Saturday 24th of October 2026

Nairobi, Kenya

Tag: Fashion House

DHL Has Announced A Partnership With The Footwear Brand Veldskoen.

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

DHL Express, the logistics company, is expanding its foray into high fashion with its first collaboration with an African brand, Veldskoen, the footwear company.

DHL has released a number of unexpected fashion collaborations over the years, including a T-shirt with Vetements that debuted on the Paris catwalk in 2016, and a limited-edition sneaker with Budapester to commemorate its 50th anniversary.

DHL’s most recent fashion collaboration is with South African footwear company, Veldskoen, with the release of a new limited-edition shoe dubbed “Dear Everyone,” which will be available via a drop lottery system, with those interested in purchasing having until April 15 to register at DHLxVeldskoen.com.

There are only 365 pairs of one-of-a-kind, handcrafted shoes available, which were unveiled in London on March 17 and will be on display at Selfridges for four days within two exclusive branded windows.
Each pair of DHL x Veldskoen’s Dear Everyone shoes is handcrafted by 66 pairs of hands in Durban, South Africa, and features a mural on the side panels by local artist Reggie Kumalo that incorporates campaign messaging as well as subtle South African references.

DHL Express has a partnership with Veldskoen
“For decades, we have made designers and fashion labels more successful worldwide by creating tailor-made shipping solutions and using our unique logistics network to connect them with a larger, global audience,” Megan Collinicos, vice president of marketing at DHL Express Sub Saharan Africa, said in a statement.

Following the success of our previous fashion collaborations in Europe, North America, and Asia, we were looking for an African brand for our next exciting collaboration.

“Veldskoen created a modern take on an iconic South African shoe by adding a pop of color to the soles and laces, and have amassed an impressive customer base around the world since their inception in 2016.”

And over the last few months, we’ve been working with the Veldskoen team to reinvent the traditional veldskoen once more.”
In a statement about the collaboration, Veldskoen CEO Nick Dreyer said, “When DHL approached us with the idea of collaborating on a limited-edition shoe to highlight South African fashion, it was a no-brainer for us.” Their previous fashion projects pushed the boundaries with some unexpected pairings, so being chosen as the first African brand for the next collaboration was a huge honor.

There were immediate synergies between our two brands, the most obvious being a desire to make a difference in the communities where we operate.

Content courtesy of DHL & NFH

​​​​​​​Carole Kinoti Establishes the Mavazi Executive Fashion Program in Collaboration with Strathmore University.

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Carole Kinoti Brands, an iconic fashionista and designer brand, has partnered with Strathmore University Business School to offer the Mavazi Executive Programme.

The program will bring together various fashion industry stakeholders, creating a platform for creatives in the Kenyan fashion industry to discuss the changing face of the fashion industry in Kenya and Africa as a whole.

“This training Programme will instill enhanced design and business skills among established and upcoming designers, fashion industry distributors, and all other players in the fashion value chain,” Carole Kinoti Brands said in a statement.

The “Mavazi Executive Programme (MEP)” is a training program that will instill improved design and business skills in established and aspiring designers who participate.

Participants will also have the opportunity to develop and improve their networks, business structures, systems, cultures, and brand visibility through the program.

Participants will benefit from an expanded customer base, a rich network in the fashion value chain, increased revenues, and potential access to financing with these new skills, opportunities, and information.

Participants who successfully complete the program developed by Strathmore University Business School in collaboration with Carole Kinoti Brands will have the opportunity to join the Mavazi Hub, an exclusive network of Fashion Value chain players committed to creating sustainable ‘Made in Africa’ fashion trends.

Shared regional marketing, supply, and distribution channels will generate valuable synergies, resulting in economies of scale and a stronger negotiating platform in the Fashion Value Chain.

Among the key benefits that participants will receive are increased overall revenues through the use of new marketing, design, and networking insights; extended networks amongst Fashion Value Chain players; enhanced design and business skills; the opportunity to be a part of an exclusive Fashion Value Chain community; and creating and elevating the brand visibility of the participants’ businesses.

Content courtesy of Carole Kinoti Brands & NFH

LIORE’e Establishes Itself As The Industry Leader In African Infant Clothing.

