Saturday 4th of April 2026

Nairobi, Kenya

Tag: FashionWeek

Jiamini Kenya Fashion Accessories Brand

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Jiamini is a family run, Kenyan based Fashion Accessories Brand meaning believe in yourself in ‘Swahili, founded in 2016, on the belief of preserving its Traditional African Heritage.

Jiamini’s vision, through its innovative designs and use of renewable resources, seeks to combine timeless traditional technique, craftsmanship and heritage with a touch of modernity, manipulated in the construction of its delicate beaded embroidery and weave. Each piece is developed around the idea of comfort, complementing the body’s feminine form and grace.

The Brands one of a kind pieces are a reminder and encouragement to women of who they are: Bold, Brilliant, Confident, Courageous, Strong, Sensual, Liberated and more. She’s an enigma to most and a balance of delicacy and strength to those who come across her path. It’s the pep in her step, the subtle elegance she carries herself with and the silent confidence that fascinates a crowd.

Her precious Armour, ‘JIAMINI’, around her body, that only she knows the true significance of. She never forgets her roots, the broth that runs through her veins and that just like tradition, she is and always will be timeless. All that’s left to do is believe in herself.

Jiamini Kenya designs, while respecting the old – age traditions passed down from generation to generation are brought to life by skilled female artisans, Creating timeless staple pieces.

Their mission is to design an international wardrobe for today’s global woman while at the same time helping women rise above poverty through economic empowerment and employment, one stitch at a time through fashion.

Content courtesy of Jiamini Kenya & Nairobi fashion hub  

Nike Kondakiss Upcycled Parachute Fashions Help Educate Maasai Girls

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

The Greek/Danish designer and entrepreneur Nike Kondakis seeks to provide an alternative to the polluting fashion industry and is one of the talented designers featured in the soon to be released book Fashion Africa by AFG’s founder Jacqueline Shaw.

KONDAKIS is a responsible fashion company both socially and environmentally. Based in Kenya, KONDAKIS concept-collections are made from several unique materials such as Parachutes, Dead Wood and Peace Silk. Nike Kondakis creates stunning to-die-for garments fit for any Red Carpet event from these original recycled parachutes in Kenya. Her voluminous, goddess-like dresses are manufactured by local artisans and can be ordered on-line and shipped worldwide within 3-5 weeks.

The parachute line (she also designs accessories and knitwear) is available in an unexpected and wide range of colours such as snow white, lava orange, bush green, sea blue, pitch black and Barbie purple to name a few which are all the original colours, minimizing the energy used in an additional dyeing process and adding to the novelty of each piece. Stamps revealing when and who the parachute was made for and original parachute stitching are subtle details that make each piece unique.

Kondakis’ style is avant-garde and extravagant yet breathes Scandinavian minimalism , making her creations very wearable, modern and pure.

This is definitely visible in her knitwear line named the Natural Collection, which is made from un-dyed wool from Kenya and is spun and knitted by hand. Oversized sweaters and ponchos with a raw, natural look are made in unbleached white and black tones and are complemented by the accessories made from African “dead wood”.

Her accessories line consists of bangles, earrings and necklaces carved from wood which has died naturally or been broken off by wild game in the Kenyan bush. Her graphic pieces have a rustic touch, some surfaces still covered in bark and others polished and stamped with the Kondakis logo.

In 2002 Nike Kondakis started a three year program in responsible entrepreneurship at the Kaos piloterna in Copenhagen. After completing her education, she traveled to Kenya to set up a development project for 30,000 Maasai’s at the Lorika Foundation.

The project is now currently being run by local managers, but Nike still contributes to the education of Maasai girls who she says are often under prioritized when it comes to schooling. Her ambition is to create many more collections from different recycled materials, to sell more internationally and to employ 100 people in the coming 5 years.

Overall through their growing sales they want to take many more girls to school.

Kondakis has received a large amount of attention by international and local press for her design and work with the Maasai community, and has shown her collections on the catwalk in NYC, Nairobi and Sun City. If you happen to be in NYC, San Francisco or LA in September, you can book an appointment to meet Nike and view her collection.

Content courtesy of Africa Fashion Guide & Nairobi fashion hub

South African Fashion Week 2021 to Go Digital

Posted on by Fashion Police

The event will take place online, between April 29 and May 1 2021, to showcase 26 runway shows by the likes of Lukhanyo Mdingi and Mmusomaxwell.

