The organisers of Africa Fashion Week London believe it is time Africa owned its fashion
AFRICA FASHION Week London (AFWL) is back to showcase the very best of African and African-inspired designs.
Debuting in London less than a year ago, the two-day fashion extravaganza, created by Ronke Ademiluyi, will display the work of 50 international designers, jewellery makers and emerging talents.
With the mainstream fashion industry’s heightened interest in African culture, the show couldn’t have come at a better time. But Florence Ibokwe, public relations executive for AFWL and exhibit design coordinator Eki Izevbigie feel that African fashion shouldn’t be exploited by mainstream media.
“In the last couple of years, we’ve all seen an explosion of interest in Africa, from music and film to fashion,” said Ibokwe. “You see African prints in many mainstream designs now, so it makes sense that we should own our own concepts.”
Dominating the scene is exactly what AFWL has managed to achieve in just 12 months, by amalgamating some of Britain’s many African fashion shows into one big spectacular exhibition.
“There were plenty of little shows in Birmingham or London showcasing Nigerian or Ghanaian fashion, but there wasn’t anything that united everyone,” says Ibokwe. “We wanted to have one show that would showcase the best of what we as Africans can do, and putting all our resources together made it a better show.”
