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Tuesday 19th of March 2024

Nairobi, Kenya

What To Anticipate During Women’s Fashion Week A/W 2024

Looking forward, Women’s Fashion Week A/W 2024 promises a month of creative director debuts, huge runway shows, and lots of new names to check out with visits in New York, London, Milan, and Paris.
Suddenly, Women’s Fashion Week A/W 2024 appears on the horizon, promising a packed month-long schedule of catwalk shows, presentations, and events in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Menswear Fashion Week and Haute Couture Week are also concluding for another season.
This season is sure to be exciting, as numerous companies will be making their much-awaited debuts as creative directors.

Irish fashion designer Seán McGirr will debut his first runway collection at Alexander McQueen (the British company will remain based in Paris following Sarah Burton’s last presentation in the city in September).

Chemena Kamali will also be returning to her career-starting home at Chloé. She most recently served as the womenswear design director at Saint Laurent. Matteo Tamburini will take over at Tod’s in Milan, while Walter Chiapponi, his predecessor, will take up residence at Blumarine.
Here is what to anticipate from Women’s Fashion Week A/W 2024, according to Wallpaper.

New York Fashion Week A/W 2024 (9 – 14 February 2024)
What to expect from New York Fashion Week A/W 2024 (9–14 February 2024) and Women’s Fashion Week A/W 2024
Peter Do will kick off fashion month with his highly anticipated Helmut Lang sophomore collection. The designer started working for the company last year, and in his September runway show, he referenced American stereotypes and the house founder’s simple design principles. In addition, a partnership with American poet and writer Ocean Vuong was shown, with her writing appearing on clothing and the catwalk. As Do becomes used to the job during his second season, expect these codes to change.

3.1 Phillip Lim, Collina Strada, Tommy Hilfiger, and Willy Chavarria, one of New York’s most promising talents and a member of last year’s Wallpaper* USA 300, are among the other participants on day one (expect a high-octane occurrence at the final). Ludovic de Saint Sernin will be returning from Paris this season, while the remainder of the week will include designs from New York Fashion Week mainstays Proenza Schouler, Eckhaus Latta, Area, Tory Burch, Coach, Michael Kors, and Gabriela Hearst.

Thom Browne, who returns to New York Fashion Week on February 14, will wrap up the week. This is a fitting decision given that the American designer is now the head of the CFDA, the organization that oversees the event.

London Fashion Week (16 – 20 February 2024)
The two most anticipated shows of London Fashion Week are still JW Anderson (18 February) and Burberry (19 February evening), with the latter including Daniel Lee’s third runway presentation for the brand. The legacy brand will make its presence in the city known with the announcement of a high-profile acquisition of London’s Harrods department store earlier this month.

In addition, Dunhill will be included in the calendar for the first time since 2020, marking the entrance of new creative director Simon Holloway with a small salon-style display (the event also falls on the house’s 130th anniversary, having been established in London in 1893).

Now in its 40th year, London Fashion Week is always brought to life by the city’s up-and-coming designers, who are back this season in full force. Anticipate a second runway show from Aaron Esh, which will take place on one of the upper floors of Tate Modern’s Blavatnik Building.
Aaron Esh made a strong debut last season. Other highlights include new collections from Robyn Lynch, Conner Ives, KNWLS, Tolu Coker, and Conner Ives, as well as the Central Saint Martins MA fashion show, which will showcase a new wave of young talent.

The week’s highlights come from the city’s more well-known, yet equally fascinating, names, such as Molly Goddard, Simone Rocha, Roksanda, Erdem, and Ahluwalia.

Milan Fashion Week (20 – 26 February 2024)
Expect fresh ideas for both Tod’s and Blumarine, even if there might not be the big-name debuts that characterized the previous season—namely, Sabato De Sarno at Gucci, who will present his second womenswear collection from the house this time around.

Former Bottega Veneta designer Matteo Tamburini will assume the helm at the former, while Walter Chiapponi, who succeeded Nicola Brognano last year, will showcase a fresh collection for the brand at the latter. As a result, anticipate a departure from the Y2K style that characterized Brognano’s administration.
Feben, a London-based designer who is considered one of Wallpaper’s designers to watch in 2024, will make her Milan Fashion Week debut with Dolce & Gabbana’s help.

