Saturday 14th of November 2026

Nairobi, Kenya

Tag: Fashionista

Fashion Industry

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

The fashion industry is a multibillion-dollar global sector focused on the production and retail of clothing. Some analysts make a distinction between the garment industry, which creates “mass fashion,” and the fashion industry, which creates “high fashion,” but by the 1970s, these distinctions were becoming less clear.
The simplest definition of fashion is the type(s) of clothing and accessories that individuals or groups of individuals choose to wear at any particular period.
The high-end designer clothes displayed on Parisian or New York City catwalks may not look the same as the mass-produced sportswear and streetwear found in global markets and malls.

The design, production, distribution, marketing, retailing, advertising, and promotion of all kinds of clothing (for men, women, and children) are all included in the fashion industry, from the most exclusive and pricey haute couture (literally, “high sewing”) to regular, everyday items like lingerie and sweatpants.
The more general term “fashion industries” is occasionally used to describe a wide range of businesses and services that serve millions of customers worldwide.
The contemporary era is what gave rise to the fashion business. Before the middle of the 19th century, almost all clothing was produced specifically for each person, either at home or on-demand from dressmakers and tailors.

With the development of new technologies like the sewing machine, the rise of global capitalism, the growth of the factory system of production, and the proliferation of retail establishments like department stores, clothing had increasingly come to be mass-produced in standard sizes and sold at fixed prices by the beginning of the 20th century.

Although the fashion business originated in Europe and America, it has now become a worldwide, highly globalized sector. Clothes are frequently created in one nation, produced in another, and then sold in a third.
For instance, a U.S.-based fashion brand may purchase fabric from China, have the garments made in Vietnam, have the finishing touches added in Italy, and then have the finished products delivered to a U.S. warehouse for distribution to retail stores abroad.

One of the biggest jobs in the United States for a long time and it still is in the twenty-first century is the fashion sector.
However, employment significantly decreased as production shifted more and more overseas, particularly to China.
A global production estimate of textiles and clothing is difficult to find because data on the fashion industry are normally reported for national economies and expressed in terms of the industry’s numerous distinct segments.
However, it is undeniable that the industry represents a considerable portion of global economic activity by any standard.

There are four layers to the fashion industry: the manufacturing of raw materials, primarily fibers and textiles but also leather and fur; the creation of fashion goods by designers, manufacturers, contractors, and others; retail sales; and various forms of advertising and marketing.

These levels are made up of a variety of distinct but interconnected sectors, all of which are committed to meeting customer demand for garments while preserving the ability of industry players to make a profit.

Key sectors of the fashion industry

1. Textile Design and Production
Textiles are used to create the majority of clothing. One of the early successes of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century was the partial automation of the spinning and weaving of wool, cotton, and other natural fibers. These procedures are now carried out by highly automated, quick machinery.
Fabrics used in clothing are produced by a sizable portion of the textile industry.
Both natural fibers (such as wool, cotton, silk, and linen) and synthetic fibers (like nylon, acrylic, and polyester) are employed. The usage of eco-friendly fibers like hemp has increased as a result of a growing interest in sustainable fashion, sometimes known as “eco-fashion.”

High-tech synthetic fabrics may drain away moisture (like Coolmax), resist stains (like 303 High Tech Fabric Guard), retain or release body heat, and offer protection from fire, weapons (like Kevlar), cold (like Thinsulate), ultraviolet radiation (like Solarweave), and other dangers. Through the use of dyes, weaving, printing, and other manufacturing and finishing techniques, fabrics can be created with a broad variety of effects.
To design fabrics with colors, textures, and other attributes that anticipate customer desire, textile makers collaborate with fashion forecasters well before the clothes production cycle.

2. Fashion Design and Manufacturing
Few fashion designers, such as Coco Chanel or Calvin Klein, who produce exceptional high-fashion collections, whether couture or prêt-à-porter (“ready-to-wear”), have historically achieved fame as “name” designers.
Contrary to popular assumption, these designers have a significant impact on defining fashion trends, but they do not impose new trends; instead, they work to create clothing that will appeal to consumers.
The vast majority of designers work anonymously for manufacturers as members of design teams, transforming current trends into clothes that can be sold to regular people.

Designers are influenced by a variety of things, such as active sportswear, street styles, and costumes from movies and television.

For the majority of designers, computer-assisted design processes have supplanted or replaced more traditional design procedures like drawing sketches on paper and drapeing fabric on mannequins.
These enable designers to quickly alter the silhouette, fabric, trimmings, and other aspects of a suggested design and give them the opportunity to instantly discuss the proposed modifications with colleagues, whether they are in the same room as them or on a different continent.
Only a tiny fraction of designers and producers create cutting-edge high-fashion clothing.
Even fewer (primarily in Paris) manufacture haute couture. Most manufacturers create affordable or moderately priced clothing.
Most businesses depend on independently owned manufacturing companies or contractors to make the clothing according to the fashion company’s standards, however other businesses employ their own production facilities for some or all of the manufacturing process.

Manufacturers in the women’s clothing industry often create a number of product lines (collections) each year, which they then supply to retailers at specific times of the year.
Even more regularly, certain “fast fashion” producers release new products. Planning a line and creating the designs involves the entire product development team.
To show samples to retail purchasers, the materials (fabric, linings, buttons, etc.) must be located, ordered, and procured.
The transformation of the clothing design into a pattern that comes in a variety of sizes is a crucial step in the garment-making process. Patterns can’t just be consistently scaled up or down from a basic template because the human body’s proportions change as weight fluctuates.

A traditionally highly skilled occupation, pattern creation. Despite advancements in computer programming in the early 21st century, it is challenging to alter larger designs for every figure.

No of the size, the fabric is cut into the parts that will be connected to construct a garment according to the pattern, which may be written on paper or programmed as a set of computer instructions. Fabric is cut using computer-guided knives or powerful lasers that can cut multiple layers of fabric at once for all but the most expensive clothes.

The assembling of the garment is the next step in the manufacturing process. The advent of computer-guided machinery and other technological advancements led to the automation of several garment assembly processes in this area as well.
Nevertheless, stitching is still a labor-intensive operation at its core.

This puts unstoppable pressure on apparel manufacturers to locate their operations in low-wage areas where there are frequent problems with workplace safety and labor exploitation.
Up until the Triangle shirtwaist factory fire of 1911, which led to increased unionization and regulation of the industry in the United States, New York City’s fashion industry was dominated by sweatshops that were situated on the Lower East Side.

Due to its low labor costs and highly organized workforce, China became the world’s largest producer of clothes in the late 20th century.

Clothes that have been assembled go through a variety of steps known as “finishing.” These include the addition of ornamental components (beading, embroidery), buttons and buttonholes, hooks and eyes, snaps, zippers, and other fasteners; hems and cuffs; and brand-name labels and other labels (often legally required) specifying the fiber content, washing instructions, and country of manufacture. Following pressing, finished items are packaged for shipping.

Following World War II, importing nations severely restricted the trade in textiles and clothing by imposing quotas and tariffs. Beginning in the 1980s, these protectionist restrictions that were eventually unsuccessful in halting the transfer of the textile and apparel industry from high-wage to low-wage nations were gradually dropped.

Under the regulatory auspices of the World Trade Organization and other international regulatory bodies, they were replaced by a free-trade strategy that acknowledged the competitive advantage of low-wage countries as well as the advantage provided to consumers in rich countries by the availability of highly affordable clothing.