Posted on by Ann Mumbi

The luxury goods sector has been one of Africa’s fastest expanding markets during the last ten years. Within this sector, premium baby clothing has established itself as a must-have item.

The New York-based luxury baby boutique LIORE’e has positioned itself as one of the first companies in the field, recognizing the sector’s rise. It is now set to make substantial land grabs of market share in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and others.
Daniella Zoharetz, a young mother, founded the business in 2017 with the goal of creating entertaining, elegant accessories, cosmetics, and clothes for newborns. Zoharetz founded LIORE’e with a passion for infants, fashion, and luxury.

There she was a huge hit and received a lot of praise. While LIORE’e is best known for its custom-made rhinestone embossed accessories such as pacifiers, bottle caps, pacifier clips, and baby sandals, the brand’s latest venture includes a new range of clothes.
“I wasn’t pleased with the alternatives available before I joined LIORE’e. Sure, some of the apparel lines looked fantastic, but they lacked luster! “They didn’t make an impression,” Zoharetz adds.

“I wanted to make something that merged infants and fashion as a mother.” So I founded LIORE’e, with the goal of creating one-of-a-kind luxury things and accessories of the highest quality that you won’t find anywhere else.”

The brand’s new baby clothesline will be made of superior pima cotton and will be suitable for children aged newborn to two years old. Clothing sets will be available, complete with high-quality packaging and branding, and will be ideal for presenting to new moms and their babies. LIORE’e is excited to share their latest designs, which guarantee elegance and shine in every product, when they launch in March 2022.

Welcome to LIORE’e, a baby shop situated in New York. On LIORE’e, we have everything a parent may want for his or her children – all in one place.
We understand the fads and evolution that children go through, which is why we update our store with new brands and items on a regular basis to keep parents and their children pleased at all times.

On LIORE’e, we have the world’s largest selection of handcrafted baby Swarovski crystal items. We are completely committed, and as a result, we go above and beyond to provide you with elegant, trendy, yet very inexpensive items for small children, newborns, and expecting mothers.

We are not simply another online business. We are a brand that shares a parent’s love for their children. All of our goods are sourced and certified by genuine moms and fathers who understand what parents desire for their children in order to properly beautify every newborn. As a result, we always have everything every parent wants for their children.

We don’t stop there; we make sure that every step of the procedure, from placing an order to having it delivered to your door, is painless. Please have a look at our timeless items that will make your child stand out!!!

Content courtesy of LIORE’e & NFH 

Fashion Designers Are Invited To Apply For A Mentorship Program At The Durban Fashion Fair.

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

DURBAN – The eThekwini Municipality has invited young fashion designers to register for a mentoring program for the 2022 Durban Fashion Fair (DFF).

The DFF mentorship program, which is now in its 11th year, is part of the city’s fashion development initiative.
The DFF mentorship program focuses on technical skills, business growth, and market access, as well as giving networking opportunities, to help designers break into the fashion industry.

Msawakhe Mayisela, a municipal spokesman, indicated that applications for 2022 are currently available.

Mayisela explained that the DFF mentoring program will provide fashion designers access to the market, allowing them to sell their wares at the city-owned DFF emporiums in uMlazi Mega City, Midway Crossing, and a few pop-up stores such as the Pavilion Shopping Centre as well as online platforms.

• A storyboard displaying a clothing line you’re working on or have recently released.

• Documents proving residency and credentials.

Applications must be sent to the 7th floor of the Embassy Building, 199 Anton Lembede Street, Durban, by 3 p.m. on March 25.
Call 031 311 4497 or contact nondumiso.mthembu@durban.gov.za for more information about the DFF mentorship program.

Content Courtesy of IOL & NFH

Minnie Dlamini to Show Off French-Xhosa Range at Paris Fashion Week 2022 with JessicaJane

Posted on by Fashion Police

South African media personality Minnie Dlamini will be walking the ramp for JessicaJane to show off the French-Xhosa Range at Paris Fashion Week in early March 2022 in a fabulous case of women supporting women on their journeys… whilst making South Africa proud and making dreams come true.

Little did JessicaJane know that when she fell in love and married Wandile Molebatsi who is half Tswana and half Xhosa how this would impact her fashion design journey, culminating in an invitation to the famous Paris Fashion Week.