Highlights elsewhere will undoubtedly include Ferragamo (following Maximilian Davis’s sleek collection from last season, which continued his evolution of the brand), Tom Ford (Peter Hawkings’ sophomore outing), Emporio Armani, Giorgio Armani, Max Mara, Dolce & Gabbana, and Bottega Veneta.
All eyes will be on OMA’s striking menswear set, which clashes the great outdoors with a corporate office.
Marni wraps out the week with a return to Milan following exhibitions in New York, Tokyo, and Paris.

Paris Fashion Week (26 February – 5 March 2024)
The month comes to an end with Paris Fashion Week, a nine-day event that features some of the most anticipated runway shows of the season.
Dior, Saint Laurent, Loewe, Balenciaga, Hermès, Miu Miu, and Chanel are just a few of the designers who are expected to deliver visually stunning runway shows that will undoubtedly dominate social media.
Seán McGirr, an Irish designer who succeeded Sarah Burton as Alexander McQueen’s creative director in September, will also showcase his latest vision for the brand.

On the evening of March 2, he will present his debut collection for the British House, making it undoubtedly one of the events of the week to speak about.

In the meantime, Louis Vuitton will take up the last place for the week on March 5 at 6.30 p.m.
Anticipate a high-profile event. Nicolas Ghesquière started working at the renowned French house 10 years ago, and over the last several weeks, he has been sharing highlights from that time on Instagram.
Will it be a greatest-hits event for him in A/W 2024?

Content courtesy of Wallpaper & NFH 

Meet The 15 African Fashion Brands Represented At SS24 London Fashion Week

One of the biggest fashion events in the world continues to be New York Fashion Week.
The twice-yearly exposition (held in February and September) serves as a big platform for showcasing the top international and American designers as well as a hot conduit into the American market. African designers have occasionally surfaced during NYFW, showcasing their collections on the runway.

Nigerian Maki Oh made her debut in 2012, while in 2014, South African and Nigerian industry icons David Tlale and Deola Sagoe both made their debuts. However, the watershed event in the late aughts is to thank for these designer debuts.
A group of African fashion designers attacked New York City in 2009.

African businesses Stoned Cherrie (South Africa), Xuly Bet (Mali), Momo Couture (Nigeria), and Tiffany Amber (Nigeria) were welcomed in the Bryant Park tents as part of the African Fashion Collective for the first time in NYFW’s history.
The “Obama Effect” was referred to by the general public in the fashion industry after Barack Obama became America’s first Black president a month earlier.

Through their presentations, these designers refuted stereotypical perceptions of Africa and highlighted the ingenuity and craftsmanship the region had to offer. There will never be another NYFW.
Since then, African designers have made progress. Nigeria’s Head of State Tia Adeola had been on the February program for NYFW’s Fall 2023 season.

Both brands are returning this September, the latter in the lineup for the eighth outing of The Black in Fashion Council Discovery Showroom.

1. Abigail Ajobi
Abigail Ajobi, the self-named brand’s creative director and fashion designer, is of Nigerian heritage.
The brand is a high-end streetwear company that uses exclusive and scarce materials to make its exquisite products. Additionally, by offering convertible styles that may be worn in different ways, it supports sustainability.

several methods. Abigail Ajobi has been in business since 2020. She has presented her designs at London Fashion Week and Lagos Fashion Week events and she has been featured in a number of periodicals. The collection’s profits are given to charities of the brand’s choosing.

The distinct and fashionable forms of Nollywood Y2k fashion served as the inspiration for Abigail Ajobi’s SS24 collection Anti-Muse.

2. Sukeina
Omar Salam chose to create Sukeina in 2012 after spending two years working at Christain Lacroix and working for French fashion designer Madame Sonia Rykiel in Paris.
The Senegalese designer with roots in New York, who studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design, has created a sartorial extravaganza with his womenswear line.

His distinctive designs for the brand include sculptural gowns, elaborate weaving, and dramatic forms.
Tribal elements from the continent have also affected his collections. His Fall 2022 collection incorporated the vibrant patterns of Bantu clothing, which can be seen in Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa.
2020 saw the launch of Sukeina, an origami dress, flapper-style mesh, and sheer looks collection.