Production may now be tightly correlated to market conditions even over vast distances thanks to the development of containerization and reasonably priced air freight.
For commercial and statistical purposes, underwear and other accessories like shoes and purses are typically not included in the garment business, but they are nonetheless strongly related to it.

Similar to clothing, accessories come in a variety of price points, from high-end luxury goods to low-cost mass-produced goods.
Similar to clothing manufacturing, accessory production frequently occurs in low-wage areas.
High-end accessory manufacturers, particularly those that make handbags, face intense competition from knockoffs, which are frequently made in the same factories as the original products using subpar materials.

The introduction of containerization and reasonably priced air freight also made it possible for production to be closely correlated with market conditions even over vast distances.
The production and distribution of accessories like shoes and handbags as well as underwear are closely related to the fashion industry, despite the fact that they are typically not included in the clothes industry for trade and statistical purposes.
Similar to clothing, a wide range of products are made for accessories, from high-end luxury goods to low-cost mass-produced items. Similar to the manufacturing of clothing, accessory production frequently occurs in low-paying contexts.
High-end accessory manufacturers, notably those who make handbags, face stiff competition from knockoffs, or fake products that are sometimes made in the same facilities as the real thing but with subpar components.

Despite being forbidden by a number of international agreements, the trade in these knockoff goods is challenging to regulate. Name-brand producers lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue every year as a result.

3. Fashion Retailing, Marketing, and Merchandising
After the clothing has been created and produced, it must be sold.
However, how will clothing travel from the maker to the consumer? Retail refers to the industry of purchasing clothing from producers and selling it to consumers.
Three to six months prior to the buyer being able to purchase the clothing in-store, retailers make first purchases for resale.
Fashion marketing is the act of controlling the flow of merchandise with the aim of maximizing a company’s sales and profitability, from the initial selection of designs to be made to the display of products to retail buyers.
The understanding consumer desire and responding with the relevant products are essential for successful fashion marketing.

Marketers inform designers and producers about the kind and quantity of things to be created through sales tracking data, media attention, focus groups, and other methods of gathering consumer preferences. Therefore, marketers are in charge of determining the target market for a fashion company and reacting to their preferences.

Both the wholesale and retail levels of the market are active. Companies that don’t retail their own goods must sell those goods to retailers like boutiques, department stores, and online sales companies at wholesale costs.

To find a good fit between the clients of the store and the items of the manufacturer, they use fashion shows, catalogs, and a sales force equipped with samples of the products.

For businesses that do offer their own items at retail, product compatibility with their own consumer base is of utmost importance to marketers. Marketing includes promotional efforts including print and other media advertising at both the wholesale and retail levels with the goal of building brand awareness and reputation for various traits like quality, affordability, or trendiness.

Merchandising, which aims to increase sales and profitability by persuading customers to buy a company’s items, is closely tied to marketing.

Selling the correct product, at the right price, at the appropriate time and location, to the right customers is the definition of merchandising as it is commonly used.

Thus, fashion merchandisers must rely on marketers’ knowledge of consumer preferences when making decisions about things like stocking appropriate merchandise in sufficient but not excessive quantities, offering items for sale at enticing but still profitable prices, and marking down overstocked items. By using store windows, in-store displays, and special promotional activities, merchandisers can present their products in an appealing and approachable way.

Merchandising experts must be able to swiftly acquire new stocks of the desired product in order to meet spikes in demand.

An automatic order for a given quantity of clothes of a specific sort and size to be delivered in a matter of days can be sent to a production facility in Shanghai by inventory-tracking computer software in a department shop in London, for instance.

Early in the twenty-first century, the Internet had grown to be a significant retail outlet, posing new problems (such as the inability of customers to try on clothing before buying it, the need for facilities designed to handle clothing returns and exchanges), as well as providing merchandisers with new opportunities (e.g., the ability to provide customers with shopping opportunities 24 hours per day, affording access to rural customers).

Merchandising has become one of the pillars of the contemporary fashion business in an era of expanding shopping options for consumers and fierce price competition among stores.

4. Fashion Shows
In addition to merchants (such as fashion buyers), media (such as fashion journalists), and direct customers, fashion designers and manufacturers also market their products to the media.
Paris couture houses started allowing their clientele to examine the newest looks privately as early as the late 19th century.
Starting in the first decade of the 20th century, department stores and couture companies both frequently staged fashion shows with top models. Ready-to-wear designers in other nations started staging fashion presentations in the same way as Parisian couturiers did, for an audience that included buyers, journalists, and private clientele.

Fashion shows played a bigger part in the introduction of new designs in the late 20th and early 21st centuries as they evolved into elaborate theatrical events conducted in larger settings with elevated runways (“catwalks”) specially built for the models.
Fashion shows had become a regular fixture of the fashion calendar by the early twenty-first century.

The official syndicate of couture designers, which consists of the most upscale and expensive fashion houses, hosts two couture shows a year in Paris (in January and July). These shows feature clothing that might be ordered by potential customers but are frequently intended to display the designers’ opinions on current fashion trends and brand image.
Shows of ready-to-wear clothing,

During spring and fall “Fashion Weeks,” of which the most significant take place in Paris, Milan, New York, and London, separate presentations of both men’s and women’s clothing are held. On the other hand, there are dozens of different fashion weeks worldwide, from Tokyo to So Paolo.

These events, which are far more significant commercially than the couture shows, are primarily targeted at buyers for department stores, wholesalers, and other significant markets as well as fashion journalists.
Fashion shows, which receive extensive media coverage, both reflect and push the direction of change in the industry.
Instantaneously broadcast images and recordings of fashion shows are used by mass-market manufacturers to create cheap clothing that is either a direct copy of or an inspiration for runway designs.

5. Media and Marketing
All forms of media are crucial to the marketing of fashion. In the latter half of the 18th century, specialized fashion publications first appeared in France and England.
Fashion periodicals like the French La Mode Illustrée, the British Lady’s Realm, and the American Godey’s Lady’s Book multiplied and thrived in the 19th century.

Fashion magazines, which publish articles, hand-colored illustrations (known as fashion plates), and advertisements, along with other innovations like the sewing machine, department stores, and ready-to-wear clothing made in standard sizes, contributed significantly to the modern era’s democratization of fashion.

Fashion photography and extensively illustrated fashion publications like Vogue grew in popularity as a result of the early 20th-century development of efficient and affordable techniques for reproducing photos in print media. Rapidly, magazine advertising took over as the fashion industry’s main marketing strategy.

People from all over the world can now watch fashion displays and copy the celebs’ styles thanks to the development of newsreels, short films of current events, and the growth of television.
The Internet era saw the dominance of visual media continue, with fashion blogs becoming a more significant channel for the dissemination of fashion news.

Celebrities get the chance to be photographed wearing designer clothing at red-carpet events like award ceremonies, giving the designers important publicity.

6. World Fashion
Today, the majority of people wear what can be called “global fashion,” a condensed and extremely affordable version of Western attire, frequently consisting of a T-shirt and pants or a skirt.
In addition, there are several smaller, more niche fashion sectors that serve certain national, regional, ethnic, or religious markets throughout the world.
The design, manufacture, and marketing of saris in India and boubous in Senegal are two examples.
On a smaller, regional basis, these industries coexist with the global fashion industry.