Like fashion events around the world, SA Fashion Week has adapted to continue connecting homegrown brands with buyers. Like its last hybrid season held in October, upcoming collections will be trans-seasonal.

In October, over 8,000 guests viewed the collections, which under pre-pandemic circumstances would’ve been seen by 6,000.

In the wake of Covid-19, the event has honed in on helping designers generate immediate sales. “It has been a superhuman challenge for these businesses to stay afloat and retain jobs in the absence of any trade or cash flows,” said Lucilla Booyzen, director of SA Fashion Week. “The opportunity to showcase their collections in preparation for summer 2021 is vital.”

South Africa Fashion Week is the country’s only business-to-business platform that allows brands to grow their collections. This upcoming season, the brands will be taking a trans-seasonal approach, best known as seasonless.

SA Fashion Week is also taking a larger focus on slow fashion to build on sustainable production. The country’s designers are calling for a “new fashion order” to create a more ethical fashion system.

Content courtesy of Business of Fashion & Nairobi fashion hub 

Last chance for South Africa local Designers to enter New Talent Search

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Time is ticking, and if you haven’t entered the South African Fashion Week New Talent Search 2021 now is the time to do so.

With only two weeks until the applications close, South African designers are urged to join in the movement of changing how we look at fabric design within fashion design.

The New Talent Search is open to ladies’ wear designers whose businesses are based in South Africa. All designer applicants must supply a minimum of one store (this can include your store or online store) and must be under 10 years in business to qualify to enter.

To give their consumers something different, this is what the designers must look into:

  • Consider fabrics that have the least impact on the environment.
  • Natural linen, cotton, and sustainably sourced fabrics.
  • Fur and leather-free.
  • Their Designs must include print on at least 50% of the garments.
  • Zero-waste cutting such as draping, knitting, or using a zero-waste pattern.
  • Provide consumer care instructions to lengthen the garment’s longevity.
  • Create a timeless and trans-seasonal collection.

Designers must also research slow fashion to make sure they understand it in a way that they can live it and play a role in shaping the future of sustainable fashion.

They must also base their designs on 2021 world trends by combining contemporary shapes, styles, and construction with their inspirations and design talent.

The winner will walk away with prizes to the value of ± R455000

Content courtesy of   & Nairobi fashion hub 

Fashion Under The Baobab Trees Dakar Fashion Week takes catwalk outside and into a baobab forest

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Given the restrictions necessitated by the spread of the coronavirus, the organiser of last weekend’s Dakar Fashion Week, held in the country’s capital, got creative by hosting it beneath the trees in an ancient baobab forest.

The 18th edition of Dakar Fashion Week was initially cancelled outright due to coronavirus restrictions, but organiser Adama Ndiaye came up with a creative alternative hosting the show outdoors instead of indoors.

Fashion Under The Baobab Trees

The result was a single magical day of sustainable and eco-responsible fashion in the baobab forest of Senegal’s Bandia Reserve.

“With COVID we had to be creative, I had to find solutions, and above all, we had to avoid cancelling the show and here I think there is enough space, so no one feels cramped,” Ndiaye said.

The catwalk was laid out between the gnarly trunks and branches of tall baobabs, a powerful symbol of Africa themselves. Models on the catwalk displayed the latest West-African fashions from both well-known and up-and-coming designers.

 

Sustainability A New Fashion Trend

The message behind the 2020 Dakar Fashion Week was that sustainability is in style. The weekend event was based around the theme of environmental responsibility and featured 20 designers whose collections were all handmade on the continent.

“A lot of the designers had already been doing ‘slow fashion’ but they didn’t know it,” Ndiaye, also a fashion designer herself, said. “It’s made here and it’s not made in huge quantities. We were so ashamed of that for years, but now we are proud of it. This is luxury.”

While the garments are hand-produced in Africa, most of the fabric used the 2020 Dakar Fashion Week was imported from abroad.

“We don’t make everything here, so we can’t create a collection that’s 100% Senegalese,” said Ndiaye, whose own line used imported material from Thailand. “But at least we took the initiative to do certain things.”