3. Kílèntár
Klèntár is a Nigerian contemporary womenswear brand with a whimsical and feminine look that was founded by Michelle Adepoju in 2019.
Adepoju had at first begun by purchasing clothing to sell online.
She would purchase clothing items from her neighborhood thrift shop or charity shop, such as crop tops and blouses, and tastefully adorn them.

African sartorial features like cowries, indigo dyeing (adire), and hand weaving are also infused into the brand’s aesthetic. One of the newest labels in the NYFW lineup of African designers, Klèntár will exhibit alongside Korlekie, Onalaja, Fumi the Label, and Tia Adeola under the auspices of The Black in Fashion Council Discovery Showroom.

4. Dumebi
Barbara Biosah, a British-Nigerian fashion designer, founded the upscale womenswear line Dumebi, which specializes in handcrafted couture apparel, shoes, and accessories. Barbara’s designs are influenced by African and European Renaissance art with a British modern twist and a Parisian flair because of her British and Nigerian roots.
The brand wants to bring back custom-made clothing crafted with high-quality materials and creative ideas while cutting back on excessive mass production.

5. Korlekie
Beatrice Korlekie Newman, who graduated with a BA in fashion design from De Montfort University in Leicester, started Korlekie in 2013 from her Peckham, London, bedroom.
For the ladies in her local church, the British-Ghanaian designer created one-of-a-kind pieces in African textiles. Rita Ora, Anna Freil, Ellie Goulding, and Alesha Dixon are just a few of the A-listers who have worn the brand’s fashionable, upscale knitwear and crochet.
Further drawing inspiration from Ghanaian traditional craft, Korlekie combines luxurious materials with sensuality for the contemporary woman.

6. Feben
Feben’s collection is influenced by the nomadism of her personal identity as well as her Ethiopian ancestry, North Korean, and Swedish upbringing.
Vemmenby collaborated with Beyoncé to design and style costumes for the Brown Skin Girl music video after completing her MA in fashion at Central Saint Martins as an Isabella Blow scholar.
The visual codes of Black life from all over the world are explored via a surrealistic lens in Feben’s works.

7. Onalaja 
Onalaja is one of a number of contemporary Nigerian businesses that prioritize luxury and wearability in their design aesthetic. Kanyinsola Onalaja, a Nigerian-born fashion designer who founded her company in 2014, obtained her BA in Fashion Design from London’s Istituto Marangoni.

After that, she traveled to Rome to study 3D pattern cutting at the Academia di Costume E Moda. Onalaja creates expertly designed clothing for women with contrasting textures and patterns utilizing high-end materials. Particularly the coral red and the elaborate embroidery that represents the designer’s Bini origin, these patterns are masterpieces.

The bodycon dresses from this brand are also size-inclusive, fitting a variety of body types.
This is why the company’s Zusi dress, which celebrates the feminine body in all its variety, has been a success. Indiyah Polack, a former Love Island contestant, and Kandi are two celebs who have been seen sporting it.

8. Labrum London
Foday Dumbuya, the creative director and founder of Labrum, found inspiration while growing up and learning in London, Cyprus, and Sierra Leone.
A contemporary menswear company’s mission is to “tell the untold stories of West Africa to help bridge the gap between Western and West African culture.”
The distinctive features of British tailoring are combined with West African inspirations to create Labrum’s unique sense of style.
In honor of his Sierra Leonean heritage, his SS24 collection, NOMOLI ODYSSEY, was shown at the Four Seasons hotel in Trinity Square.
A number of Labrum’s creations featured depictions of the Nomoli figure, a native of Sierra Leone and a symbol of fertility and harvest.

9. Fumi the Label
Fumi the Label is a ready-to-wear womenswear line created by Toronto-based designer Fumi Egbon that emphasizes comfort, grace, and sophistication. The brand, which debuted in 2016, specializes in vibrant colors, breathable clothing, and the possibility of wardrobe-building styling.
One example is the Naomi dress, which may be combined with thigh-high boots, denim, or jeans. The brand will reach a new milestone when it exhibits at NYFW.