The widespread adoption of the hijab (religiously suitable attire) by Muslim women in the early twenty-first century, not only in the Middle East but also throughout the Islamic world, was a notable advance in the subject of ethnoreligious dress.

Veiling standards and fashions vary widely because there are millions of Muslim women living in different nations worldwide.

For some people, veiling entails a complete exclusion from the ups and downs of fashion. Other ladies, notably those for whom modest clothing is required in public, might put on chic European fashions under their more traditional street clothes.

Others have aimed for appearances that are stylish yet understated.
The market for modest clothing was expanding internationally at the start of the twenty-first century.
A growing number of suitable and fashionable styles were created by Muslim and non-Muslim designers, and a large number of fashion blogs and magazines specifically for Muslim women were made available.

As seen by efforts to create modest yet functional swimwear and sportswear for Muslims, certain designers and producers faced not just the aesthetics of modest apparel but also the practical issues involved with the conservative dress.

7. The Fashion System
The “fashion system,” which includes the business of fashion as well as the art and skill of it, as well as not only production but also consumption, is a bigger social and cultural phenomenon that includes the fashion industry.

In addition to the individual consumer who chooses, purchases, and wears clothing as well as the language and visuals that influence how customers think about fashion, the fashion designer is a significant factor.
All the elements involved in the entire process of fashion transformation are part of the fashion system. Some aspects of fashion, which involve variety for the sake of novelty, are inherent (e.g., when hemlines have been low for a while, they will rise).

Other elements are outside (e.g., major historical events such as wars, revolutions, economic booms or busts, and the feminist movement).
Individual trendsetters like Madonna and Diana, Princess of Wales, as well as changes in lifestyle like the introduction of new sports like skateboarding in the 1960s and music all, contribute to the development of trends (e.g., rock and roll, hip-hop).

Fashion is a complicated social phenomenon that involves a number of sometimes competing motivations, including the need to both express one’s individuality and to belong to a group, as well as the desire to both follow fashion icons and defy convention.
In order to satisfy any consumer’s desire to embrace or even to reject fashionability, however that term may be defined, the fashion business must be diversified and adaptable enough to do so.

Photo Credit Cynthia Kimathi
Content courtesy of Britannica & NFH

 

Bonang Matheba And Steve Madden Announce A Summertime Collaboration.

Posted on by Ann Mumbi

South African powerhouse Bonang Matheba will launch the Steve Madden Bonang Matheba Holiday Select Collection, marking the brand’s first-ever African partnership.
This partnership demonstrates Steve Madden’s trend-setting edge yet again as part of the brand’s build-up in honor of its ten-year anniversary in Africa.

Six shoe types and two handbag designs make up Bonang Matheba’s holiday collection, which, in the view of the fashion star, best captures the joyous spirit of a South African summer.

She stated, “I was looking for styles that would be fantastic for holidays, celebrations, dancing the night away in, or perhaps be the perfect gift to spoil someone special throughout the holiday season. Looking at the collection, which is distinguished by its distinctive Bonang packaging, Bonang has done an excellent job.

 

The line will debut during the 7 November Steve Madden Spring/Summer collection unveiling and go on sale in stores and online on November 6, 2022.

The Steve Madden Spring/Summer collection’s official debut and fashion show were invite-only events that took place at the Zeitz Mocaa Museum in Cape Town on November 7.

Guests were treated to a sunset fashion presentation themed “Walk in Central Park” that featured Steve Madden’s just released SS22 Spring/Summer clothes collection as well as the footwear line for the next season.

The well-known American brand Steve Madden entered the South African retail industry in 2013 with the opening of its first African location in Fourways, Johannesburg. To date, the business has grown to 14 retail locations around the country. The local team members, however, are aiming for market share in Africa, and Steve Madden has expanded its reach to include Namibia in keeping with its growth strategy of exposure through strategic locations on the continent.

Country manager Michelle de Fonseca stated at the launch that the brand’s emphasis is on its online offering, which ships throughout Africa, as well as standalone storefronts in chosen locations throughout important African markets. 20 standalone locations are planned for the end of 2023 as part of the company’s “goal to continue our successful retail expansion,” the spokesperson added.

De Fonseca stated the following in regards to the season’s debut and fashion show: “Steve Madden is synonymous with must-have footwear, and we are the most admired and sought-after shoe brand in SA. We set trends in the market for footwear, bags, and accessories, therefore we are thrilled to be entering the men’s and women’s clothes space with the same edginess and Steve Madden trademark of our shoes.

 

 

The Steve Madden Bonang Matheba Holiday Select Collection, the result of this season’s collaboration with South African giant Bonang Matheba, was revealed and announced at the event’s fashion showcase of the newest footwear and clothing.

The marketing manager for Steve Madden SA, who came up with the idea for the partnership, Tumelo Mmusi, called it “history in the making.” For the first time, Steve Madden International has partnered with African talent, demonstrating the brand’s dedication to the South African and African markets.

A variety of go-to holiday looks were chosen by Bonang for the Steve Madden Bonang Matheba Holiday Select Collection. Everyone on the earth, according to Bonang, would choose Steve Madden if they were to collaborate with a business.

Speaking on the relationship between the USA and South Africa, Ian Funk, president of international sales for the company based in New York, who was present at the event in Cape Town, said, “Our staff is enthralled by South Africa and the potential that lay ahead. We are thrilled about the collaboration with Bonang and eager to grow and work our magic together.

Lift Airlines, Home Suite Hotels, House of BNG, SoHo, and Mac Cosmetics are just a few of the well-known companies that have teamed up with Steve Madden for the launch.

Content courtesy of Front Page, Zalebs & NFH

African Fashion Show: DC Fashion Week Celebrates Its 37th Season

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

After celebrating its 37th season over four nights and showcasing models, designers, entrepreneurs, and guests, DC Fashion Week came to a conclusion. Menswear, Emerging Designers, and Couture designs by a broad group of creatives from both local and foreign origins showcase the multifaceted centrality of Washington, DC.

Williams, a native of Chicago, was inspired to create the semi-annual DCFW trade fairs by his professional experiences in the years after moving to Washington, D.C.
“I began my career as a model and actor before venturing into designing and beginning to produce. And as a designer, I wanted to increase awareness of our brand, Williams recalled.

“At the time, DC lacked a single reputable trade fair that truly displayed fashion, so I started fashion week,” the author said.
His expertise in managing the DC fashion market for more than 20 years was made clear by the 36 seasons that preceded the most recent DCFW.
A Menswear Collections show showcasing brands like Andrew Nowell Menswear, Earle Bannister, The Debonaire Club Clothiers, and Obioma Fashion marked the beginning of the Spring/Summer designer showcases.

The Friday, September 23 display was a significant departure from conventional ideas of masculinity in clothing, both formal and informal. The variety of shapes, patterns, and tales was inspired by experimentation and playfulness.
The menswear presentation showcased diversity and inventiveness in both models and designs, from Andrew Nowell’s silver-blue jacquard short set to Earle Bannister’s wool animal-eared masks.

The 37th season’s opening fashion show is taking place. William’s explained the significance he placed on the event: “We’re one of the few big fashion weeks that still has an exclusive menswear collection presentation that’s really important to me.

Designers from Saturday’s Emerging Designers Showcase, who ranged in age from nine to eighty and many of whom were DC residents paying respect to their homeland, used their creations to share their stories, bring attention to social issues, and acknowledge history and culture. History was the focus of one designer team’s collection, led by Coco Wright and Adisa Bomani of Coco Bomani.