Content courtesy of The South African , France 24 & Nairobi fashion hub

Kenneth Ize Wins ARISE Fashion Week ’30 Under 30′ $100,000 Star Prize

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

After two days of fierce competition on the grandest runway in Africa, ARISE Fashion Week, Kenneth Ize has emerged winner of the 30 Under 30 competition.

The emotional winner found himself grasping for words as Naomi Campbell announced him winner of the event that kicked off on Thursday, December 10.

Ize is rewarded with a $100,000 cash prize while runners-up Ré Lagos and South African Mmuso Maxwell receive $75,000 and $50,000 respectively.

The three winners emerged from a pool of eight designers which included Lagos Space Programme, Ziva Lagos, TJWho, Onalaja and Ajabeng.

Known for his use of hand-woven West African textiles and vibrant colours, Ize’s collection boasts colorful striped jackets, tailored suits worn over tights as well as a knitted hat. With the win, the 30-year-old designer continues to expand his growing fame. He was LVMH Prize 2019 finalist.

The finale brought to a close the 2020 Arise Fashion Week which defied the odds of the pandemic and held virtually for the first time.

The theme of this year’s event was ’30 Under 30: The New Stars’ where 30 designers were selected to participate in the competition. It also featured Campbell and Alton Mason modelling for designers like Mmuso Maxwell, Bloke, Tzar Studios, Lagos Space Programme and Colrs

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This year’s event marked the first time the award is attaching a monetary reward to its ceremony and also the first time the focus is solely on young designers.

“We need a breath of fresh air. We need younger people to get into this space, and be given the accreditation they certainly deserve,” noted Ruth Osime, co-producer of ARISE Fashion Week.

She added that the monetary reward is a way of supporting young fashion entrepreneurs.

“We’re looking forward to launching a brand new designer that will also be making waves internationally,” said Osime. “It’s not just enough for us to be known only in Nigeria. One of the ways to be successful is to spread your tentacles across the world.”

Saturday night’s event marked the end of what could be best described as a celebration of African creativity and culture. For the two days, the live shows were held, young designers pushed the boundaries of creativity, showcasing layers of innovation deeply rooted in African tradition.

Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who graced the occasion acknowledged the potential of the Nigerian fashion industry during his speech.

Emefiele reiterated the commitment of the apex bank and the Bankers Committee to growing the fashion industry, stating that “We are fully aware that the fashion industry in Nigeria can provide a positive and beneficial growth path for young Nigerians who seek to utilise their talents in creating products and services that offer value at home. And indeed, abroad.

We will continue to ensure that these skills are harnessed to support the growth of the Nigerian economy, and also support the growth, the businesses of the Nigerian youth entrepreneurs.”

Usually held in the early part of the year, this year’s event was rescheduled to December. It was held virtually and broadcast on www.ariseplay.com and ARISE NEWS Channel on DStv.

The fashion event saw 30 young designers display creativity and ingenuity on the runway. They were selected from a pool of 150 designers who vied for a spot on the show.

They were hosted to a sumptuous dinner on the first day of the event as well as given a participation fee of $5,000.

The second night saw 20 designers including Onalaja, Pepper Row, Colrs, Bloke, Mmuso Maxwell and Bibi display their designs on the runway.

Mmuso Maxwell, Bloke and Colrs had international model Alton Mason and renowned supermodel Naomi Campbell catwalk for them on the runway.

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The final day saw 10 designers showcase their designs. After their shows, the top eight designers were selected. The number was further whittled to the last three where Ize emerged the winner.

They were judged by high-profiled fashion critics and designers, including fashion designers Mai Atafo and Folake Coker; luxury retailer Abisola Kola-Daisi; and Fashion Director of GQ Style magazine, Mobolaji Dawodu; among others.

Their designs were evaluated based on their creativity, quality of design and styling.

Since its relaunch in 2018, ARISE Fashion Week continues to raise the ante and this year was no different. It attracted global attention from global industry experts like United States Artistic Director and Global Content Adviser of Conde Nast, and popularly known as the Editor-in-Chief of US Vogue, Dame Anna Wintour who connected with the event virtually. In her remarks, she lauded ARISE Fashion Event stating that the fashion world needs to start paying attention to new and emerging designers.