After receiving the invitation and after much thinking during Covid lockdowns, Jessica decided to create a range that would mean something to all South Africans. Her range embraces the past and present, as well as racial and cultural differences… and is particularly personal to Jessica because of her multi-racial family.

After marrying Wandile, Jessica’s social circle expanded, and she started having women approach her to make their traditional South African wedding dresses. After making a few, Jessica found herself gravitating towards Xhosa attire… drawn by the impactful monochrome nature of the garments.

Jessica’s heritage which is French, Norwegian, Scottish, and English still flows through her designs, whilst maintaining a deep respect for the traditional cultural garments she was being commissioned to design and make.

Having studied a BA Degree in Fashion Design, Jessica always brings couture elements into her traditional garments and believes that a traditional wedding dress should be treated with the same care and attention that one gives to a civil wedding dress.

Whilst developing this love of Xhosa attire and having an affinity for all things French, Jessica started to imagine how her designs could creatively merge these two styles’ aesthetics. This creative design process had already begun when JessicaJane received an invite to show during Paris Fashion Week and she knew instantly that she would want to show a French-Xhosa Range.

When marrying into the Molebatsi family. Jessica received her “given” name from her Xhosa aunts which are NOLUTHANDO (The One that gives love). Jess felt that to name the range NOLUTHANDO would be perfectly fitting; as this range would go out into the world and show, give and portray love for South Africa.

The SA Department of Sports, Arts and Culture intervened to make sure that JessicaJane can indeed show at the Paris Fashion Week on 4th and 5th March. (The Paris Fashion Week runs from 28 Feb to 8 March.)

To view JessicaJane’s current collection 2021 Here

With dynamic South African celebrity Minnie Dlamini modeling the beautiful collection in Paris, it’s sure to be a show-stopper.

Staying with weddings and love, Dlamini’s latest film project No Love Lost which her company Beautiful Day Productions produced, has just started streaming on Showmax (available to Showmax International subscribers abroad too). The wonderfully romantic feature film was launched on Valentine’s Day.

Content Courtesy of SA People & NFH Digital Team 

Conde Nast College of Fashion & Design In London Aims To Nurture Diversity In The Industry

Posted on by Nairobi Fashion Hub

Changing the fashion business and bringing a more diverse representation in relation to race, gender and body starts in the classroom, said leading industry educators, advocates, and creatives, as the curtain has fallen on London Fashion Week in the British capital.

In the heart of central London’s energetic and eclectic nightlife district Soho on Tuesday evening, the Conde Nast College of Fashion & Design launched its “Global Fashion Perspectives” initiative in a bid to better promote diversity and inclusion across the sector.

“The idea is to explore ways to bring about new international collaborations in the fashion industry through bringing together views from diverse global and regional voices,” Nick Isles, CEO of the college, stressed. “There will be a lot of elements to this including events, symposia, research, publishing, student engagement, new curricula, and new policy ideas.”

The program is developed with the African Fashion Foundation (AFF) and the Council for International African Fashion Education and will be marketed specifically to the African fashion and media industries and the professionals who work therein, Isles explained.

“The first part and this is really exciting for us, is the launch of a bespoke trio of online programs created for and targeted specifically at Sub-Saharan Africa. These course modules will be about, styling and creative direction, the business of luxury and digital content creation, and contemporary marketing strategies,” he said.

The college, opened in 2013 by the global media giant Conde Nast, provides students education for a career in the fashion, media, and luxury lifestyle industries and works closely with the teams at Vogue, LOVE, Glamour, GQ, and other Conde Nast magazines.

Lisa Mann, director of postgraduate, professional, and online programs at the college, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the initiative’s launch that an area of focus will be attracting creative talent from China.

“China is definitely of interest. We need to encourage more people from China to come and collaborate with us, we would love that,” she emphasized.

“London is a place where we can really make big strides towards being more diverse, more accessible, more inclusive, and more equal, with opportunities for so many people,” said the director. “The Chinese designers are just incredible, they are amazing. There are a few to watch.”

But still, creating a lasting reset in an industry that has long suffered from a lack of diversity remains a challenge.