10. Tolu Coker
After graduating from Central Saint Martins, British-Nigerian Multi-Disciplinary Artist Tolu Coker created her own brand in 2018.
Her work, which is heavily influenced by identity politics and social environments, uses fashion as a platform to promote social change.
Her 2019 collection honored the lives of women who had survived being raped as a result of war atrocities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The earnings from a portion of her collection were donated to the charity “Choose Love” in 2020, which assists minority populations, refugees, and immigrants both locally and internationally.

Irapada, the SS24 collection by Tolu Coker, is inspired by her Yoruba heritage.
Through the prism of her own family’s relationship to both religion and fashion, she used her works to explore how Yoruba spirituality is seen.

11. Victor Anate
Despite the fact that Nigerian designer Victor Anate won’t present his edgy womenswear line Vicnate at NYFW, he has contributed his talent as a co-collaborator by creating Naomi Campbell’s debut collection for Pretty Little Thing.
The renowned supermodel tapped Anate and Brooklyn-based Edvin Thompson of Theophilio, both of Jamaican descent, to create her line for the fast-fashion behemoth.
It launched as a runway show on September 5 to kick off NYFW, showcasing a 70-piece collection of outerwear, mesh dresses, sharp pantsuits, and more. Now that the project is finished, it joins Anate’s impressively expanding and exciting portfolio.

12. Tia Adeola
The Tia Adeola line was previously presented at NYFW. The brand’s launch, the Autumn/Winter 2020 collection, brought models down the catwalk wearing its recognizable sheer and ruffles. They were seductive, extremely provocative, and were modeled after Renaissance-era dress regulations.

Tia Adeola, a 2019 Parsons School of Design alumna who was born in New York and raised in London, has established herself as an intriguing new designer and amassed a cult following that includes Gigi Hadid, Flo Milli, SZA, and others.

13. Studio 189
OkayAfrica attended Studio 189’s debut spring runway show in 2019, which featured a number of notable guests like Quincy Brown, Fantasia, Justin Skye, Naturi Naughton, and Ayo Tometi (formerly Opal Tometi).
We also learned how the brand’s design principles combine cutting-edge tailoring with ancient West African crafts like indigo dyeing, hand-batik, and weaving.

The sustainable brand, which was established in 2013 by Abrima Erwiah and the actress Rosario Dawson, is propelled by an artisanal pulse and collaborates with regional artisans in a way that highlights their abilities and gives them employment opportunities. Studio 189 is more than simply a brand; it currently conducts business in Accra and the United States. Additionally, it is a social enterprise that finances numerous initiatives started by locals both in the U.S. and on the continent.

14. Head of State
Head of State wasn’t yet a fully developed brand in 2016 when Taofeek Abijako founded it.
His goal was to earn money to build a water infrastructure in his area while still a senior in secondary school in Nigeria.
Fast forward to 2017, when his brand’s spring/summer 2018 collection made him the youngest debutant at NYFW. He wasn’t even 20.

Taofeek, who is now based in Brooklyn, New York (his parents had won the lotto in 2010), utilizes the Head of State as a bridge to connect cultures in Nigeria and the United States.
The brand has focused on striking a balance between the two through their clothing.
Traditional Nigerian design features like silhouettes and embroidery are executed with a contemporary twist.

15. Oshobor
Oshobor was founded in 2020 and is the creation of Peter Oshobor. It combines slow fashion, traditional craft, and cultural tales.
The brand expanded into the 2022 Green Access program, Lagos Fashion Week’s platform for talent identification.
It further highlighted the brand’s zero-waste philosophy by showcasing a small number of exquisite outfits made from waste yarn and offcuts.

Oshobor will visit New York for their Carnaval Couture NYFW event thanks to a collaboration with Upscale Magazine and Art Meso, the art and fashion exhibition that highlights up-and-coming designers and creatives from all around the world.

Content courtesy of Culture Custodian, Okay Africa & NFH

Kenyan Designers and Film Looku Debut at London Fashion Week Virtual Premiere

A film called Looku celebrating the work of 11 emerging Kenyan brands and designers, including Favoloso By Nanu, Genteel, Nisisi Factory, Sevaria, Enda and We Are NBO, premiered virtually on Saturday 20 February.