“It’s so important to put a light on new voices, particularly where those voices were not listened to before. To highlight not only new designers but photographers, videographers, stylers, art directors and models, and so many more.

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Wintour further commended Arise Fashion Week for bringing young design talents from Africa and beyond to the fore, showcasing their work and allowing them the chance to receive business and development support. She also encouraged the designers to see ARISE Fashion Week as a platform to showcase their excellence, special talents to the world and to use the opportunity to “meet as many people as you possibly can be proud of who you are and what you represent. That always should come first,” she said.

One of the traits of ARISE Fashion Week is the elegant union of fashion and music and music on the runway. Music stars who serenaded the models, judges and designers include Asa, Wizkid, WurlD and The Cavemen.

Content courtesy of Arise Tv & Nairobi fashion hub 

African fashion is on the rise, says Naomi Campbell And it’s about time !

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

The supermodel speaks from Lagos about inclusivity, her late grandma, and why she flies in a hazmat suit

With high-street brands collapsing and the world wearing sweatpants, 2020 has not been a stellar year for fashion. But at Arise fashion week, in Lagos, Nigeria, which concluded on Saturday, there were green shoots of hope, said Naomi Campbell. “There’s definitely a few stars here. I’m very impressed. Covid has brought out a lot of creativity in a lot of people.”

Campbell flew to Nigeria last week to take part in the African style showcase. “I was going to do it virtually,” she said by phone from Lagos, “and then I thought, you know what? I want to go and bring awareness to their great work. It’s important on many levels, because Arise gives these young designers a platform to be globally recognised, to be embraced by fashion weeks around the world, and really to be included.”

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This year’s event took the socially-distanced format of a talent search. Thirty African designers aged under 30 were selected to show their collections to a virtual audience, with an overall winner chosen by a roster of judges including American artist Kehinde Wiley and South African designer David Tlale. The shortlist included non-binary sustainable label Lagos Space Programme, ultra-chic MmusoMaxwell and the eventual winner, Kenneth Ize, who showed at Paris fashion week for the first time this year. All received $5,000, while Ize was awarded $100,000 and an extra jolt of publicity in the form of Campbell walking in his show on Saturday evening.

Mentoring was also be part of the deal for the winner, said Campbell. It was particularly important as the wider world slowly woke up to Africa’s creativity and spending power.

“There has, in the past, been the wrong perception about the continent and the creativity that comes out of it,” she said. “Right about now, everyone’s kind of got it, finally for example, that Nigeria is one of the biggest emerging markets with the under-30s, so everyone is looking in this direction. But we don’t want Africa to be considered as a trend.

“These designers are finally getting the notoriety that they deserve  and they are going to keep their notoriety.”

Supporting African designers working in innovative and sustainable ways is just one way to propel fashion towards positive change post Covid-19. “People want affordable, sustainable fashion  and that’s what we are trying to do here,” said the model.

The notoriously white and privileged fashion business must also be inclusive if it is to reset in a positive way. Campbell has been speaking out on this subject for decades, long before the industry’s recent outpouring of apologies and diversity strategies in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“It’s kind of embarrassing, in 2020, to finally have all of this happen, to wake up to that. You should have been doing that already – that’s my opinion. I have not really taken part in any of these discussions because I find them a little bit insulting,” said Campbell.

“I’ve been pushing this thing for so many years, so now, for me, there is no change. What I’m doing is exactly what I was doing before this movement started and I’m going to continue. It’s what I believe in, basically.”

Did Campbell feel these latest pronouncements were significant and real? “We’ll see. If they make noise about it, and it’s publicly known, you can hold them to it, can’t you? But I do believe in action and not words. Still, I try to keep optimistic.”

What was exciting, she said, was the global youth movement. “They have found their voices, and they are speaking out and demanding what they want. And they are change.”

Campbell has had a strange, sad year, after the death of her grandmother, to whom she was very close. “This time has been tough for people to grieve together,” she said, with Covid rules preventing a significant funeral. “She was so loved. Once we get the vaccine, or whatever it is that is going to be the new reset, we will give her a proper send-off.”

Otherwise, in lockdown, “I have enjoyed my little cocoon. I’ve tried not to have any expectations – living within one day and then the other day; learning patience, because this is not going to disappear as quickly as we would like it to; and understanding that being alone doesn’t mean you are lonely.”

