The basket bag wave is still ongoing and we can say this is the 3rd season this trend is popping up so it’s safe to say the trend is going nowhere. As new collections pop up without fail, new DESIGNS and creation emerges in the ‘Apere’ (basket) culture. A new brand of Apere bags have surfaced thanks to this vibrant collection.
Designed by ethical fashion brand ÉKÉTÉ, we believe we’ve gotten to the right Apere bag shopping destination. The brand uses uses locally grown natural fibres combined with a well prodced leather to create beautiful Apere (basket) bags. Extremely Skilled artisans make the bags by hand and they come in different variations and shapes.
ÉKÉTÉ which means basket in the Igbo language is must certainly so much more than its literal meaning, it is a representation of the beauty and strength of a woman and the bond thats she shares with the people in her life. The brand prides itself on its modern take on an age-old traditional craftsmanship.
According to the statement following the release:
Baskets are malleable, intricately woven into different forms, shapes, and sizes whilst possessing a lasting staying power, these same qualities apply to women of all ages and race.
Our debut Spring/Summer’18 collection was inspired by our love for fashion, culture, and travel, and the burning desire to always carry a piece of home with us wherever we go. These summer bags are fun and colourful, as they are the perfect accessories for vacations, getaways to the beach and all your favourite summer activities. They also work perfectly to compliment your everyday style all year round.
Launch of Darling Runway Kenya, an annual platform about the business of Fashion COUTURE Africa magazine in partnership with Ajuma Ltd will be hosting a one-of-a-kind fashion experience on the 6th and 7th of April at the Two Rivers Mall and Sankara hotel dubbed Darling Runway Kenya.
COUTURE Africa magazine founder, Olive Gachara says that Darling Runway Kenya shall be an annual event specifically focused on the Business of Fashion. It brings together key industry players; 16 showcasing fashion designers, the creative community, and talent such as bloggers, photographers, writers, journalists, and stylists as well as a troop of 75 models and a fleet of Black| make-up artists and hairstylists. Designed to be more than a visually memorable affair.
Darling Runway Kenya draws industry thinkers for a cross-section of intense workshops and conferences open to the public on Friday the 6th of April at the Two Rivers Mall Expo Hall. This will culminate in the ultimate roundtable that will include highly-acclaimed South African designer Thula Sindi, beauty, hair, and fashion professionals and will be moderated by COUTURE Africa’s Managing Editor and award-winning fashion journalist Carol Odero at Sankara Hotel prior to the official event launch at the same location.
Saturday 7th April will see 7 fashion shows take place every hour-on-the-hour at various locations around Two Rivers Mall and event title sponsor, Darling Kenya – East Africa’s Leading Hair Brand – will launch a collection of their latest trends, a compelling live look book created by their top partner hairstylists on the runway. This will be simultaneously done on the same runway models as they showcase the fashion designers. Worth an estimated KES 25 billion, the local hair market is home to 150,000 salons and growing. Darling has a salon partnership program that currently reaches over 20,000 salons across Kenya.
“The Kenyan consumer is becoming more fashion aware and hair is a fundamental part of this awareness. She demands quality hair products and accessories that keep her on the cutting edge of fashion. She has big dreams and is clear that her hair plays a huge role in helping her achieve these dreams. Darling has become the go-to partner for this stylish woman and fuels her passion and aspirations. This means leading the conversation on fashion hence the need to be part of the premier of East Africa’s Home of Fashion,” said Victoria Kieti-Chesire, Head of Marketing, Dry Hair, Godrej Kenya.
To help realize this vision is Ajuma Ltd., founded and run by Kenya’s first supermodel Ajuma Nasenyana. “What made me come on board was my good relationship with COUTURE Africa magazine. They are outstanding when it comes to pushing fashion in Kenya.
We all know models outside of fashion capitals pretty much struggle when it comes to making modeling a lucrative career. Ajuma Ltd. is constantly scouting and doing our absolute best to push potential high fashion models through to international platforms.” Ajuma’s scouting led her to the Kakuma Refugee Camp where she discovered two gems who will come to Nairobi and strut on the Darling Runway Kenya catwalks.
Darling Runway Kenya shall bring the already vibrant Two Rivers Mall to an all-new high, with a Darling Mobile Salon, Black|Up Make-up Booth, COUTURE Africa Magazine custom covers, Pop-Up Stores by the 16 Designers, Mini Casting Sessions by Ajuma Ltd, select backstage access all wrapped up with a Fashion Party. This is an Open Access event with VIP priority parking within the mall and exclusive VIP seating at the runway shows.
Content Courtesy Of Darling Kenya, Couture Africa Magazine, Ajuma Limited & Nairobi Fashion Hub
odAOMO Seductress at Sunset Fall 2018 Runway Show went down at the tribe hotel village market the show started exactly at 5:00 pm east African time, event was graced by who is who in Kenyan fashion sector , great performance from America Pop idol and Odaomo creative director Quentin Alexander who left guest wanting more and more, fashion show was held at the poolside spectacular view with African set up.