Roberta Annan, a Ghanaian investor and the founder of the AFF, is one of the pioneers making headway.

“The old norm has to stop and we have to be more inclusive and open to other people and the fact that they are different. I hope this initiative really motivates people to think outside the box and take bold moves,” she told Xinhua.

“I am African and I’m a big advocate and proponent for the development of the continent. The conversation I’ve had with the college has been around how to make the curriculum more inclusive and more global,” said Annan, who also sits on the advisory council of the college.

The Global Fashion Perspectives program is designed to be in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all, as well as achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, according to the college.

Content Courtesy of Xinhua & NFH Digital Team 

Thando Hopa Partners with Lebohang Monyatsi and Mantsho to bring African Fashion Legacy to Life

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

International model, lawyer, and activist from South Africa, Thando Hopa has launched a new project called African Fashion Legacy (AFL), a concept that explores the history of the transcontinental African fabrics that have been part of the lives of African people.

“AFL was launched after a seed planted by my mother. One afternoon she told me about the power of working-class communities and their significant contribution to fashion and culture. Her example was how rural communities in Lesotho created parallel ownership over Sishweshwe, a heritage that was once only considered to be Swiss German.

“I then spoke to ma’am Angelique Kidjo when I was at the World Economic Forum, and she told me how Ankara, in West Africa, had a similar historical trajectory. I realized that if you follow the story of African fabric, it becomes a historical document that tells you several stories about many nations,” says Hopa.

To bring the AFL idea to life, Hopa collaborated with Miss Wheelchair World First Princess title-holder and model Lebohang Monyatsi as the face of the project. Fashion designer Palesa Mokubung, the founder of Mantsho, came on board as the lead designer for the garments that depicted the history of the transcontinental fabrics from ideation, drawing of the sketches to final garments encapsulating the origin of the fabrics.

“With this project, I am hoping that African youth will build cultural literacy and awareness on the fashion garments that have molded our heritage and still resonate with us in contemporary Africa,” says Hopa.

She adds that she wants to frame expansive lenses of representation within the stories of Africa.

“African stories should assert different bodies and experiences in a manner that values this diversity within our cultures. People with disabilities, first nation people, people with albinism or LGBTQIA communities all form part of the composition of Africa, and there needs to be greater effort placed at profiling these stories in mainstream and defining cultural narratives,” she said.

Monyatsi, who started modeling in 2016, appears on the inside pages of Glamour South Africa’s March issue, where Hopa’s vision is documented in the fashion spread complimented by the visuals that display the transformation of Seshweshwe, Ankara, Blaudruk, and Batik.

She is grateful to be working with Hopa, who saw potential in her and gave her a platform to showcase her talent.

“Working with Thando Hopa, I couldn’t believe it. She broke down barriers and opened the doors for me, and other girls. I feel that in her I have a role model and a blueprint of what a black child can achieve. She is the epitome of black excellence and achievement,” says Monyatsi.

The Miss Wheelchair World first runner-up who was diagnosed with polio at the age of three, says she would like to see more inclusivity within the fashion and modeling industry.

“I would like to see someone using a wheelchair or someone using an artificial leg as the cover of any magazine or participating at major fashion shows such as South Africa fashion week and African Fashion International Fashion Week. After all, representation matters.

As a person who grew up feeling inferior, lacking self-esteem and confidence, Monyatsi encourages young girls who want to be models, but have fear, to read and fully understand the poem “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.”

“Being persons with disabilities means that we need to work hard to be seen. We have to push back against the stereotypes against us and all the ways we have been defined before. We have to work hard to define ourselves. We need to fight the invisibility that comes with being disabled. We have to work to find our voices. You playing small does not serve anyone, go out and slay,” says Monyatsi.

Content Courtesy of IOL & NFH Digital Team 

Roberta Annan And African Fashion Foundation In Collaboration With Prestigious London College Conde Nast College Of Fashion & Design Announce New Scholarship For Aspiring Fashion Creatives From Sub-Saharan Africa

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Roberta Annan’s African Fashion Foundation or AFF is joining forces with the highly prestigious Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design in London to provide life-changing educational opportunities for African students.