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She has also spent time filming her YouTube show, No Filter with Naomi, learning to rig her own lights and delving into her impressive contacts book for guests; a recent tete-a-Zoom with Mariah Carey was particularly memorable. While filming, she is as partial to waist-up dressing as the rest of the world: “I have really lived in kaftans and sweats. I only get dressed when I have to do No Filter, and then I’m only dressed from the top up, with my slippers on the bottom – happy feet!”

It was on her YouTube channel in July 2019 that Campbell revealed what now feels like an eerily prescient pre-flight hygiene routine, in which she laboriously wiped every surface of the plane that might touch her body with anti-bacterial wipes.

In March, she took this a step further, flying home for the first lockdown wearing a full hazmat suit accessorised with a Burberry cape. The cape has since been donated to an as yet undisclosed museum where it will be presented as a defining object of this bizarre year, but she will fly in hazmat suits for the foreseeable future, including for the journey home from Lagos: “It’s nice that no one looks at me like a mad hatter any more.”

Written by Hannah Marriott

Content courtesy of The Guardian & Nairobi fashion hub 

 

20 Fashion Designers Walk ARISE Fashion Week 2020 Runway Today

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

After being hosted to a glamorous dinner last night at Eko Hotels and Suites, 20 designers out of the 30 selected will walk the ARISE Fashion Week runway today. The designers will go in four batches, each set consisting of five designers.
Also lined up are music stars that will perform alongside the fashion catwalk.

The electro-fusion singer WurlD will open the show, performing for the first set of designers. For the second set, multi-talented artist and fashion designer Wavy the Creator will take the stage. Since his emergence on the creative scene three years ago, the artist has been on a meteoric rise.

Highlife crooners The Cavemen will accompany the third set, The Lagos-based musical group is made up of two brothers, Kingsley and Benjamin Okorie, who are bent on reintroducing Highlife to a new generation.

Saving the best for last, foremost musician Wizkid will perform to bring the show to an end, Usually held early in the year, the 2020 fashion , event is hosted virtually due to the ongoing pandemic that is still upending travels and social gatherings Also, this year marks the first time the award is solely focusing on young and emerging designers.

Themed ’30 Under 30:The New Stars,’ 30 young designers were selected from a pool of 150 to compete in the show, making it the first time a monetary reward is attached to the grand fashion event.

According to Co-producer Ruth Osime, the seed money provided to the designers is a way of supporting young designers who face pecuniary challenges when setting shop.
Echoing similar sentiments, renowned supermodel Naomi
The event will be live-streamed on Arise Play and Arise TV/THISDAY platforms.

Campbell Wants African Designers Given Global Attention, Meanwhile, at age 50, international supermodel Naomi Campbell who is currently in Nigeria  for the ARISE Fashion Week has one ambition: to see the fashion world embrace African designers.
“I want to see the fashion world embrace African designers and all these young designers from emerging markets. They need to be accepted and given a platform. Whatever I can do to help make that happen, that’s why I’m here, that’s what I’ll do,” she said in a recent interview with UK publication, The Telegraph.

This explains her unflinching support for the grandest fashion event in Africa. Since 2018, Campbell has been a regular face at ARISE Fashion Week, strutting the runway in iconic pieces by designers, including the young designer Kenneth Ize who is participating at this year’s edition.
“Kenneth has had a lot of great attention. It’s been wonderful how he’s been embraced. But we still have a lot to do in terms of getting him set up and recognised worldwide in the way designers should be.”

Her thoughts echoed the theme of 2020 stanza, Ize and 29 other young designers from the continent have been selected to showcase their creativity on the runway while competing for cash prizes.
For the organisers, it is a way of supporting the young designers financially and giving them the exposure they need to compete favourably on the international scene.

“The stuff I’ve seen so far, I’m really happy with. Although this has been a pandemic and a time of loss and sadness for many, it’s also been a time of people really using their minds and being so creative,” she said of the designers.
Other designers participating include Onalaja, Bibi, Pepper Row and Fruche.

Right from inception, ARISE Fashion Week has been keen on taking African fashion to the next level. It continues to push the envelope by introducing emerging designers on its platform while giving established brands the needed spotlight.
The 2020 virtual edition kicked off yesterday and will continue till December 12 when the overall winner will be crowned. Viewers can catch all the excitement on ARISE Play streaming service and ARISE NEWS Channel.

