The South African fashion industry is devastated and in shock after the passing of leading South African designer Coenraad de Mol.
De Mol passed away on Tuesday.
“Coenraad was a highly gifted and knowledgeable industry leader who derived great joy from the creative process which he expressed in his cutting-edge De Mil menswear label which was most recently seen at the Cape Wools and Mohair SA Designer Challenge show at SA Fashion Week in October 2019,” said Lucilla Booyzen, director of the South African Fashion Week.
“He was a perfectionist, exceptionally generous with his expertise and took great delight in his role as design and production technology tutor of SAFW’s 21 Steps to Retail Designer Programme”, she added.
De Mil was established in 1997 and moved into male-inspired, gender-neutral clothing in 2007. The designer said he did not regard gender neutrality as just a theme but “It’s what I do,” he would say.
His designs catered to those who don’t have a place as well as those who choose not to be boxed-in by societal norms or conventions.
Photographer Eunice Driver expressed her sadness on SA Fashion Week’s Instagram post saying: “What a loss for humanity and SA fashion”.
While Paul Tilsley took to Twitter to pay his respects, “Devastated. It turns out this was his final bow. Cenraad de Mol, known for his label DE MIL, at @safashionweek AW20. Coenraad passed on last night. A real friend, gone. A real creative force, lost to this world.”
Renowned South African Designer, Coenraad de Mol, Passes Away
The passing away of leading South African designer, Coenraad de Mol on Tuesday 19 May 2020, has left the local fashion industry devasted, says Lucilla Booyzen, director of the South African Fashion Week. pic.twitter.com/WY3dalsKba
It’s now official: There will be no Met gala in 2020. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which has been closed since mid March, announced today that the Met gala, often called the party of the year, has been canceled for 2020.
In a statement issued this afternoon, the museum said that the gala had been canceled “due to the global health crisis.
In a statement to Vogue, the Met said fashion’s big night has officially been called off “due to the global health crisis.” The Met Gala typically happens on the first Monday in May.
The Met gala, typically held on the first Monday in May, is both the most star-studded social event of the spring and a critical fundraiser for the Costume Institute, acting as the main source of annual funding for exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, and capital improvements. Last year, the gala for the exhibition “Camp: Notes on Fashion” raised a reported $15 million.
This year’s exhibition at the Costume Institute, “About Time: Fashion and Duration,” will trace a century and a half of fashion from 1870 to the present on the occasion of the Met’s 150th anniversary. It is scheduled to open on October 29 and run through February 7, 2021. The majority of objects in the show will be drawn from the Costume Institute’s collection, including major gifts from designers as part of the Met’s 2020 Collections Initiative.
In addition to today’s announcement about the Met gala, the museum updated its status on its planned reopening, saying it would now take place in mid August “or perhaps a few weeks later.”
Daniel H. Weiss, president of the museum, said: “The Met has endured much in its 150 years and today continues as a beacon of hope for the future.
This museum is also a profound reminder of the strength of the human spirit and the power of art to offer comfort, inspiration, and community. As we endure these challenging and uncertain times, we are encouraged by looking forward to the day when we can once again welcome all to enjoy the Met’s collection and exhibitions.”
The days and hours that the Met will be open to the public will likely be reduced at first. And to maintain social distancing requirements, the museum will not have tours, talks, concerts, or events through calendar year 2020. The museum said it expects to resume these activities in 2021, “including a belated celebration of its 150th anniversary.”
Moulaye Taboure, founder of Afrikrea, a e-commerce marketplace for African fashion designers. Even though the platform predominantly services clients in Europe and the US, Taboure says orders from customers on the continent tripled on the platform over the past two months.
Further, Taboure says more designers in African cities with tougher movement restrictions are now signing up to the platform.
“This is definitely a game changer in Africa,” says the founder of Afrikrea, a fashion e-commerce marketplace in Abidjan.
Much of the demand shift is due to lockdown restrictions which have left brick and mortar retail outlets closed as governments attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19. In addition, reduced vehicular traffic also means deliveries can happen much faster in cities known for notorious traffic jams a boon for customer retention.
Put together, these coronavirus induced effects are “already positively impacting” e-commerce players in Africa, says Maxime Bayen, company builder at startup investment firm, GreenTec Capital. “The companies we are talking with in that space have seen their sales gone up clearly.”