The Roberta Annan Scholarship (named after the founder of the AFF) is a two-part program that will fund a new student each year to study at the College. Initially, the successful candidate will take the College’s Vogue Foundation Programme and then move on to a BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Industry Practice. Their tuition fees and living expenses will all be included in the scholarship grant.

Roberta Annan says, “This is a wonderful opportunity for some truly creative and entrepreneurial individuals from Africa to be able to study at one of the most prestigious fashion colleges in the world. Africa is overflowing with creative young people with drive and vision, and this scholarship will change not only their lives but the lives of the people in the communities where they will hopefully launch great businesses, armed with this training. I’m very proud and optimistic that this partnership will make a real difference.”

Launching at the same time will be a second initiative, Global Fashion Perspectives. College CEO, Nick Isles says, “The idea is to explore ways to bring about new international collaborations in the fashion industry through bringing together views from diverse global and regional voices. The aim of the program is to exchange knowledge, develop thinking, influence attitudes and policy and increase understanding. There will be a lot of elements to this including events, new policy ideas.

The first part and which is really exciting for us is the launch of a bespoke trio of online programs created for and targeted specifically at Sub-Saharan Africa. These course modules will be about, Styling & Creative Direction, The Business of Luxury and Digital Content Creation & Contemporary Marketing Strategies.”

The programs are being developed with the African Fashion Foundation and the Centre for International African Fashion Education (CIAFE) and will be marketed specifically to the African fashion and media industries and the professionals who work therein. The program will be heavily discounted to be affordable for potential candidates from the Sub- Saharan region.

Frederica Brooksworth is the founder and Executive Director of CIAFE. She says, “CIAFE is specifically committed to improving the standards of Fashion Education in Africa by creating partnerships between academia and the industry. This collaboration will not only provide opportunities for businesses and individuals in Africa to learn but will also promote two-way knowledge exchange. We are all enriched by the things we pick up from each other.”

Lisa Mann from the College is constructing the course and says, “The Global Fashion Perspectives program is being specifically designed to be in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. That was something all the partners were very committed to in coming up with the idea.”

The UN Sustainable Development goals that the project will be aligned with are:

  • Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
  • Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
  • Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all
  • Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Both initiatives are being unveiled at a launch event at Condé Nast College on 22nd February from 1800 for 1830 to 2100, where Roberta Annan will outline the plans in full alongside:

  • l Lisa Mann, Director of Postgraduate, Professional & Online Programmes, Business Development; Coordinator
  • l Nick Isles, College CEO
  • Harriet Posner, Director of Undergraduate Programmes and Learning, Teaching, and Enhancement (overseeing the Global Fashion Programme in conjunction with AFF

The launch event will include an “In-Conversation” with Roberta Annan and Emily Chan, Sustainability Editor, Vogue Global Network. They will talk about the reasons behind Roberta’s support for Global Fashion Perspectives and the scholarship. The event will also include examples of work and thinking from around the world that will offer an insight into the impressive diversity of perspectives with which the project hopes to engage.

Content Courtesy of African Fashion Foundation & NFH Digital Team

African Fashion Week 2022 Showcases Vibrant Community Talent Hosted By African Fashion And Arts Movement Vancouver

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

African Fashion Week, hosted by African Fashion and Arts Movement Vancouver, kicked off on Feb. 19 showcasing much more than fashion, with vendors with handmade goods, food, featured performers, and music.

Attendees mingled amongst themselves and a sense of community was built throughout the space, which was something Yao Zeus Mohammed, founder, and producer of AFAM had hoped for.

“The importance of African Fashion Week to me is that it brings the community together, and it showcases the great talents we have in our community,” says Mohammed.

This is the fifth year that African Fashion Week has been hosted, however, last year AFAM could not host the event due to the COVID-19 restrictions. With restrictions eased, they were willing to host it this year even if it meant having only a quarter of the venue capacity.

During the intermission, attendees could buy finger food, Ghanaian jollof rice, pastries, meat, and vegetarian food options made by caterer Delali Adiamah.

“These are foods that you find at a party. So when you go to a wedding, when you go to a funeral … in Africa in Ghana, these are where you will find such food,” says Adiamah.

“[AFAM] brings the community together and showcases the great talents we have, and not only that, but it also shows the world we have a vibrant group of people working together on this west coast and it attracts others to come here and mingle with us,” says Mohammed.