Content courtesy of This Day Live & Nairobi fashion hub 

 Naomi Campbell, Alton Mason and Alpha Dia to Grace ARISE Fashion Week Starting Today

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

The anticipated largest fashion event on the continent ARISE Fashion Week will commence today and will be graced by prominent international models.

Denizens of African fashion universe can look forward to seeing, a long-time partner and international supermodel Naomi Campbell, American model and first black male to walk for international fashion brand Chanel, Alton Mason, and top Senegalese model Alpha Dia strut the runway in iconic pieces.

As the fashion world adjusts to the challenges of a pandemic-riddled year, ARISE Fashion Week will be bringing the best of African fashion to a global audience virtually. The show will be streamed live on the new ARISEPLAY streaming service and other ARISE/THISDAY platforms throughout the three days it holds.

This year’s event is significant in many ways. First, the spotlight will be on young designers.

Previous editions have mainly focused on prominent fashion designers and spotlight a few rising stars.

About 150 designers across Africa applied to be featured on the most glamorous runway in Africa but only 30 were selected. They include Pepper Row, Onalaja, Kenneth Ize, Fruche and Geto.

Not only will the selected designers have the lifetime opportunity to showcase their creativity, they will also be rewarded for their talents. It is a first for the fashion event.

About $500,000 will be shared among participants in different competitive categories. The designers will be judged based on aesthetics, presentation and market value.

Co-producer of the show, Ruth Osime, revealed recently that the monetary reward was deliberate and is a way of supporting young designers who often grapple with pecuniary challenges when launching.

Content courtesy of This Day A live & Nairobi fashion hub 

Durban Fashion Fair Recognition Awards set to celebrate fashion excellence

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

The highlight of the annual Durban Fashion Fair is undoubtedly the DFF Recognition Awards – and the good news is that we won’t be losing out on this year’s edition despite all the disruptions caused by Covid-19!

The awards will be an important part of the DFF Class of 2020 Fashion extravaganza that is taking place at Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre on Friday, December 11.

A feast of creativity and colour, the much-anticipated event will give Durban Fashion Fair (#DFF2020) Class of 2020’s designer mentees an opportunity to showcase their creations on the ramp. Their garments will be modelled by this year’s new face models who have been given a chance to strut their stuff after receiving extensive training organised by eThekwini Municipality.

The training programme included model boot camps and skills development opportunities that have given these aspiring youngsters a peek into a career in fashion that they would never have thought possible.

Most importantly, eThekwini Municipality through the Business Support, Tourism and Markets Unit, will be recognising the achievers in the local fashion industry through the DFF Recognition Awards. Watch out for the Best Ladies’ Wear Collection, the Best Menswear Collection, Durban Designer of the Year, the Fashion Innovator, the Collection of the Week and more.

The judges who will be working feverishly behind the scenes to make these important decisions include:

Zodwa Kumalo-Valentine is group native content editor at Arena Holdings for titles including Business Day, Financial Mail, Sunday Times and Sowetan LIVE. She has been a speaker at the Street Food Festival and Business of Design, a judge at the South African Fashion Week New Talent Search and was one of the 38 curators of the World Design Capital. She has written for and edited several international and local publications and was part of the digital team that launched the content hub on Woolworths’ online portal.

Former editor-in-chief of GLAMOUR South Africa, Asanda Sizani, has held positions such as fashion and beauty director for ELLE and fashion editor for Woolworths’ W. She has also written for Fashion Tribes, a book on global sub-cultures, and served as curator for Design Indaba and Africa Fashion Week Berlin.
​​​​​​​She has also edited a range for the fashion retailer Topshop, consulted for brands such as Consol, Yardley, MaXhosa Africa and Unilever and fronted campaigns for Woolworths, Diesel and KISUA. She accepted the Media and Advertising award at the 2017 Standard Bank Rising Star Awards which recognises excellence in young leaders.

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A returning judge and previous sponsor of DFF Menswear Category, fashion retail professional and senior operations manager for the Foschini Group, Themba Mthethwa, brings experience in trend analysis, fashion retail management, and coaching to the awards. A public speaker, with multiple qualifications from different institutions including the South African Institute of Management, University of Pretoria, University of Stellenbosch, owner of the Valley Lounge and founder and owner of Son of Jane Studio and Gallery.