It’s an effect that plays out even for business-to-business (B2B) enterprises. Sokowatch, which operates in in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda and supplies informal shops and kiosks in low-income communities with products, is signing up more shop partners and reporting a higher share of stock in local shops compared to traditional suppliers. “We are a technology-enabled supplier that provides same day delivery to their shop, it’s not an option that they have with traditional suppliers to the store,” says Sokowatch founder Daniel Yu.
Taking advantage
The dominant view among e-commerce players on the continent is the boon will last a while longer even after lockdown measures are eased. With physical distancing measures likely to remain in place in different forms, there’s a strong possibility of a drop in foot traffic at normally crowded shopping malls and stores. Taboure says Afrikrea is already tweaking its model to make it cheaper for designers based in Africa to sign up so as to cater for an expected growth in orders from across the continent.
And he’s not the only betting on riding the wave, Only the flexible will survive. Every business has to learn how to do things very differently.”
Pan-African payments giant Flutterwave has set up an e-commerce portal that allows merchants set up online shops that it will power payments for. Essentially, Flutterwave is positioning to facilitate and take advantage of any recourse to e-commerce by offline stores and merchants.
In Kenya, Twiga Foods, a marketplace which supplies retailers with fresh produce from farms, has partnered with Jumia to widen the scope of its reach, allowing households order and receive foodstuff without visiting supermarkets.
Similarly, FarmCrowdy, a Nigerian agri-tech platform that allows people invest in existing farms for a share of profits, has also launched a e-commerce platform for fresh produce. In addition to expanding the scope of market access for farmers within its network, the platform is also an obvious play to provide middle-class Nigerians with an alternative to crowded open-air markets that are likely viewed as high-risk for Covid-19 infections.
Established traditional businesses are also turning to e-commerce out of necessity. Eko Hotel, arguably the biggest hotel brand in Nigeria, has launched an online food delivery service, ostensibly to shore up revenue deficits given the impact of the pandemic on hospitality businesses.
“Only the flexible will survive,” says Victor Asemota, veteran tech investor. “Every business has to learn how to do things very differently. Those who have gained will want to sustain the momentum and those who have lost will die if they don’t change drastically.”
It’s not entirely a home-run for e-commerce businesses though. Supply chain disruptions could yet result in an inability to fulfill orders, especially in countries with strict lockdown measures. For instance, Jumia suspended delivery of all fashion items in South Africa last month. Poignonnec has also admitted to challenges being faced with fulfilling orders particularly for products sourced from China.
Then there are also concerns over the sustainability of the company’s reliance on groceries as an anchor for sales. “It’s not a very profitable vertical for a general merchandise e-commerce platform without specialized value chain for groceries,” says Laolu Sameul-Biyi, former financial analyst at Jumia. For his part, Poignonnec hopes that ongoing consumer adoption amid the outbreak “will accelerate the long-term shift to e-commerce” among local users.
Given the short-term boon amid a lack of options for customers, “the main question is whether or not this trend will stick in a post-COVID era,” Bayen says. For Taboure however, it’s up to e-commerce companies to ensure that answer is affirmative by solving problems around ease of use and building trust. “If it’s not easy to buy online [then] we need to find solutions,” he says.
The documentary gives insight into the four-year journey of her Dakar-based label Tongoro and highlights the importance of local craftsmanship on the continent.
In her new documentary, Made In Africa, designer and creative director Sarah Diouf, shares an intimate look into the journey of her celebrated Senegalese fashion label Tongoro.
Since its launch four years ago, Tongoro has graced runways across major cities, and been sported by international stars, the likes of Burna Boy, Iman and Beyoncé.Diouf is quick to note, however, that its success isn’t merely tied to her own personal achievement—her dream is to help transform Africa’s design clothing industry as a whole, and there’s still much work to be done on that front.
The 30-minute documentary includes footage of Tongoro’s design and production process in Dakar and provides valuable insight for aspiring designers. Diouf, who also narrates the film, champions community involvement and local craftsmanship across the continent. She makes a case for respecting tradition and acknowledging the contributions to African-made clothing to the global fashion landscape.