Luxury Design for Global Citizen Luxury line for modern women’s wear with a timeless and cross-cultural aesthetic ,Odaomo company is based on the principle of “giving back” and supports improved social and economic conditions here in Kenya Creates exclusive and collectible statement pieces for global citizens, utilizes sustainably sourced materials to handcraft leather goods, Ready-to-Wear and jewelry in limited seasonal collectionsat the same time preserves the art of quality craftsmanship and community development through the fair-wage employment of local Kenyan artisans Odaomo produces regular fashion shows and events to foster a transcultural, stylish and philanthropic community, offers private shopping and personal styling services to clients Knowledgeable team of passionate professionals committed to providing the highest standard of products and services
History ( Odaomo Background ) Established in 2014. As you may know, in Africa, given names have significant meaning. Children are named after a great ancestor, a significant birth trait, a time, season, or an event. The designer’s name, Aomo, not only talks of ” a time of harvest” , but is also after the great matriarch Aomo. Her grandmother was tall, strong, entrepreneurial, and left a legacy carried by many female grandchildren. The house of Aomo (od AOMO in Luo, her tribal language) was indeed the beginning of it all. We welcome you to odAOMO, “House of Aomo”.
Levitando en Afrika is a brand of ethnic and tribal macrame jewelry founded by Alexandra Gracia Ortiz from Spain all her collections are inspired by Africa tribal Jewelry hand made,Macrame is a very old art whose technique consists of making different types of knots with thread forming a tissue.
Alexandra Gracia is a self taught and versatile designer that show in her handmade designs, inspired by her trips to Africa, originality, multi-culture , colorful and ethnic essence, definitely pure African style. In Alexandra unique pieces, She fuse the techniques of micro macrame with gold, old silver, bronze, minerals, recycled materials, African beads and wax prints.
Alexandra Gracia Showcasing her Collection
Last year 2017 Levitando en Afrika participated in Africa Fashion Week Barcelona (Spain) and also showcased Nairobi Fashion Week (Kenya), and recently 03/03/2018 she exhibited her jewelry collection in the Fashion High Tea event at Zen Garden, Nairobi (Kenya)
What is Macrame? Macrame (or macramé), is a form of textile-making where fibers or cords are knotted rather than woven or knitted together. Square knots and half hitch knots are traditionally used, and sailors have long used macrame to decorate accessories and parts of ships. Most friendship bracelets are macrame, and this knotting technique can be used to create other styles of jewelry as well.
Common materials used in macrame include cords made of cotton or linen , hemp , leather, twisted nylon and yarn. In recent years, paracord has become another popular material. Beads , charms , links and other accents can be knotted in with the cord to create a wide variety of designs.
How to Macrame Though macrame involves knotting, the process of making macrame jewelry is almost like braiding. Multiple strands of cord are knotted together using square knots in a repeating pattern. It is often helpful to have some sort of clamp, clip or macrame board to keep the strands organized and in place.
A central cord (or cords) remains stationary and forms the foundation for your knot work. Beads, links, and other accents can be mixed in as you knot or added at the beginning. This technique is best shown visually so see below for step-by-step instructional videos on how to macrame.
Content Courtesy Of Levitando en Afrika & Nairobi Fashion Hub
The fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has been criticised by environmentalists after reportedly chopping down several old oak and poplar trees for his Chanel catwalk show. Campaigners said the grand couturier’s attempt to present Chanel’s green credentials had badly backfired and revealed the fashion house was “completely divorced from the reality of protecting nature”.
Chanel Fashion Show, Ready To Wear Collection Fall Winter 2018 in Paris
Lagerfeld turned the vast glass nave of Paris’s Grand Palais into an autumn forest for the event, strewing dead leaves, moss and logs on a mirrored runway and installed nine tall trees inside.
Guests, including the British actor Keira Knightley, the singer Lily Allen, and the former French first lady Carla Bruni Sarkozy, were installed on rows of wooden benches to watch the models walking down what appeared to be woodland paths.
Margaux Wong, based in Burundi, East Africa, is an innovative design hub where artisans have been transforming discarded cow horn and brass into luxurious, beautiful wearable art since the brand launched in 2001.
The brand’s artisans are the center and essence of Margaux Wong, and they continually strive to create objects of beauty. Founder and Creative Director Margaux Rusita, originally from Guyana, South America, draws inspiration from her homeland and home-continent.
Having lived and worked in Burundi for the last 10 years, she pulls from the turmoil and victories that come with being an artist in the country.
All Margaux Wong designs are hand-made and each piece is unique due to the special quality of the cow horn.
The brand emphasizes the value and the natural beauty of the horn and does not add dyes, paints or varnish to their merchandise.
Each piece is hand polished to the finest finish using tedious traditional techniques.
Constantly working to produce the most prized artisan jewellery from the finest cow horn in the region, Margaux Wong prides itself on its sustainable and eco-friendly practices.