Brought about by the British Council’s Creative DNA programme and emerging creative consultancy Fashion Scout, Looku was co-directed by Sunny Dolat and Noel Kasyoka, who sought to recreate the creative vibrancy of Nairobi’s street style scene.

“Whenever we see images of Kenya and Nairobi, often, it’s the landscapes and wildlife that are often prioritised, over the incredible and dynamic people who live there,” said Dolat, a stylist, creative director and co-founder of The Nest Collective in the Kenyan capital who leads the creative direction of Creative DNA x Fashion Scout digital publication Wauzine. “Looku and Wauzine are a celebration of Nairobi, Nairobisms and Nairobians in their glory and flair, a love letter from us to us.”

The screening of Looku was accompanied by three panel talks on timely topics like fostering creativity during crisis, reimagining fashion’s capital cities (moderated by Helen Jennings, Wauzine features editor and co-founder of Nataal Media), and the value of more conscious design practices.

Fashion Scout 

Fashion Scout is a leading international consultancy and platform for nurturing, empowering and showcasing the future of fashion. Fashion Scout’s showcase events in London, Paris, Kyiv and other fashion weeks have presented a whole generation of designers to international media, buyers and influencers.

With 20 years of experience in the industry, our consultancy creates and delivers bespoke mentoring and development programmes for designers and organisations around the world  enabling designers to adapt and build sustainable businesses in these challenging times – and providing them with the opportunity to showcase their work to the international market.

Mettā Nairobi

Metta is Nest Groups’ physical and digital entrepreneurs’ network, where they bring together founders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, academics and investors
to collaborate. Nest Group is committed to creating collaborative environments that help corporates, start-ups, and our investors scale and succeed.

HEVA Fund

HEVA Fund is an East African fund that invests in the transformative social and economic potential of the creative economy sector in the East African region.

Since 2013, HEVA Fund has generated insights, rolled out investments, and innovated financial models specifically for the growth of the creative economy in east Africa.

HEVA Fund have invested in more than 40 creative businesses and directly supported over 8,000 creative practitioners in the fashion, digital content and television, live music and gaming value-chains. From Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, Arusha, Lamu to Dar es salaam, the creative sector is where the creation of new products and new cultural experiences is happening.

They want to be at the forefront of helping producers of cultural goods and services to build high-value, profitable businesses where new ideas will come to life, and where the highest potential for great profits, great jobs, and happy people will be found.

Content courtesy of  Fashion Scout, Mettā Nairobi, HEVA Fund & Nairobi fashion hub 

 

Labrum London Autumn/Winter 2021 at London Fashion Week

Not long ago, Menswear brand Labrum London launched their 2021 autumn-winter collection named St. Giles Blackbirds. The collection pays tribute to the black community that settled in London’s St. Giles area, which was full of soldiers, sailors, and former slaves.

The inspiration for the collection is Olaudah Equiano, a man who fought to abolish slavery. The collection itself utilised traditional West African fashion. For instance, the trench coat was a tribute to Equiano’s style. Moreover, the collection displayed loose-fitting tailored garments with voluminous statement ruffles with blue, beige and a pop of bright yellows.

Labrum London continued to be aware of the production wastage by having 70% of their collection made up of deadstock fabric and factory surplus from the previous seasons. They used durable materials to expand the longevity of their garments.

The accessories were made up of 80% upcycled materials.

Labrum dedicates this season to the heroes of ‘St Giles Blackbirds’. Celebrating a section of the black community comprising of; sailors, soldiers and former slaves that settled in England in the late 1700’s and soon found themselves poor, dispossessed and living within the St Giles in the Fields area of London.

Dubbed the ‘black poor’ they were dispassionately transported Sierra Leone following difficulty finding the solace that London once promised.

The group are symbolic of a familiar history and repeated tale: black people who are discarded as soon as they no longer prove useful. Today, the St Giles Blackbirds, defying the attempts of silence and being cast away, are highlighted by Labrum. Their story depicted as one of migration and great resilience.