The documentary marks the brand’s fourth anniversary, which coincides with Africa Day on May 25. Watch Made In Africa in full below, and read our conversation with the designer underneath, in which she discusses the growth of her brand, the importance of supporting locally-made clothes, and her dream for the future of African fashion.
Prior to launching Tongoro, Sarah Diouf had already stepped foot into the fashion industry with Ghubar, a fashion, arts and culture magazine promoting diversity and
creativity from the Arabic and African world she launched in 2009. Her work with the publication sparked the interest of multiple brands, which led her to launch her own visual production agency under her company Ifren Media Group, housing all her media activities.
Over the past years, Sarah has been observing the African fashion market and saw a gap that she thought she could fill while most African brands are positioning themselves as luxury, I wanted to come up with something more accessible for people to experience the Made in Africa, and change their mind about the quality issues often associated to it.
Her latest venture, Tongoro is a 100% Made In Africa online label providing clothing that offer style conscious consumers quality, variety and convenience, at affordable prices.
By sourcing materials on the continent and working with local tailors, the brand long-term goal is to contribute to the development of the retail production in Western Africa, opening a production facility in Dakar, Senegal.
Content courtesy of State of Education in Africa & Tongoro
Moroccan-Norweigan designer Anwar Bougroug launched his eponymous unisex label a little over four years ago with a focus on traditional Moroccan handcraft. His creations went on to capture the attention of prestigious publications, securing him a spot on Forbes Africa’s 30 under 30 class of 2020.
Today, the designer is launching a new initiative called Bougroug Youth Mentorship Program, which will help move the African fashion industry further into the future by nurturing emerging labels from the continent amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“I was hearing from a lot of young creatives that they were really struggling to keep their motivation up and make ends meet,” shared Bougroug with Arab News of his decision to launch the program.
“Since I launched my own fashion brand, many young people in Morocco reached out to me and told me they wanted to do the same,” explained Bougroug. “So I saw an opportunity to help these people reach their dreams,” he added.
Initially, the program was exclusive to Morocco’s creative community, however, within hours, the designer began receiving applications from designers, photographers, stylists and models from countries scattered across Africa, including Sudan, South-Africa, Ghana and Botswana.
“I decided to open the program for everyone that could really benefit from it, no matter where they are located in the world,” he explained.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and social-distancing measures in place, the mentorship scheme will kick off with gatherings on social chatting application Zoom where Bougroug will offer guidance on opportunities, help them refine their ideas and projects and provide uplifting career advice.
Afterwards, the designer aims to meet with young designers based in Morocco face-to-face and travel to any of the countries where the participants live if and whenever travel restrictions are lifted.
With the new program, Bougroug aims to introduce 25 young African creatives to careers in the fashion industry and give them the tools to succeed in the industry.
“Africa has so much potential to further develop its fashion industry,” notes Bougroug. “People in Africa are extremely skilled and creative.
What is missing is the voice that tells people to go after their dreams. By giving young people a chance, they will develop their skill sets and the industry will start to take shape and we will eventually have a healthy industry and ecosystem similar to the ones we see for instance in Europe,” he says.
Those who wish to apply can send an email to mentor@bougroug.com.
Though 2020 is now, for all intents and purposes, cancelled, a few of the annual Nike events were able to slip in right before things really took a turn for the worst.
Among an eventful All-Star Weekend and noteworthy collaborative releases, the brand was also able to kick off Air Max Day with little to no interruptions, bringing out striking takes of the Air Max 90 including one that used the ever-iconic “Duck Camo” pattern.
Effectively a sequel to that exact pair, the “Green Duck Camo” takes the familiar and filters it through new palettes. The bright, Volt-like “Ghost Green” shade covers every under in place of the aforementioned’s Infrared, while the overlays skew the camouflage to a range of earth tones and desert-like styling.
The NIKE AIR MAX 90 in Ghost Green and Duck Camo is a camouflage option that wants to be seen…
The whole idea of camouflage is going undetected, but there’s little chance of that with this forthcoming colourway, which expertly blends textured Duck Camo panels with electrifying pops of Ghost Green mesh. The shoe comes with three sets of laces, allowing the wearer to easily transform its look and vibe whenever suits. It may also be a nice consolation prize for anybody who missed out on the Reverse Duck Camo earlier this year.