Anok Yai has become the first black model to open a runway show for Prada since Naomi Campbell did so more than two decades ago in 1997. The 19-year-old only discovered that she had been chosen to open the show for the Italian fashion house at Milan Fashion Week about an hour before she was due to grace the catwalk.
Anok Yai is an Egyptian-born American fashion model of South Sudanese descent. She is the second black model to open a Prada show after Naomi Campbell, and the first South Sudanese model to do so. Yai currently ranks as one of the “Top 50” models by models.com
Anok Yai at Prada Show 2018
She showcased pieces from Prada’s autumn/winter 2018 collection, only a few months after being scouted for her modelling potential at a college party.
“It was an honour and I’m proud that I was the one chosen to open, but this is bigger than me,” Yai told Vogue. “Me opening for one of the top fashion houses is a statement to the world – especially for black women – that their beauty is something that deserves to be celebrated.”
Founded by Oguana Okonkwo in 2012, Style Temple is a millennial womenswear brand that caters to upwardly mobile, globally curious women.
Recognized for its signature sophisticated textiles, silhouettes, and cuts, Style Temple delivers well-structured, contemporary garments with impeccable tailoring and fit.
After debuting their SS’17 collection at Lagos Fashion and Design Week 2012, VOGUE Italia wrote about the buzzy premiere:
“Presented in a chic and contemporary manner, it’s accessible to the independent young woman who frees herself to stylishly embrace all that she is.” Marie Claire South Africa calls the brand “a celebration of African design fused with international trends and influences,” and as Style Temple continues to grow, Okonkwo proves time and again that her designs are a means for self-expression for the women who wear them.
Anyango Mpinga is an award-winning fashion designer who was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. Formally trained in media studies, she graduated with a B.A. in social communication with a minor in radio production, and worked in the media industry as an event and public relations manager at the beginning of her career.
In 2011, she was inspired to take her love for fashion beyond a hobby, and began her clothing line with the vision to create a brand that is synonymous with elegance, authenticity and style.
In 2015, she relaunched eponymously as part of a growing slow fashion movement, which emphasizes a more conscious consumption of fashion products, focusing on a clean, transparent supply chain that is sustainable and ethical.
Mpinga’s influences are drawn from her spiritual life as a Bahá’í, her love for the arts, her travels and her rich multi-cultural heritage. As her brand continues to evolve, the designer has been recognized internationally—in both 2015 and 2017, she was nominated for Designer of the Year at the Kenya Fashion Awards, and in 2016, she received the She Trades Collective (ITC Geneva) International Design Award. Mpinga’s work is a testament of her love for art in motion while creating sustainable incomes for the artisans she works with across the globe.
Founded in 1997 by Irish designer Penny Winter, the brand’s handcrafted jewellery, made from ethically sourced, re purposed Ankole cow horn, brass, and other raw materials from Africa, is considered one of Kenya’s first sources of African accessories.
Winter started her career at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the English National Opera in London after her studies at the London College of Fashion, where she specialized in period costumes for plays.
After travelling to Kenya on a backpacking adventure she fell in love with the country, making it her permanent home in 1997.
An adventurer and explorer, Winter’s travels provide the perfect opportunity for sourcing interesting materials – whether it’s the downtown backstreets and alleyways of Nairobi, the ruby mines of Voi, the metalworks of Suswa, or the island of Lamu, Winter always takes away something that can later be seen in her designs.
With a designer’s eye, she handpicks uncut stones from genuine stone merchants – sapphires, rubies, tourmaline and opal – and turns it into unique pieces of art. Penny Winter has been featured in major publications such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Condé Nast Traveler, and has stockists both locally and abroad.
Content Courtesy Of Penny Winter & Nairobi Fashion Hub
Founded in 2007 by Emmanuel Bagwana, Eguana Kampala is a ready-to-wear Afrocentric brand based in Kampala, Uganda. The brand considers ‘African prints’ its signature, and a variety of colours and patterns are incorporated into each design.
Working primarily with denim, satin, cotton, and lace, the brand has shown at fashion weeks both in Africa and abroad. With the goal of showing the world that both Uganda and Africa as a whole are a mix of people, places, and patterns, Eguana Kampala aims to give African fashion a universal and versatile appeal. Recently, the brand has attracted attention for its SS’18 bomber jackets.
Andrea Iyamah is a Canada-based swimwear and ready-to-wear brand founded by Nigerian designer Dumebi Iyamah in 2013.
Strongly influenced by the colours and patterns signature of her home country, the brand takes inspiration not only from Nigeria, but also from the silhouettes and tailoring from other African countries.
For each collection, Iyamah looks to different African nations for design cues, yet always returns back to the cut-out swimsuits that are a staple of the brand. “The brand’s aesthetic is to always give a hint of edge while using cuts and patterns that embrace the feminine figure,” she said, speaking to StyleCaster.
“Colour is a strong part of our message for the brand so it’s important to not only use colors that fit a style but also enhances the meaning.”
Since its launch, the brand has focused on selling ethnicity with a modern twist, and the Andrea Iyamah team works together to ensure that stories are told through every piece created.