 

The event showcased great talents by giving them space to share their story.

“We are not the only ones in this community, so you need that niche that you can really market your product to that they are interested in. That’s why it’s important not only to me but to the people involved,” says Mohammed.

Hana Woldeyes is the designer for BeadedBody. Woldeyes designs were showcased in the show as the spring collection. Most of the pieces were made from glass, wood, and rock. This year was her first time being invited to the show.

“I used to make my own jewelry. So, I made bracelet beads, necklaces, and amulets for myself, but more people kept asking me about where I got them. So, I started making them for individuals … [then] I started taking it as a business,” says Woldeyes.

Jason Bempong, the fashion designer behind clothing company Sleepless Mindz, was also invited to showcase his work during the event.

“For this particular collection, I’m really inspired by 1980s 1990s NASCAR jackets, a lot of Jeff Gordon pieces … [and] old varsity Disney Looney Tune jackets as well,” says Bempong.

Other designers like Mawogan Fashion, Navoir, Vickendel Style, Rated 18, V12 Fashion Designer, Kabumbe Fashion, and Rita Mary came together to create a fantastic show, with beautiful models walking the runway and performers dancing or singing between a few designs.

“Everyone should just keep following their dreams, even when people tell you ‘no,’ even when people tell you it’s ridiculous,” Bempong says.

“You’ve got to keep that vision alive and never give up.”

About African Fashion and Arts Movement (AFAM Vancouver)

Founded in 2018 by Yao Zeus Mohammed, African Fashion and Arts Movement (AFAM Vancouver ) is the largest African fashion and Trade exhibition in British Columbia.
(AFAM Vancouver) Host African Fashion Week annually during Black history month (February). African fashion designers and Performers from the lower mainland, various parts of Canada, the States and From Africa come together to showcase the true collaboration of art in its purest form: L I V E
Featuring Fashion, Arts, Music, Dance, Awards, Exhibition, and Marketplace.

As one of the most high-profile Africa-focused events in British Columbia, AFAM Vancouver will play host to designers & exhibitors, from Africa, Europe. continues to be the most anticipated event celebrating African Fashion, Arts, Talent, and Culture in Vancouver
With a collaborative catwalk, exhibition, and awards, AFAM Vancouver has commanded the way in highlighting Africa’s emerging designers and apparel industry and has been at the forefront of bringing awareness of Africa’s expanding fashion industry.

AFAM Vancouver aims to shift the narratives about Africa and the African diaspora by re-branding the perception of Africa as a whole. We are committed to empowering and promoting African-inspired fashion and arts by providing a premier event platform that also supports entrepreneurs in building a sustainable business that is internationally recognized and promotes social change in Africa.

Content Courtesy of The Runner & NFH Digital Team 

New York Fashion Week Is On! A First Look at the February Schedule

Posted on by Fashion Police

The Council of Fashion Designers of America and IMG have released the official schedule for New York Fashion Week’s fall 2022 season. Taking place from February 11 to February 16, 2022, NYFW will see mainstays of American fashion like Tom Ford, Tory Burch, Coach, Proenza Schouler, Michael Kors, and Anna Sui return alongside some designers who’ve sat out of late like Area and Dion Lee, and a host of new names to know.

Steven Kolb, the chief executive of the CFDA told Vogue, “The American fashion industry has shown great resilience during this difficult time. As the Omicron variant continues to present challenges at every level, I am looking forward to seeing the ways in which designers continue to present their collections in creative, innovative ways with an eye to the safety of all fashion week stakeholders.”

The major question is whether the shows scheduled will take place in-person or digitally. The provisional schedule leaves a lot of room for designers to do things their way as precautions around the Omicron variant change, though there is a small section of digital-only brands noted on the calendar that includes names like Adam Lippes, Imitation of Christ, Sandy Liang, Theophilio, and others.

When a show does take place in-person, the CFDA and IMG are promising to monitor the COVID precautions. Kolb said, “We will be following the COVID protocols that were instated in September that call for mandatory vaccination, mask-wearing indoors, and scaling back the size of audiences. We continue to be in contact with local and state health officials as we monitor the Omicron variant.”