Grab one more look at these right here, and if you’re planning on copping a set for yourself, then be sure to tune into our Ghost Green Air Max 90 Store List.
Amsterdam-based brand Daily Paper and Belgian accessory brand KOMONO have come together for the duo’s first-ever collaboration, introducing a line of contemporary Kenyatta sunglasses.
Retrofuturistic Kenyatta Sunglasses Collections
These unisex sunglasses are retrofuturistic in their design and come in a range of fitting colors include black, tortoise and “Racing Red.” The frame is squared with rounded edges, housing the large, “Dark Smoke”-tinted and 100 percent UV protected ovular lenses inside, while the arms are equally chunky and angular in approach.
Silver-plated “DAILYPAPER” branding in either silver or a gold-tone graces both arms, while on the inside of the arm you’ll find information that details where they were made.
To celebrate the release of the inaugural eyewear collaboration, Daily Paper and KOMONO’s campaign reinterprets the glasses through Daily Paper’s futuristic lens. It delivers a study of highly-contrasted, boldly-colored photographs that pack plenty shadows and sharp lines.
Retrofuturistic Kenyatta Eye-wear
The collaborative collection of sunglasses drops on May 15 for $160 apiece at both brands’ storefronts, on the Daily Paper and KOMONO websites, and select retailers worldwide. Check out the three Kenyatta sunglasses in the galleries above.
Art Direction: Beri Dalgali And Dennis Schreuder Make-Up: Anita Jolles Hair Stylist: Bianca Van Zwieten Model: Ottawa Kwami And Akon Changkou
Fashion house FENTY presented new Release 5-20 Eyewear collection for the Summer 2020. The collection features 3 new styles in 5 different colors the Off Record, the Classified and the Coded Sunglasses.
Fashion photographer Arnaud Lajeunie captured FENTY Release 5-20‘s campaign starring the stunning Mame Anta Wade. In charge of styling was Jahleel Weaver, with beauty from makeup artist Anthony Preel.
“I mean… sheesh!!!” is how Rihanna described her new Fenty sunglasses. Sheesh is one word for the three new eyewear styles, which the brand founder has created “to suit every high, low and incognito mood of summer”. Other suitable adjectives include, but are certainly not limited to: retro, technicolour, and one hundred per cent bad gal.
In @badgalriri’s world, a #WFHFit consists of a hoodie and some seriously cool shades. Thank goodness the eyewear is part of Fenty’s latest drop, available from today, which features a modern update on the cat’s eye in eye-popping colours like candy pink, acid lime and blue tortoise.
Rihanna debuted her Jet Black Coded shades during a lockdown shoot that brought high-fashion drama to her Instagram feed. Inspired by vintage silhouettes, the rectangular frames with subtle cat-eye shape are also available in Milky Way with matching coloured lenses.
This week, RiRi posted a selfie of her Acid Green Off Record sunnies Fenty’s most vibrant eyewear yet, designed to “deliver ultimate summer vibes”.
The ’80s frames with animal print temples also come in Candy Pink and Cosmic Blue for “a summer of camera-ready digital fun”. Like the Coded pair, they retail for £280 at Fenty.com
If you can’t see yourself papping Insta pics in these classic-with-a-Rih-twist styles, Fenty is releasing a third futuristic pair in June. The Classified model has a “dramatic silhouette” with similar accents to the previous Blockt and Antisocial frames, and comes in Black Gold and Rose Havana for “an air of old school glamour and mid-summer romance”, according to the brand.
Rihanna – Designer Arnaud Lajeunie – Photographer Jahleel Weaver – Fashion Editor/Stylist Anthony Preel – Makeup Artist
Khaki pants for men in Nairobi Kenya are a dime a dozen. Everywhere you turn you will find a khaki trousers shop in Nairobi. So you probably have a wardrobe full of khaki pants. You wear them over the weekends. And on the more relaxed days.
But let’s say you have a very important function coming up. One in which you’ll absolutely have to make a big impression. Awesome. Unfortunately, all you have in your wardrobe are khaki pants. Not so awesome. What do you do to ensure you still look like a boss on this special occasion? Watch the video below.