Bomani means “warrior,” while Coco means “chocolate. The idea that slaves were the origin of all fashion was the idea behind Coco.
Without cotton, there would be no textile industry, thus we pay respect to everyone who helped bring Ean to this place, including your parents, ancestors, and your mother’s mother’s mother.

The individuals who brought you here are represented by what you wear from Coco Bomani, according to Bomani, who unveiled the brand’s cutting-edge and detailed creations.
When displaying her varied ‘My Closet’ collection, Delight Dzansi, CEO and creative director of alkeBULAN and a graduate of the University of Maryland had a similar concept for her brand’s target market.

In order to provide ethnic clothing for Africans and people of African origin worldwide while also generating employment, alkeBULAN was founded in 2018.
Designer Aje’Ne Thomas of the Accept All Love All company created a palette of vibrant colors specifically for people who struggle with sadness and anxiety.

Briscoe Nero, the designer of Fedele Nero, devoted his collection to his hometown in Washington, DC, by accentuating designs with local cues like the cherry blossom branches that ran along the seams of some of his outfits.
Creatives had a forum to promote the topics and cultures they care about thanks to the Emerging Designers presentation.

The crowd felt opulent on the final night of festivities when International Couture ensembles were unveiled. While some labels, including Williams’ Corjor International, Eryn Boggs, and Troy Anthony made their only weekend appearance on the final night, others, like Obioma Fashion, recategorized themselves for comebacks.

Content courtesy of The Hilltop Online, DC Fashion Week & NFH

 

Fashion Show: The “Mud Show” From Balenciaga Summer 2023 Dared To Delve Into The Vanity Of Fashion.

Posted on by Fashion Police

When it comes to its presentations during Paris Fashion Week, Demna’s Balenciaga never fails to put on a groundbreaking, attention-grabbing runway display.
Earlier occurrences included the emotive Winter 2022 show in the French capital, a red carpet presentation for SS22, and an episode of The Simpsons for the same latter season.
Earlier occurrences included the emotive Winter 2022 show in the French capital, a red carpet presentation for SS22, and an episode of The Simpsons for the same latter season.

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

The glitterati that has gathered in Paris for Spring/Summer 2023 was excited about Balenciaga and eagerly expecting today’s show in light of this.
Was it going to be another star-studded runway like the 51st Couture show, which featured Christine Quinn, Kim Kardashian, Nicole Kidman, Dua Lipa, and Naomi Campbell, or was Demna going to buck conventions & spin the story in an unexpected way?

Balenciaga did precisely the latter for SS23. It appears that Demna is up to his antics once more after being invited with Natalia Antunes’ misplaced pocketbook, the identity of whom now sets the tone for a mysterious Balenciaga presentation.
Such encoded language has impacted earlier presentations, like Winter 2022, which examined consumption, and Balenciaga’s takeover of Wall Street, which featured a pile of fake cash.
What’s up with the Balenciaga wallet that was found and lost by “The Mud Show”?
The runway will be the only judge.

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Driving miles outside of the Parisian city center, Demna also defies fashion week conventions by not having a local presentation. This is an effort that shouldn’t be dismissed because a Balenciaga show frequently ends up being the season’s high point.

In terms of “The Mud Show,” that is. Christine Quinn, Kylie Jenner, Khloe Kardashian, North West, Anna Wintour, et al., as well as hundreds of other attendees, sat in a warehouse that was engulfed in a mudslide.
Ahead was a mud hole that was 20 feet deep, cavernous, undulating in texture and height, and had several pools and puddles of water. The walls and some areas of the floor were covered in a thick wash of black mud.
While the high fashion crowd’s luxury Balenciaga coats and pointed heels slid through the sloppy materials, the area was filled with a swampy odor.

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Demna mentions identity and self-expression in his concert notes and stresses how wonderful it is to stand out from the crowd. Additionally, he asserts that “fashion loves labels and packaging more than anything else. Who cares if it’s luxurious, not luxurious, street, couture, nice, awful, buzzy, or viral? It’s limiting and a bit outdated to categorize fashion as polished, exclusive, and visually expensive.

Demna concludes by saying that he “decided to no longer speak my designs and explain my collections, but to depict a state of mind… This show’s set serves as a metaphor for seeking the truth and staying grounded. Let’s make love, not war, and let everyone be who they want to be.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjQAK65KKcu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The show couldn’t have been more natural if it tried, keeping that in mind. Models (including Bella Hadid) followed in full force and with a drive to push on, splashing into the deep mud and water after Kanye, who was wearing a complete security outfit.
In other places, infants were carried around in Balenciaga harnesses, tops were glittering, and others were made of latex with 404 error messages.
Teddy bears became handheld accessories, another bag was transformed into a wearable in the shape of a glove, and Demna’s widely shared Lays chip bag was transformed into a pochette.

Dresses ranged from active neck-hanging pieces to glitter bombs made of lamé that were pleated and dragged in the mud. In addition to a host of new track-like shoes and the reintroduction of the Knife Boot, glitter was used to dazzle on chunky platform clog versions of the Space Shoe.

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In conclusion, Demna sent out a Le Cagole outfit. This entire leather garment was adorned with Le Cagole-isms, bag handles, and swinging ornaments dangling from the body, just like the boots and the bag that give it its name.

Content courtesy of  Hyper Beast & NFH

 

On Africa’s Largest Red Carpet And With The Theme “The Awakening,” The Abryanz Style & Fashion Awards 2022 Recognize And Honor African Fashion Industry Leaders.

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Abryanz Style And Fashion Awards 2022 Categories Released.

In Uganda, Kampala (19th September 2022). The timer has started counting down to Africa’s greatest fashion event! We are thrilled to present the Abryanz Style & Fashion Awards 2022’s official categories today.
The new ASFAs 8th edition categories, which are categorized into 5 aspects, honor a new era of fashion and reflect the new satiety in the creative African fashion field. The Abryanz Style & Fashion Awards 2022 will be broadcast LIVE from the Kampala Serena Hotel on Friday, December 16, 2022.

“Africa has gained a new type of synergy over the past two years. According to ASFAs CEO Brian Ahumuza, this year’s theme, The Awakening, “suggests we are going into a new wave of undeniable African excellence.” “We have envisioned and reenvisioned the occasion.
To honor how far we have gone and where we are heading, the 2022 ASFAs will bring together game-changing players from the past, present, and future on one red carpet and in one space.

Below is an explanation of the 5 category elements;

  • Honorary Awards:- These are the most prestigious awards given in recognition of individuals with extraordinary achievements and exceptional contributions to the African fashion industry. Honorary Awards are not voted for by the public, they are designated by the ASFA Board.

 

  • Designer Awards:- The designer awards honour creative excellence in the business of fashion design. The Awards celebrate brands, businesses and personalities that have significantly advanced the fashion industry through their work. The award winners are decided through public voting and internal deliberations by the ASFA Board.

 

  • Fashion Awards:- The fashion awards categories celebrate visionaries who have become major drivers in fashion by fostering business and public perception through innovative approaches to fashion, style and design. The award winners are decided through public voting and internal deliberations by the ASFA Board.

 

  • Music in Fashion:- The Music in Fashion award categories focus on the fashionable aspect of the music industry. The awards emphasize the role of fashion in music and celebrate those who have creatively merged both worlds. The award winners are decided through public voting and internal deliberations by the ASFA Board.