IRL or URL, New York is home to a new guard of thinkers, designers, and change-makers. Eckhaus Latta’s Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta have cemented themselves as NYFW mainstays with a 9 p.m. show on February 12, as has Telfar with a slot at 6 p.m. on the 16th.

Emerging talents from the spring 2022 season like Connor McKnight, Saint Sintra, and Elena Velez are back on the official calendar, joined by an In The Blk showcase. “There is a lot of great new talent on the schedule, including Dauphinette, Judy Turner, Loring, Luchen, Melke, PatBO, Saint Sintra, and Zankov,” Kolb said, highlighting the young talents on his radar.

Content Courtesy of Vogue Magazine & NFH 

Covid Or Not, The Show Must Go On: New York Fashion Week Kicks Off

Posted on by Fashion Police

Fall/Winter 2022 shows get underway at New York Fashion week with Proenza Schouler and Christian Cowan showing their lively collections.

Experimentation, play, and glitter: a coronavirus-impacted New York Fashion Week got underway on Friday with Fall/Winter 2022 shows by Proenza Schouler and Christian Cowan.

Experimentation’ At New York Fashion Week

In its collection, presented in an art gallery in Manhattan’s trendy East Village, New York brand Proenza Schouler played with shape, contrasting fitted waists with loose or slightly rounded skirts.

Designer Lazaro Hernandez said the idea was to exaggerate and juxtapose different forms to respond to “this whole body obsession these days with social media and everyone showing the body.”

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZ5bKKIlLe3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Model Bella Hadid wore an outfit featuring buttoned sleeves, accentuated shoulders, and a black velvet hooded top – giving off a Catwoman vibe.

“Experimentation and play are key, perhaps now more than ever,” Proenza said of its collection.

Christian Cowan Showcases ‘glamour’ At New York Fashion Week

Christian Cowan – who has dressed Lady Gaga and rappers Cardi B and Lil Nas X – presented his collection in the observatory atop the One World Trade Center skyscraper that replaced the Twin Towers felled on 9/11.

The show had the atmosphere of a nightclub, highlighting the British designer’s taste for glitter and glamour.

Ahead of the runway, the label teased fans with what might be in store by posting an image of the “Freedom Tower” all in pink on its Instagram page.

Tom Ford Cancels New York Fashion Week Show

Despite pandemic restrictions and the Omicron variant upsetting preparations, several other brands have opted for in-person shows, including Michael Kors, Altuzarra, Tory Burch, Brandon Maxwell, and Telfar.

A notable absence was Tom Ford, chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) that organizes the event.

He was due to close the week next Wednesday but canceled at the end of January due to a surge of COVID-19 cases among his team.

“We have tried everything possible to avoid canceling our New York show but ultimately are faced with the sad fact that we will simply not have a completed collection in time,” he said.

Opportunity For Emerging Talents To Showcase At New York Fashion Week

For several years now, New York has had to deal with big names deciding to skip the event in favor of displaying their latest collections elsewhere.

Some designers are also choosing to eschew the classic runway calendar, with growing criticism that the frantic pace of fashion is out of step with sustainability.

The absence of top creators like Christopher John Rogers – the CFDA’s women’s designer of the year 2021 – and Kerby Jean-Raymond’s Pyer Moss brand, also provided an opportunity for emerging talents to grab the headlines.

Or at least that is the hope of labels such as Melke and Dauphinette, which promote sustainable and ethical fashion.

“It is really rewarding realizing that people can see the work that I’ve been doing and they think that it deserves a place amongst a bunch of other very successful brands,” 26-year-old Emma Gage, who founded Melke during the pandemic, told AFP.

“It kind of really solidifies you as someone that people know is going to be around for a long time,” she said inside her small studio in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Content Courtesy of AFP, The South African & NFH 

The Top Emerging Black Designers to Know Now

Posted on by Ann Mumbi

There are countless Black designers leading the current cultural conversations surrounding fashion and in the process, they are generating the culture itself. Their genius trickles down to the mainstream (as has historically been the case for designers including Ann Lowe, Willi Smith, Stephen Burrows, and many more) and becomes the industry standard.

