustainable growth, both regionally and internationally, with investors tied in for a minimum of five years to ensure long-term support for partner brands, as well as international exposure for creative companies by optimizing the use of digital channels.

Africa’s textile and clothing market is a growth market, with the industry estimated to be worth more than 31 billion US dollars. The continent also accounts for the second-largest number of jobs in developing countries after agriculture.

Commenting on the launch, founder Laureen Kouassi-Olsson said in a statement: “Birimian has been created to champion the exceptional talent and creativity emanating from the continent in order to help it reach the audience it deserves. Our mission is to use a combination of finance, mentoring, and operational support to help our brands gain international exposure, achieve their true potential, placing hence the continent’s cultural heritage on the world stage.

Birimian is a call to action to contribute to the emergence of African heritage brands.

Our unique value proposition relies on the extended ecosystem of experts and key stakeholders from the international fashion and creative scene we will build to support the sustainable growth of our brands and in turn connecting investors and industry enthusiasts with the continent’s finest designer brands and creative entrepreneurs.”

Content courtesy of Fashion United & Nairobi fashion hub 

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