 

  • Fashion Personalities:- The awards honour personalities for their futuristic approach to fashion through the way they have presented themselves. The award winners will be decided through public voting and internal deliberations by the ASFA board.

The winners of the “Abryanz Style & Fashion Awards” 2022 awards are chosen in part by the general public and the ASFA Voting Academy, which is made up of a distinguished group of fashion industry experts in the fields of modeling, fashion design, film, public relations, influencers, and creative arts.
The full list of ASFA 2022 categories is here;

Honorary Awards
1. Life Time Achievement Award
2. Icon Award
3. ASFA Visionary Award
4. Award for Positive Change
5. Best Fashion Business Contributor Diaspora
6. Trailblazer Award
7. Fashion Influencer Award

Designer Awards
8. Designer of the Year Africa – AFRICA & UGANDA
9. African Fashion Brand of the Year – AFRICA
10. Business Maverick of the Year – AFRICA & UGANDA
11. Model of the Year – AFRICA
12. Emerging Designer of the Year Menswear – AFRICA
13. Emerging Designer of the Year Womenswear – AFRICA
14. Beauty Brand of the Year – AFRICA & UGANDA
15. Emerging Fashion Brand – UGANDA

Fashion Awards
16. Makeup Artist of the Year – AFRICA & UGANDA
17. Hair Artist of the Year – AFRICA & UGANDA
18. Stylist of the Year – AFRICA & UGANDA
19. Image Maker of the Year – AFRICA
20. Fashion Journalism Excellence Award – AFRICA

Music In Fashion Awards
21. Fashionable Music Video Award – AFRICA & UGANDA
22. Stylish Artist of the Year – MALE & FEMALE | AFRICA & UGANDA

Fashion Personalities Awards
24. Fashionista of the Year – MALE & FEMALE | AFRICA & UGANDA
25. Best Dressed Guest – ALL GUESTS PRESENT
26. Most Stylish Personality – MALE & FEMALE | AFRICA & UGANDA

The Abryanz Style & Fashion Awards 2022, with the theme “The Awakening,” honor and celebrate African fashion industry leaders on Africa’s largest red carpet.
The general audience is requested to go at the aforementioned awards and consider which category best reflects their interests.
Nominations will open soon; check Abryanz official channels frequently for updates.

Content courtesy of Abryanz Style & Fashion Awards & NFH

East African-inspired Luxury Streetwear Is Brought To “Fusion” By Mn Designers.

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Numerous regional designers are featured in “Energy Gear x Ramadhan Designs Presents Fusion,” a haute fashion show that fuses traditional and modern styles.
MINNEAPOLIS “Fashion has always been a passion of mine.”

Ramadhan “Rammy” Mohamed, the founder of Ramadhan Designs and one of the two designers emceeing Thursday’s Fusion event for Fashion Week MN, claims that she was first motivated to pursue her love while a young girl by seeing her uncle sew clothing for women in East Africa.

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Mohamed, an Oromo immigrant who now resides in St. Paul, is prepared to debut her most recent line of couture garments with an East African flair. She warns that the new decline will likely be “unexpected.”

Very seductive but timeless. You’ll most likely see a lot of crop tops and fabric manipulation, said Mohamed.
Mike Byers, the creator of the upscale streetwear brand Energy Gear, will collaborate with Mohamed on this occasion. Byers said he believes the term for which he called his business manifests in his creations.

“I believe that the word ‘energy’ denotes a great deal. It denotes wellbeing and good health. It represents who you are and who you associate with. It denotes what you think and how you behave as well as what you allow to enter your thoughts.
I think it stands for a lot of things,” Byers added.

The Thursday presentation will include a fusion of the two design houses’ individual aesthetics, displaying Byers’ contemporary and futuristic streetwear alongside Mohamed’s exquisite, intricate, and ecological couture.

The event will take place at Jaguar Land Rover Minneapolis among premium vehicles as a parallel to the classic-modern idea.

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Old school, antique automobiles still have a lot of value, according to Byers, but there are also brand-new, ultra-modern, ultra-futuristic, fast cars that are valuable.
The street representation in the current automobiles and the couture representation in the vintage, old-school cars, I believe, is another element that we want to use and highlight.

Mohamed, who this year produced a collection that was 100% waste-free, is thrilled to share her concept for sustainability through a beautiful mashup of fine fabrics in unusual hues and textures. She claims that not a single piece of cloth was wasted. She hopes that her designs would strike a chord with her neighbors. She has drawn inspiration throughout her adult life from “a child at the State Fair” to “someone across the world in East Africa.”

I attended fashion school because I wanted to give Minnesotans options and apparel, she added. Very stylish, cozy, and, of course, perfectly suited to Minnesota’s climate. I wish to contribute in some way to the revitalization of art production in our city for the benefit of our people.

Although the apparel is what is being displayed at Fusion, Byers continues, the designers couldn’t have brought their collections to life without assistance from the community.

This is how genuine cooperation between communities, our demographics, and our variety looks like, he remarked. “We work with models of all ages and sizes. We simply like to demonstrate what actual community collaboration looks like because that’s the vibe we want to project.
Fusion by Energy Gear x Ramadhan Designs kicks off on Thursday at 6 p.m. with beverages, a pop-up store, and a DJ. Beginning at 7 o’clock comes the fashion show with Energy Gear, Ramadhan Designs, Rashidat Akangbe Enifeni, Venci, and Generation Bliss.

Content courtesy of Ramadhan Designs & NFH

A New African Fashion Narrative Is Being Created, And Designers Think It’s About Time.

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

“African fashion is not a trend,” asserts Aisha Ayensu, the creator and creative director of Christie Brown. Ayensu founded her company in Accra, Ghana in 2008, fusing traditional designs like wax print and batiks with contemporary voluminous sleeve tops and corset dresses. We have been doing this for years; it was never a fad for us.

As part of a new exhibition at Britain’s Victoria and Albert Museum, the influential UK arts and culture institution, Christie Brown is one of 45 brands and designers wanting to help shape and change the narrative surrounding African fashion. From a traditional silk Kente engagement dress created by Ghanaian fashion designer Kofi Ansah to Rwandan brand Moshions

The exhibition looks at African fashion dating back to the 1950s, a period in time when countries across the continent started to break away from colonial rule, and highlights the importance of traditional prints like Kente Cloth as a signifier of wealth and status. These modern interpretations of ceremonial attire, traditionally worn by royalty, were created using wool and viscose.

Thebe Magugu, Rich Mnisi, and Mmusomaxwell, three contemporary South African designers, as well as the West African brands Orange Culture, Lagos Space Programme, and Iamisigo, who participated in the curating of their own displays, are also featured.

With Chanel hosting a fashion show in Dakar, Senegal later this year, Birimian investing $5 million annually in African and diasporic brands, and the rise of designers like Thebe Magugu, a recent guest designer at AZ Factory, and Kenneth Ize, a finalist for the 2019 LVMH Prize, attention is growing on African fashion.

According to experts, African fashion is still underrepresented and poorly understood in the West, with its range frequently being condensed and pigeonholed. Few large multi-brand shops carry African fashion; some, who depend on small-scale production and work directly with ateliers, have found it impossible to scale production to satisfy demand from international retailers, making it difficult for brands to sell outside of local markets.

There are few materials that adequately reflect the development and subtleties of the fashion on the continent, and fashion curricula rarely acknowledge the breadth and history of African designers.