All Covid-19 restrictions will be in place. Don’t miss out on the fashion action on Friday, December 11, from 6.30pm at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban.

Book now as seats are limited. Tickets for the evening are on sale via webtickets.co.za or at Pick ‘n Pay outlets at R150 per person.

Content courtesy of IOL & Nairobi fashion hub 

Naomi Campbell ‘I didn’t think I’d still be working past 25 Years, let alone 50’

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Even in quarantine, Naomi Campbell is very busy. The supermodel, speaking from the hotel in Nigeria where she’s quarantining pending a negative Covid test, has a schedule stacked with press engagements, Zoom meetings and shoots for her YouTube channel.

“It’s full-on here,” she says, her voice like honey down a crackly phone line from Lagos. “It’s kind of strange trying to get used to being back in the groove. It’s taking a minute for my mind to switch back into the hustle and bustle of it all.”

For Campbell, the hustle and bustle never really stopped. She’s in Lagos to support Arise Fashion Week, an event she’s backed since its 2018 launch. This season, the main attraction is the “30 Under 30: The New Stars” competition, a showcase of work by emerging designers who will present collections in livestreamed catwalk shows and compete for a grand prize worth $100,000.

“The stuff I’ve seen so far, I’m really happy with,” she says. “Although this has been a pandemic and a time of loss and sadness for many, it’s also been a time of people really using their minds and being so creative.”

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Lagos has become something of a second home for Campbell. Usually she spends five to six weeks a year in Africa, but her usual travel plans, like everyone else’s, were disrupted by Covid. This is the first time she’s been able to make the trip since January. “I’ve missed Africa so much, I can’t tell you.”

Campbell may have been more prepared than most for travel in the age of contagion. Last summer, long before the term “social distancing” entered the lexicon, Campbell posted a video detailing her pre-flight cleaning routine to her YouTube channel. She donned gloves, used Dettol wipes to “clean[s] everything you touch” and draped her first-class seat in a protective cover.

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Her routine has only become more intense since the start of the pandemic. In May, she wore a mask, gloves, goggles, face shield and full hazmat suit to fly from London to Los Angeles. She finished her outfit with a Burberry cape. “A museum wanted an outfit that depicted 2020, and they asked me for my outfit with my Burberry cape, my hazmat suit, my gloves, my mask. So I donated it.”

This time, “I flew the way I always fly, covid or no covid. I flew with my mask… Now I have a few extra bags of PPE and cleaning supplies, a few extra additions. But it’s all good. I’m very cautious.”

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Really she would have done anything to make it to Lagos for the young designers she’s there to support. “I was very happy to come here and to be here for Arise and for these young designers. This is what I care about. I’m thrilled that it worked out.”

Designers participating in 30 Under 30 include Bibi, Lagos Space Programme, Ghetto and Elfreda Dali. For international fashion fans, the most familiar name on the list will be Kenneth Ize.

Ize, a 2019 LVMH Prize finalist and Arise’s designer of the year, creates vibrant, handwoven designs drawing on the artistry and expertise of weavers at his factory in Ilorin, in Western Nigeria. Campbell walked in his Arise-winning show and has become one of Ize’s highest-profile champions.

“I feel great wearing Kenneth’s designs. They’re authentic, they feel easy, I feel like I’m wearing the clothes and can put my own spin on it. I love that he uses the authentic artisan way of making his clothes and making his culture modern for the world,” she says.

“Kenneth has had a lot of great attention. It’s been wonderful how he’s been embraced. But we still have a lot to do in terms of getting him set up and recognised worldwide in the way designers should be.”

Campbell’s ambition is for the world to know a fashion week roster’s worth of African designers, not just celebrate one or two leading lights. “I want to see the fashion world embrace African designers and all these young designers from emerging markets. They need to be accepted and given a platform. Whatever I can do to help make that happen, that’s why I’m here, that’s what I’ll do.”

Speaking about African fashion, Campbell is fully in advocate mode – not a role she foresaw for herself even a few years ago. “All of it is a surprise in a way. There was no strategy or plan.”