Telfar Clemens’s label Telfar has redefined the “It” bag and created an “It” label in the process; Theophilio bakes community work and activism into its design ethos and brand codes; and Christopher John Rogers brings his Southern roots to a new kind of red carpet couture (inspired, always, by his mother’s church looks).

In addition to these established labels, there is a whole new guard of designers making fashion and setting trends through their own, idiosyncratic visions. Many of them have shown at the various fashion weeks, while others are still indie brands garnering cult followings in their own right. All are worth your attention.

1. Connor McKnight

Connor McKnight showed his second collection ever at New York Fashion Week in September 2021 after having launched the brand in the trying year that was 2020. Despite his label still being in its fledgling stages, the offerings which include sleek knits, tailored garments, and one very sexy leather jacket demonstrate the Brooklyn-based designer’s prowess and far-reaching vision.

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2. Khiry

Khiry jewelry designer Jameel Mohammed is not yet 30 years old and already, he’s created pieces worn by the likes of Tessa Thompson, Serena Williams, Megan Thee Stallion, and Michelle Obama, who donned Khiry’s Isha Rose Quartz Hoops with a matching ring during her Becoming book tour. Mohammed, a 2021 finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award, is a Chicago native now based in New York City. His finely wrought gold and silver rings, collars, and pearl-studded earrings pay homage to the African diaspora.

3. Tia Adeola

Arguably one of the buzziest brands to hit New York Fashion Week this year, Tia Adeola draws from designer Teniola “Tia” Adeola’s background in art history and her deep interest in the Renaissance period. Along with her signature proclivity for feminine ruffles, Adeola’s creations also tap into of-the-moment, updated trends like corsetry and screen-printed graphics. Adeola, who was born in Nigeria and raised in London, officially kicked off NYFW on February 10th with the debut of her fall 2022 collection, which drew from her thoughts, anxieties, and musings during the End SARS movement in Nigeria.

4. Roop

Manchester-based designer Natasha Fernandes-Anjo is taking sustainability into her own hands. With her accessory label Roop, Fernandes-Anjo recreates cast-off textiles and deadstock fabrics into sweet handbags and scrunchies all at an accessible price point.

5. Kenneth Nicholson

You’ve never seen menswear like Kenneth Nicholson’s. The Los Angeles-based designer’s clothes always draw upon a historical reference of some kind you’ll often hear him referencing Biblical stories or the 1800s when discussing his brand. The Houston native was awarded a scholarship to San Francisco’s Academy of Art before serving in the U.S. Navy. Afterward, he moved to Los Angeles to start his eponymous brand. “I don’t think I’m redefining [masculinity],” Nicholson told the L.A. Times in 2021. “I’m recalibrating what was already there.”

6. Head of State

Taofeek Abijako’s first exposure to the world of fashion came from his father, who was a designer in Abijako’s hometown of Lagos, Nigeria. In the elder Abijako’s studio, people from all walks of life came to purchase bespoke clothing. Once Taofeek’s family moved to the United States in 2010, he taught himself to sew and, six years later, launched Head of State, which has become a favorite among the fashion set.

7. Labrum London

Designer Foday Dumbuya has always aimed to bridge the gap between Great Britain and its West African diasporic communities. Through his label, Labrum London, the East London-based artist (who was raised between Sierra Leone, Cyprus, and England,) marries traditional British tailoring with the patterns and fabrics of West African attire.

8. Bernard James

Although the jewelry designer Bernard James first launched his label in 2010 with the intent of filling the gaps he saw in the men’s jewelry market, he has since expanded Bernard James into a unisex brand one that’s become a top favorite, especially among the editors here at W. We’re huge fans of the chain-link bangles and bracelets (shown above in the form of a necklace), and, of course, the show-stopping mirror gem earrings.

9. Who Decides War

Everard Best (who goes by the moniker Ev Bravado) and Téla D’Amore cite Ralph Lauren as one of their main sources of inspiration. Their label, Who Decides War, however, is anything but your stock Americana. Although the Who Decides War runway show for spring 2022 offered lots of denim, Western-Esque vests, and deconstructed sweaters knitted with United States flag emblems, the designers completely remixed what the standard approach to American fashion has historically looked like.

Content Courtesy of W Magazine & NFH 

 

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