There was internal acknowledgement of a void in the V&A’s holdings, according to Christine Checinska, senior curator of African and African diaspora textiles and apparel, who joined the institution in the summer of 2020.

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When she joined, her duties included expanding the institution’s collection of African fashion fabrics and creating the Africa Fashion show. Although we have always gathered artifacts from the continent, Africa and its diaspora were underrepresented in our collections compared to other parts of the world.

As a museum, I believe it was already acknowledged that the fashion scene had such an impact that the museum wanted to address it.
The work that went into curating and putting this exhibition together, according to Ayensu of Christie Brown, was significant because she initially questioned the V&A’s aims. Making ensuring that it stayed true to who we are as African companies, according to her, is really important.
“We weren’t watered down, and looking at African design through a European prism was not the goal. It was about observing the diverse range of our work and the represented brands.

The exhibition featured many of the designers’ voices, and Checinska says it is a special element she was eager to include. A quote from each designer was exhibited next to a description of their product. Adebayo Oke-lawal, the creator of Orange Culture, is quoted as saying, “Clothing should be flowing and have the potential to be worn by any and everyone.”

Omoyemi Akerele, creator and director of Lagos Fashion Week and Style House Files, said of the exhibition, “This exhibition is essential because for the very first time fashion from the continent will be examined from a broad perspective which spans decades.

“African dress is something that has always been here; it is a part of who we are… There is an entire ecosystem of models, make-up artists, photographers, and illustrators in addition to designers.
According to Erica De Greef, co-director of The African Fashion Research Institute, the industry has always disregarded African fashion.

“The two terms ‘Africa’ and ‘fashion’ were not found in a book, let alone on a page together, and much alone in an exhibition title together, 20 years ago when I started teaching fashion in South Africa.”

A move, in her opinion, is an effort to “reverse the coloniality of the museum” and marks a fundamental and important shift in the field.

The need to decolonize the curriculum remains.
The display serves as a reminder that additional research on African dress is required.
According to Frederica Brooksworth, executive director of the Council for International African Fashion Education, “There hasn’t been a lot of knowledge published on African fashion for people to use, and not many people have had the opportunity to learn about African fashion” (CIAFE).
“I do think that a lot of people’s minds will be opened and their perspective of African fashion will alter as a result of this exhibition.

And I believe that many institutions will come to appreciate the value of decolonizing the fashion curriculum.

The next step should be to analyze the subtleties of African dress, according to De Greef. The range of clothing on the continent was not thoroughly investigated. She claims that more depth and nuance are required. “There are still a lot of the cliches, and some of the choices are still pretty vivid and colorful…

But what’s going on in Rwanda is different from what’s going on in Tanzania and from what’s going on in Mozambique.
Greef contends that while fashion varies across the continent, some of these outfits transcend the boundaries of couture and streetwear and are difficult to classify.

The worth of “Made in Africa”
Others still see a chance to expand their internet presence and change the perception of “Made in Africa” by fortifying their online platforms. The founder of the Senegal-based company Tongoro, Sarah Diouf, claims that accessing African fashion for a very long time was extremely difficult.
We solely engage in e-commerce, and because of the difficulty in obtaining African fashion labels for a very long time, this business strategy has allowed us to flourish in the larger fashion arena.

She continues, “Changing the perception of “Made in Africa” is a long-term topic of endeavor.”

For Diouf, whose clothing is entirely sourced and made on the continent, there needs to be work done to refute the myth that “Made in Africa” products are not incredibly important and alluring to domestic and foreign consumers. We are able to create clothing that is equally as good as European or any other fashion.

According to Diouf, this has an impact on Tongoro’s pricing approach. She decided not to price her clothing beyond $230 in an effort to expand her company into international markets and increase African fashion’s appeal outside of the continent. “Anything linked to Africa did not have a favorable image for a very long time,” she claims.

It was extremely important to me to give people the option to shop for African fashion and to encourage them to do so, therefore in certain ways, the clothing had to be reasonably priced.
Merchants on Long (MOL), a South African concept store specializing in African fashion, is the sponsor of the V&A’s Africa Fashion show and says it intends to maintain momentum by presenting a number of pop-ups and events starting in September throughout the UK.

In order to connect foreign buyers with African businesses, the company’s chief executive Hanneli Rupert said it is opening its e-commerce to the UK market.

The retailer is eager to expand its clientele and stock some of the fashion houses represented at the exhibition, including Tongoro.

Along with capital, scaling manufacturing for “Made in Africa” brands can still be difficult for companies looking for new luxury partners. Tongoro began selling on Net-a-Porter this month, which Diouf describes as both an exciting development for the company and a struggle because “everything is handcrafted in Senegal and we haven’t reached industrial level production, so for us it was a barrier.”

The long-term objective, which remains the same after participating in the exhibition, is to “dynamise the local retail manufacturing in West Africa, starting with Senegal.”
Christie Brown’s Ayensu, who has tripled her capacity since 2020 but still feels that it is insufficient, echoes the attitude.

“We want to expand up our operations to be able to satisfy the rising demand,” she says.
“That’s one area and issue we want to conquer.” We did an excellent job of figuring out what the customer wanted… The focus currently is merely on having a sufficient supply of the product and a larger distribution. You need funding to accomplish that, too. According to Ayensu, her company consists of 40% online and 60% brick-and-mortar sales.

International expansion is not the only goal for many aspiring designers, though. The brand is reaching new audiences, according to South African designer Rich Mnisi, thanks to the international attention the exhibition has received. However, the objective is to maintain local market expansion.

Initially, Mnisi explains, “our clothes were made for a worldwide market, but we chose to just concentrate on South Africa, and it was the best decision ever.” “Like most great brands, they first established a strong foothold in the neighborhood; this is what we’ll do.”

There’s still work to be done. The show is undoubtedly a significant accomplishment, but Diouf notes that it is only the beginning. “My daily job in the atelier, teaching the tailors, and attempting to maintain and improve the quality that we have, so that the brand keeps expanding over time, is what matters most to me,” she said.

Content courtesy of Vogue Business & NFH 

African Prints: A Celebration Of African Fashion

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

The late Ghanaian fashion designer Kofi Ansah famously said: “Without clothes, we cannot play our parts.” He first made news in the UK in the 1970s after designing an outfit for Princess Anne.

One of the more than 40 designers showcased in the V&A’s exhibition Africa Fashion, from pioneers like himself to the new generation looking to shake things up, is Ansah, a graduate of the Chelsea School of Art who would go on to launch Ghana onto the international catwalk with his innovative styles.

Most of the names will be obscure to anyone who does not follow the fashion industry, and a few are only well recognized in Africa, so this first UK display is long overdue.

The exhibition’s dazzling collection of clothes, along with the textiles, personal testimonies, photographs, sketches, and film that go with them, highlight the diversity and richness of African fashion as well as the difficulty of defining it across a vast continent with 54 distinct countries, each with their own history, culture, and influences. The exhibition’s prosaic title belies this.

According to lead curator Christine Checinska, “Africa Fashion celebrates the vibrancy and originality of a select group of fashion creatives, investigating the work of the vanguard in the 20th century and the creatives at the center of this multicultural and cosmopolitan scene today.”
“We hope that this exhibition will lead to a rethinking of the geography of fashion and affect the course of the industry.”