Special thanks to; The blackbirds of St Giles Lesley Goddard at St Giles in the Fields Converse Creative Direction: Foday Dumbuya JulianKnxx
Art Direction & Styling: Ib Kamara Musicians: Anaiis Kwaye Sheila Maurice-Grey Ayo Salawu Jonathan Moko Godwin Sonzi Renato Paris
MUA: Riona O’Sullivan
MUA Assistants: Hiromi Iizuka Chiharu Wakabayashi
Hair Stylist: Shanice Noel
Hair Assistant s: Franklyn Nnamdi-Okwedy Nat Bury Muriel Cole Carl Murray Danielle Igor

Content courtesy of Our Culture & Nairobi fashion hub 

 

Top 10 Fashion Shows Events In The World

The fashion industry provides the world with a full calendar of fashion show events from across the world. From runway shows to trade shows, the fashion world knows how to keep busy. But which events are not to be missed? As most things in the world, not all fashion events are created equal. Some events just top the hot list year after year.

Here is a list of the top ten annual fashion events to attend, or at least dream of attending don’t forget to add them your bucket list.

1. Paris Fashion Week

The greatest of all fashion shows, it is one of the most celebrated fashion weeks held in bi-annually in Paris one of the four fashion capitals of the world. The event is held to showcase Spring-Summer and Autumn-Winter collections at the respective times of each year. Many of the notables in the fashion industry, as well as the well-known connoisseurs of fashion attend the event to view the designs.

Some of the famous designers who place their latest creations on display include Dior, Paul Smith, Louis Vuitton, Nina Ricci, Lanvin, Julien David, Barbara Bui, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Valentino, Miu Miu

2. New York Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week is a biannual event which occurs in February and September of each in New York, one of the primary fashion capitals around the globe. The New York Fashion Week event is considered to be among the four major fashion weeks in the world next to London, Milan, and Paris.

The event is attended by some of the biggest fashion names in the industry including Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Dianne von Furstenberg, Tommy Hilfiger, Herve Leger, Brooks Brothers, Alexander Wang, and many more. It was established in the early 1940s and was the first fashion event across the world. The purpose of the event is showcase American fashions which ordinarily play a secondary role to French designs.

3. Milan Fashion Week

Milan Fashion Week (Italian: Settimana della moda) is a clothing trade show held semi-annually in Milan, Italy. The autumn/winter event is held in February/March of each year, and thespring/summer event is held in September/October of each year. An event of glitz and glamour in Milan, Italy among the big Four Fashion Capitals around the world, the Milan Fashion Week occurs bi-annually like its counterparts every year.

It is scheduled in the months of February-March for the Spring Summer Collection and September- October for the Autumn Winter Collection. It begun in the year 1958 and since has been counted as one of the most illustrious shows the world over. Prestigious fashion houses are part of this event which includes Dolce & Gabanna, Roberto Cavalli, Gucci, and Prada among others.

4. London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week is one of the primary four fashion week events around the globe which takes place bi- annually during February and September. The event showcases the latest trends and designs in womenswear and is attended by top designers and fashion houses in the industry who flock to the event to exhibit their latest creations.

It was launched in the early 1980s and is organised by the British Fashion Council discussed earlier.

Some of the designer fashions on exhibit include Antonio Berardi, Alexander White, Burberry, Beth Gilmour, Christopher Kane, Claire Barrow, David Koma, Eudon Choi, Erdem, Finlay & Co., Giles, Holly Fulton, Jasper Conran, Kevin Geddes, Lucilla Gray, Margaret Howell, Noel Stewart, Osman, Simone Rocha, Vivienne Westwood, and many more.

5. Berlin Fashion Week

Berlin Fashion Week is a relatively new event which takes place at Brandbenburg Gate each year during the months of January and July. The event was initiated in 2007 with the purpose of showcasing up and coming designer’s creations. Berlin Fashion Week is a collaborative effort of the Berlin Senate and the Berlin Partner GmbH, the central contact agency for overseeing new operations and foreign trade to promote Berlin as a business hub. The event is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz which also sponsors a series of other fashion industry events.