But then, so much about her story is unexpected. That a girl from Streatham would go on to become a monomial star outshining and outlasting her peers over a three-decade-plus career wasn’t expected. Nor were her long working relationships with Azzedine Alaia, Karl Lagerfeld, the Versace family… None of it guaranteed or given to her, especially in light of received wisdom about a fashion model’s limited career longevity in the Eighties.

“I didn’t think I’d still be working as a model, because we were always told we would never work past 25 years.”

She’s still at the top of her game at 50, but still not making plans. She doesn’t even know where she’ll be for Christmas.

“I have no idea…. Wherever I’ll be, I just want to be still,” she says. “I’m looking forward to the new year, though. It’ll be nice to see friends and be able to hug them. Not being able to hug people you love is tough. I know we’ll get there.”

Content courtesy of Telegraph Uk & Nairobi fashion hub 

Rwanda Cultural Fashion Show and Africa Fashion Stakeholders to discuss future of fashion industry in Africa

Posted on by Ann Mumbi

Rwanda Cultural Fashion Show (RCFS) will on December 18, hold a virtual conference during which players in the fashion industry will discuss the current state of the African fashion industry.

Dubbed “The Future of Fashion Industry in Africa”, the webinar will bring together different stakeholders of the fashion industry to share experiences and discuss how private and public institutions can support Africa’s growing fashion industry.

The webinar will include discussions which will be in the form of a series of a thought-provoking panel. Key speakers of the event will include renowned fashion designers, fashion promoters, experts in textiles and fabric dyeing, fashion school teachers and some government representatives.

Celestin Ntawirema, the brains behind RCFS and organiser of the webinar told The New Times that participants in this webinar will share experiences on how to establish a successful fashion concept business, discuss challenges facing the industry and propose some solutions.

Mr Celestin Ntawirema & Miss Rwanda 2020 Umutesi  Denise

“Though Covid-19 halted most activities in the industry, we thought of creating a platform that will bring players in the fashion industry to share experiences and best practices so we can learn from each other how best we can push our fashion industry to another level. We also want to see how designers can go global through African networks,” Ntawirema said.

The African fashion sector is already impressing in the global market, something that industry players hail as a motivation despite the challenges they have faced in the journey.

Ntawirema, who has been promoting fashion for over the past eight years said that, from his experience,  many brands from all over the continent had established themselves among the best globally and are now selling big on the international fashion markets compared to Western fashion despite having few fashion schools that can drive the industry to greater heights.

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He, however, lamented that investors are still reluctant to put their money in fashion-related projects because protection of fashion copyrights and fashion innovations is still low due to the gap in fashion literacy.

The webinar, he said, will be an opportunity for fashion players to show both the public and private sectors the potential that fashion has at its disposal so as to attract their investment and, on the other hand, call for support from the governments to create a conducive environment for fashion to flourish and become a sector which can contribute to the national economic development.

Some of the speakers expected for the webinar include Ruth Jackob, senior lecturer in fashion marketing Eastern London, Karen Uwera, the President of Rwanda Designers Association, John Bunyeshuri, the CEO and Founder of Kigali Fashion Week and Kenyan fashion guru Vinn Clizz, the Managing Director of Vinn Clizz among others.

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Mrs Karen Uwera

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Mr John Bunyeshuri

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Mr Vinn Clizz

Challenges

Though Rwanda’s fashion industry is being contextualized with the ‘Made in Rwanda’ policy but Ntawirema said that it’s a shame that One of the biggest challenges we have is that we have no fashion school that can prepare and raise future designers, models, or fashion promoters by profession.

“This is all down to the fact that Rwanda has no forum bringing together designers, models, promoters and other stakeholders to discuss to the future of this industry. We also need an umbrella or a fashion watchdog for all players in the fashion industry to ensure that the protection of our works is guaranteed,”

Rwanda may have local designers who are becoming successful but under hard conditions which the webinar is also looking forward to tackling.

The webinar outcomes are expected to respond to questions raised around African fashion industry from “who can design?”, “who can sell locally-made clothes”, and “who promotes fashion?” or even “who can basically support fashion sector?”

“We hope the webinar will find share responses to these questions together with the speakers. We also value new ideas from the public from which the future styling and fashion business in Africa can rely on,” he added.

Content courtesy  of The New Times Rwanda & Nairobi fashion hub 

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