He breaks it down very simply. Styling khaki pants for special occasions is easy. It’s all about the power and uniqueness of your statement jacket. And if you’re not a jacket man, then it’s about the beauty of your shirt. The more unique it is, the better it will look. Just make sure not to make the entire look too casual. I’ve always been a fan of the look of an un-tucked designer shirt that carefully matches informal pants. Popular on a lot of Kenyan politicians. Particularly on president Uhuru Kenyatta.
I’m a strong believer in one dressing up for themselves and not for others. So if khaki trousers are your thing, then you should absolutely rock them to your special occasion. The comfort you feel while in them will shine through for everyone to see. I’ve also always been a very strong believer n the following mantra. Dress for yourself. Not for anyone else.
That’s not to say you should ignore social protocol and dress as you please. Of course not. Dressing lazily is not a sign of independence. Or growth. It’s just bad manners. But dressing confidently based on your own individual style? Well, that’s that is the first step to great inner strength.
Supermodel Naomi Campbell has proven she’s not only talented in front of a camera, but also behind one with her latest cover work for the 50th-anniversary issue of Essence Magazine dressed in a Ghanaian fashion designer Stevie Frenchie a African attire.
On Tuesday, May 5, the 49-year-old supermodel, who has been a powerhouse in the modeling industry since the age of 15, posted a tweet featuring a history-making photo shoot she did for the magazine with her iPhone while being self-isolated at home dressed in African attire design by African attire.
Naomi Campbell was also responsible for her own styling, hair, and makeup #ESSENCE50.
It was a very special honor and unusual experience for me to be able to shoot and style my own cover for Essence’ 50th anniversary issue.
The cover featured Campbell wearing a flowing white dress accented with triangular and circular patterns in black, red, green, and brown. The garment also had a loosely tied black bow that resembled a satin material that sat below her bosom.
In the cover photo, Campbell was sitting on a light wood set of stairs with a backdrop resembling a cloudy blue sky. She noted that the vintage garment was designed by Karl Lager-field for the luxury Parisian fashion brand Chloe in an Instagram post.
The cover also included the title of Campbell’s feature in the issue – “Self-Portrait In Isolation.”
Through an Instagram video posted on Essence’s profile, fans learned the magazine’s Chief Content and Creative Officer MoAna Luu and Campbell collaboratively video chatted through Face Time to work on the shoot.
The issue will also feature an article titled “The New Normal: How COVID-19 Shifted Our Reality.”
According to the Essence Instagram post, Campbell shot other looks for the anniversary issue as well which included a layered tangerine-colored dress with red and black patterns throughout and a navy blue, periwinkle, aquamarine, and white headdress.
Campbell’s announcement tweet, in which she mentioned that she was honored to participate in the shoot, received over 2,000 retweets and over 13,000 likes, with many comments rejoicing the creativity, innovation, and overall hard work she has displayed throughout her years in the modeling industry.
Meet the Ugandan Fashion Designer who styled East Africa’s Got Talent stars Larry Casual, run by bespoke designer, Larry Mukooza is well on the way to becoming the very biggest original/tailor fashion brand in Uganda
Larry Casual, a Ugandan luxury label is celebrating the modern African men with their latest campaign.
“The modern African man is a lover of all things bright, bold and colourful. Those are some of the elements we used to piece this collection together,”
offers Mukooza Martin Larry, the creative director of the brand. With a careful balance of both bright and muted looks, they catered to all men, the conservative one inclusive. “You’ll see a pink suit, and wonder, will an African man wear it?
I’ll say the African man has evolved, he isn’t afraid of wearing a nice suit because it’s pink in colour,” he explains. “But, then again, if it is too bright, you still have a myriad of other options to choose from.” The campaign features an offering of suits; the traditional ones being a perfect choice for grooms, while kaftan suits cater to the wedding guests. “Our wedding culture is changing guests draw just as much attention as the couple whose day they’ve converged to celebrate.”
“We’re offering this modern male guest a befitting outfit to match his taste and class.” “The Larry Casual man is unapologetically African. This, is his way of standing out,” he adds.
The Kampala-based fashion brand, which was founded in 2016, is famous for its tailored to fit suits. Their pieces are simple, but extra, impactful but not loud. The impact being in their clean finishing and detail. “It’s more than just clothing, it’s an experience!”