Since the establishment of the Berlin Fashion Week event almost a decade ago, the event has gained international status for many new and upcoming designers. The designers are bringing their fashions to the Berlin capital in an effort to get started on their way in the highly competitive fashion industry. Attendees can view fashions from designers such as Dorothee Schumacher, Ewa Herzog, Fyodor Golan, Emre Ernemoglu, and more.

6. Australian Fashion Week

The Australian Fashion Week is an annual event held in the country which aims to feature the works of fashion houses and designers from the Australian and Asia Pacific regions. It was first held in the year 1995. This event brings the designers and the retail buyers under one roof and helps the latter to purchase the latest in fashion from them.

Some of the noted Fashion names associated with this event include Lisa Ho, Alex Perry, Zimmermann, Toni Maticevski, Leona Edmiston, J’Aton Couture, Ericaamerica and more.

7. Dubai Shopping Festival

Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) started on 16 February 1996 as a retail event intended to benefit retail trade in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It has since been promoted as a tourist attraction.It is an annual month-long event, usually scheduled during the first quarter of the year, and attracts about 3 million people to Dubai.

Over the 30 day period, visitors have access to the best fashion brands from around the world with special deals and promotions, in addition to attending a variety of arts and cultural events. The events take place in the Mall of the Emirates and include The International Festival of Fashion Photography from Cannes which is an extraordinary showcase of the latest beauty and fashion photography in large format by notable fashion photographers.

You can also experience events such as The Diamond Fashion Show by Dhamani which features notable jewellery designers who showcase their exquisite designs against a sparkling Burj Khalifa backdrop. The Dubai Shopping Festival website is a great place to discover more interesting fashion events during this annual extravaganza.

8. Tokyo Fashion Week

The Japanese are known for excelling in whatever they do. Fashion is not an area where they are lagging in any respect. The Tokyo Fashion Week is an event which has steadily climbed up the charts of popularity over the years.

The styles and trends showcased are bold and often very experimental. Some of the most unusual fashion trends have come out into the world through the Tokyo Fashion Week and it wouldn’t be a surprise if this event slowly becomes one of the best in the industry.

9. Africa Fashion Week London

Founded in 2011 by Ronke Ademiluyi, Africa Fashion Week London ( AFWL ) is Europe’s largest fashion event promoting and nurturing African and African-inspired design talent ,with a collaborative catwalk, exhibition and business development program, AFWL has led the way in highlighting Africa’s emerging designers and apparel industry and has been at the forefront of bringing awareness of Africa’s burgeoning fashion industry to the international market.

Since 2011, AFWL has hosted 8 catwalk events and contributed expertise to at least 10 more events produced by 3rd parties such as The Mayor of London’s Black History Month celebrations, they  have also showcased over 800 emerging designers & exhibitors, from Africa, Europe and America, to almost 70,000 visitors including buyers, retailers, influential industry professionals, and the media and is now a highlight on the annual fashion calendar.

AFWL brings value to designers through, contacts, experience and knowledge within the fashion community, with a core team made up of experienced fashion industry experts and business professionals, AFWL is committed to creating a platform for African and African inspired designers that not only showcases them to an international market, but also supports them in building a sustainable business that is globally recognized and promotes social change in Africa.

10. Los Angeles Fashion week

Los Angeles Fashion Week takes place twice, annually in numerous locations throughout the Los Angeles area. Currently, three event producers hold multiple day runway shows concurrent with Market Week (also known as LA Fashion Market).

While there are several productions that take place throughout the county of Los Angeles, a number of city officials, including Mayor Eric Garcetti and District 14 council member Jose Huizar, have awarded event organizers LAFW the official event status

CFDA Fashion Awards

The CFDA Fashion Awards, also known as the Fashion industry Oscars, this annual event recognizes individuals in the American Fashion Industry with awards for design excellence and extraordinary accomplishments in journalism and creative vision, according to the CFDA.

There is also a lifetime achievement given each year. But the highlight of this award show is of course the red carpet. Stars and industry people dress to impress in the best of high fashion. It is not only an event; it is a star studded runway show.

Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons,this is where the latest fashion trends are made.

Content courtesy of Nairobi fashion hub Digital Team