She cited the exhibition’s opening piece, a 2019 electric pink outfit made of silk and Cameroonian raffia, as an example of Paris-based designer Imane Ayissi’s work at the exhibition’s opening earlier this month. This piece “sits on the crossroads of fashion systems cementing Africa and its diaspora, blurring the borders between craft-making and couture.”

Beyond this striking display, one enters the first section of the exhibit, which is, in my opinion, the more fascinating part. It tells the tale of African fashion’s ascent to global prominence beginning in the middle of the 20th century through the eyes of several important figures, such as Shade Thomas-Fahm, a graduate of St. Martin’s School of Art, who transformed traditional print fabrics for modern wear and Chris Seydou, who combined Malian bògòlanfini cloth with opulent western

It’s also important to note Naima Bennis, who combined Moroccan and French couture textiles to produce, among other things, the female equivalent of the Maghrebi hooded cape.

In the post-independence era, the pioneers’ work matured to signify the political and cultural revolution that was underway.
A picture of Kwame Nkrumah announcing Ghana’s independence from British domination in 1957 while donning traditional kente robes rather than a Savile Row suit and the stylish youths shot by portrait photographers Seydou Keta, James Barnor, and others serve to highlight this period of pride and promise.

The “modern creatives” take the stage upstairs, where the museum transforms into a sort of store, aware of their background but actively upending expectations and prejudices.

Adebayo Oke-use Lawal’s of organza and pleated chiffon as part of his Orange Culture label questioning hyper-masculinity and Lukhanyo Mdingi’s fluffy white mohair ensemble from the legendary Angora goats of South Africa couldn’t be more dissimilar from our conventional perception of what African fashion is.

I really like the flowing elegance of Rwanda’s Moshions brand and the fitted Ankara prints worn by Lisa Folawiyo.
But the focus is no longer solely on design. Awa Meité’s focus is cotton, both in her clothing and in her attempts to promote Malian cotton workers, while Congolese designer IAMISIGO uses his “wearable artworks” to “decolonize the mind.”

Content courtesy of Camden New Journal & NFH

The largest exhibition of ‘African Fashion’ in the United Kingdom will open in London.

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Britain is gearing up to host the world’s first and most comprehensive exhibition on African fashion in London, offering a glimpse into the continent’s cultural heritage and designers.

“Africa Fashion,” which opens Saturday at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, is the country’s first exhibition dedicated to the medium.

The show will provide a “glimpse into the glamour and politics of the fashion scene,” according to project curator Elisabeth Murray.

“Today, we wanted to celebrate the incredible African fashion scene. So, looking at the inspiration behind all of the designers, stylists, and photographers, “According to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Objects, sketches, photos, and film from across the continent are included in the exhibition, ranging from African liberation years in the 1950s to up-and-coming contemporary designers.
Senior Curator Christine Checinska described the exhibition as “part of the V&A’s ongoing commitment to highlighting work by African heritage creatives.”

Global anti-racism movements, such as Black Lives Matter, have compelled the United Kingdom to reconsider its contentious colonial past, from museum collections and public monuments to history education in schools.
The V&A was founded in 1852, as Britain expanded its global empire under Queen Victoria, including in Africa in the decades that followed.

Checinska, on the other hand, claimed that African creativity had been “largely excluded or misrepresented in the museum, owing to the historic division between art and ethnographic museums arising from our colonial roots and embedded racist assumptions.”

Celebration
The scene is set with a section on “African Cultural Renaissance,” which highlights protest posters and literature from independence movements that evolved alongside fashion.

The central attraction is “The Vanguard,” which features iconic works by well-known African designers such as Niger’s Alphadi, Nigeria’s Shade Thomas-Fahm, and Ghana’s Kofi Ansah.

Beadwork and raffia, among other African textiles and styles, are used in innovative designs with cross-cultural influences.
For example, Thomas-designs Fahm’s reinvented traditional African-wear for the “cosmopolitan, working woman.”

Other exhibits, such as “Afrotopia,” “Cutting-Edge,” and “Mixology,” look at fashion alongside issues like sustainability, gender, race, and identity.

The centerpiece, created especially for the exhibition by Moroccan designer Artsi, is a highlight.
It’s a work inspired by the British trenchcoat and Muslim hijab that explores how to “present Africa in England,” he told AFP.

Artsi emphasizes the beauty of African fashion, which “doesn’t come from a source of commercialized clothes,” in her “meditation on our common humanity.”
“It comes from a place of heritage and culture,” he added.

Content courtesy of Daily Sabah & NFH

African Fashion: David Ochieng, A Kenyan Fashion Designer, Uses Fashion To Make A Positive Impact On Kenyan Communities.

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

As an up-and-coming fashion designer, David Ochieng is creating waves. Ochieng, who put Kenya on the fashion map, remains in the community’s orbit, using fashion as a platform for social change.
David Ochieng, alias Avido, is an emerging fashion designer who mixes African designs with modern, airy tailoring. He was born in Nairobi’s enormous urban slums.

Lookslike Avido, his label, is commercial enough, with the option of customizing garments on the website. More than that, the label is devoted to Kibera, the community from which Ochieng hails.

It wasn’t simple for him to break into the fashion industry. Ochieng’s childhood was difficult because he was the firstborn in a family of four. His mother was the only breadwinner in the family.

She would do other people’s laundry and work odd jobs to help support him and his siblings. His condition was made worse by a lack of school payments.
He eventually dropped out of school while he was in form one.
Later, in order to support his mother and siblings, he would go from one construction site to the next, looking for odd jobs. He sought comfort in the new acquaintances he had made.
Unfortunately, the majority of those pals met disastrous ends: some began taking drugs, others were killed, and a significant number began to engage in criminal activity.

Ochieng’s soul searching was prompted by the fate of the majority of his companions. He would practice unheard sentences in open and lonely areas. He also moved to the Olympic area from Silangi.

Ochieng claims that this was his way of confronting his problems and beginning a new life.

“I didn’t know who to turn to for help. “You’d confide in someone, and then they’d start telling other people about your troubles,” Ochieng explained to OkayAfrica. “As a result, I began conversing with nature. I used to talk to myself all the time, even repeating my issues, and it was via this that I was able to join a dance crew.
We practiced every day in Kibera at an establishment called Olympic, which performs spoken word at weddings, political rallies, and other events. Many of the young people here are in great need.
“Drugs and criminality claim the lives of the majority of them.”

The dancers wore dreadlocks and dressed up in trendy clothes. They had no idea that their newfound pastime would be short-lived. Some of the dancers were mistaken for gangsters, resulting in their deaths.
As a result, his mother encouraged him to change his mind. She gave him two bucks from her paycheck one day. He chose to put the money into fabrics and thread for sewing.
That’s when his life took a change for the better, and he started his fashion design profession with the founding of Avido Fashion House in 2018.

“My dancing crew was a huge inspiration to me.” For our costumes, I would sketch them out.

“I discovered then that as much as I was expressing myself through dance and spoken word, I felt like I could express myself more through colors,” Ochieng explained. “I learned that depicting a person’s journey via fabrics while also displaying life lessons and hardships is magnificent.” In a sense, dancing propelled me into the fashion world.

“Fashion has allowed me to discover myself and gain a better understanding of life,” Ochieng concluded. “Fashion has also become a form of therapy for me as a way of recovering from my childhood trauma.”
Ochieng is now one of Kenya’s most well-known fashion designers. The streets of Kibera, he claims, inspire his creativity.

He also feels that Africa is a vibrant continent, and he wants the world to know that crime isn’t the main problem in urban slums.

