A one-day activation under the Africa Fashion Week brand took place on Friday, September 11, 2015 at the Broad Street Ballroom (41 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004). Hosted by Adirée Communication and PR firm, guests experienced a piece of Africa while attending New York Fashion Week.
Africa kicked off with a light, yet informative, discussion. At the Luxury Africa Conference the panel consisted of Executive Directors of fashion and lifestyle brands including:
- Liberia-born Creative Director and Celebrity Designer Korto Momolu from Project Runway season 5
- Maryanne Mathias of Osei-Duro ( Los-Angeles and Ghana based lifestyle brand)
- CEO and Founder Fanta Kamara of luxury lifestyle brand Marazetti (made in Liberia)
Moderator Adiat Disu, founder of Adirée, opened the discussion with the many questions that inspired the panel.
L to R: Korto Momolu, Fanta Kamara, Adiat Disu and Maryanne Mathias
Africa Fashion Week – Runway
The Runway show highlighted the diaspora’s African designers and emerging luxury African brands. See some items of their Spring/Sommer 2016 collection here:
Onyii & Co. – Nigeria/US
Onyii & Co. graced the runway with bright cheer-filled colors and bird-inspired prints throughout her dresses and other outfits. Her designs brought the ambience of a fresh start to a vibrant morning.
Sarfo of Styles – Ghana
The mood changed when Sarfo of Styles’ dramatic evening gowns flowed down the catwalk. Geometrics and drama filled his collection with loop-like dresses. As some of the models walked towards the end of the runway, dresses with large loops were suddenly released to morph into more modern and wearable silhouettes accompanied by gasps of awe from an enchanted audience.
Osei-Duro – Ghana/LA
Maryanne Mathias brought an L.A. vibe with her Ghanaian indigenous textiles with pieces by Osei-Duro. Every dress and ready-to-wear design showed off the intricate signature prints on their bags and clothing.
Asikere Afana – Jamaica/US
The excitement continued with Ashley McFarlane’s dashiki dresses from fashion label Asikere Afana. Her fun flirty and sustainable line (made in Ghana), created a down-to-earth vibe.
House of Mucha – Zimbabwe/UK
LinDi of House of Mucha also brought back a blast from the past feel with her 70’s inspired pieces for both men and women.
Sakia Lek – Congo / US
Greek inspired pastel designs brought on a calm mood as models displayed Sakia Lek’s pieces. Sandals and flowery headbands tied these pieces together seamlessly.
Yefikir Designs – Ethiopia
Designer Fikirte Addis of fashion label Yefikir also displayed boho chic ready-to-wear pieces. Each piece had water-like and air-like movements, reminiscent of the earth’s elements — truly indicative of mother nature.
Dahil Republic of Couture – Kenya/US
A dramatic finale by Dahil Republic of Couture followed Yefikir’s designs.Designer Hilda Mauya’s series of jackets and red dress pieces from her Red Ruby collection brought a sophisticated flair that definitely had a mixture of both African and Western influences.
More Information:
http://adiree.com/
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