“I’m trying to show folks how great Kibera is.” I’m not the only one with talent here; I’m sure there are some who are far more talented and superior to me, but they don’t have the opportunity to show it off “Ochieng explained. “What I’m trying to convey through the fabrics is the positivity and hope that we have here so that I don’t lose sight of my roots.”

Ochieng’s vocational training program, which he started, teaches tailoring skills to young moms and people with hearing impairments.

He feels that by empowering a woman, you are empowering the entire nation. He’s begun mentoring fifteen trained women, eight of whom have hearing impairments and seven of whom are young moms.

He has taken it upon himself to cover the education tuition of the brilliant students in his community in addition to the vocational training. He mostly targets orphans whose parents have died of HIV/AIDS infection.

He claims that if these pupils are not treated, they will wind up on the streets, succumbing to peer pressure, resulting in misidentified identities and possibly losing their lives.
“I needed someone to pay for my school costs, but no one was willing to help me.

“Paying school fees to the poor is a type of therapy for me,” Ochieng explained. “It feels like I’m healing the younger version of myself.”

He also sews school clothes for Kibera’s poor pupils. So far, Ochieng has given out 786 uniforms to students from various schools. The process begins with the identification of the recipients, in which he goes to schools at random and looks for students who have tattered uniforms and provides them with new ones.

With gratitude, Ochieng recalls the first person for whom he designed clothing: the late Ken Okoth, a member of parliament from his district. He went to parliament dressed in his clothing, bringing celebrities and other lawmakers to his work.

After that, Don Carlos, a prominent reggae artist, came to Nairobi to perform, and David approached the event’s organizer to ask if he could produce a custom shirt for him. Carlos was ecstatic when he spotted the shirt and offered Ochieng a partnership to promote his work in the Caribbean.
Ochieng has collaborated with musicians such as Romain Virgo, Usain Bolt, Bruno Mars, Ghanaian Stallion, Tarrus Riley, Connie, Inge-Lise Nielsen, Everton Blendah, and others as a result of that encounter.
His biggest break occurred when he was included in Beyoncé’s album Black King, which helped him launch his career.

Ochieng’s garments are now worn all over the world, from Africa to Europe, as well as the United States and the Caribbean. But, for him, African identity is paramount, as evidenced by his work and designs.

Content Courtesy of Okay Africa & NFH

Father’s Day: The Scottish Highland Distillery Glenmorangie Celebrates Father’s Day

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Nairobi June 16th, 2022, Glenmorangie, a Scottish Highland distillery, held an exclusive single malt tasting event in Nairobi’s Sankara neighborhood, bringing together powerful fathers who are whisky enthusiasts.

The purpose of the event was to celebrate Father’s Day by immersing guests in Glenmorangie’s sophisticated refinement, a layered complexity that gives depth and substance to the compelling sensory tasting experience.

“Mr. Alexandre Helaine Moet Hennessy, Market Manager, Eastern Africa,” said Mr. Alexandre Helaine Moet Hennessy during his remarks at the occasion “We’ve been honing our skill at Glenmorangie for 179 years in our pursuit of the best whiskies.
We want to create immersive brand experiences by giving us the freedom to tell our tales and share our whisky with individuals looking to try Glenmorangie, Scotland’s Smoothest Single Malt Whisky.”

The tasting allowed whisky enthusiasts to participate in Glenmorangie’s incredible journey, as well as write and share stories based on their own experiences.

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“Our father’s words of wisdom and advise shape who we are.
They instill in us the confidence to confront both the good and the terrible in our lives. We invite everyone who has been inspired by a parent or father figure to share their story as a brand because fathers deserve respect and gratitude.” “Mr. Helaine threw in his two cents’ worth.

Glenmorangie encourages you to raise a glass and participate in the discourse by sharing your favorite memories of your father or father figure.

About Glenmorangie

Glenmorangie has been lovingly distilled since 1843. William Matheson, our founder, was a visionary and a perfectionist.
He created a single malt whisky that is unparalleled in terms of delicacy, smoothness, and flavor complexity.
The dish is deceptively easy, but the level of attention to detail is incredible. We make an exquisite mash by marrying the clean mineral-rich waters of the Tarlogie Springs with local golden Scottish barley, which we distill in Scotland’s tallest malt whiskey stills to produce a purer, smoother whisky.
The necks alone are the height of a fully-grown adult male giraffe at 5.24 meters (nearly 16 feet).

What is the advantage of this fixation with height?
Only the finest and lightest vapors condense into our spirit, which we age in Missouri White Oak barrels. (It will take at least ten years.) These carefully selected casks, made from 100-year-old trees and seasoned for another two years after felling, provide a hue and a creamy smoothness of flavor that is complete perfection.
There are, of course, easier and faster ways to produce whisky.
There are many other single malts. However, once you’ve had a taste of Glenmorangie, you’ll never want to try anything else since we are adamant about how our whisky is made, no matter how much time or money it takes.

Drinking in Moderation:
The Glenmorangie Company promotes safe drinking and recommends that whisky lovers enjoy Glenmorangie whiskies in moderation and in accordance with daily alcohol consumption standards.

Content Courtesy of African Elite PR & NFH

Zari Hassan Arrives in Kenya to Debut Her Mega-Mansion Ahead Of Her All-White Party

Posted on by Nairobi Fashion Hub

Zari Hassan, alias Zarithebosslady, a Ugandan socialite and business entrepreneur, has landed in Kenya ahead of the Zari all-white party.
On Thursday, June 9, Zari will organize a party at the XS millionaires’ club, where she will meet her admirers and friends.

Her Kenyan hosts, including bloggers Kabi and Milly WaJesus, met her at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

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She told the press shortly after arriving in that she will be commissioning some houses designed by a company she has been working with during her visit.

“The party is for us to get together and meet some of my friends who we haven’t seen in a long time,” she explained. “But that will have to wait till I finish what I’m supposed to accomplish here.”

“I’m here to show you a mansion created by Fine Urban Construction and Interiors, and it’s one of those out-of-this-world homes you wouldn’t expect to see in East Africa.” As a result, I’ve come to reveal their work.”

The 41-year-old has been throwing parties, the most recent of which was in Dubai in May.

The mother of five went on to say that she has always been interested in real estate and that she came across a listing on the internet that encouraged her to contact the agency.

“I enjoy real estate, and this particular home occurred to be listed on the internet. “I was enthralled and went out to them, and that’s how we came up with the idea for this initiative,” she explained.

On Thursday, the curvy entrepreneur will hold an all-white party in Nairobi, which is likely to be glitzy and glamorous.

“All the ballers in Nairobi, get ready for an all-white adventure this Thursday 9th June at XS Millionaires Club in Nairobi. I’ll be there with some other ballers, so come on over and let’s pop some champagne together. “See you at XS millionaires club on Thursday,” she said on social media.

This will be the mother of five’s second time hosting an all-white celebration in Kenya, having previously done so in 2018.

Zari advised her followers to keep an eye out for season two of Africa’s first fan-favorite TV reality series on Netflix, “Africa’s First Fan-Favorite TV Reality Series.”

“I can’t say much about season 2, but I can tell you that it’s coming. I’m not sure who’ll be returning.” But it was a positive experience, having one of the most popular African shows on Netflix for six weeks in a row,” she remarked.

Content Courtesy of Zari Hassan, Fine Urban Construction and Interiors & NFH

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