“The Pandora’s box has been unleashed and African fashion designers and stakeholders have finally succeeded in securing a spot at the global business of fashion table. Whether Africa remains at the table brokering high powered deals that create employment for the continent’s women and society at large, is NOW the question. And, if Ladybrille Magazine had any doubts, given the shaky nature of African fashion productions on the continent and in the West, that Africa could maintain a consistency, broker and close deals; and ultimately deliver on its promises to its fashion citizens, our doubts appear, for now at least, to be laid to rest. Arise Magazine in its press release to Ladybrille Magazine tells us Arise is now set for a show stopper Pan-African fashion show in Lagos, Nigeria showcasing 50 top African designers from the continent.
As a brief history, in 2009 and 2010, Arise showed Africa could compete with the best of the best designers worldwide by creating a platform and showcasing African designers for three consecutive seasons at New York Fashion Week’s Bryant Park. In 2009, the magazine tagged on as title sponsor for Africa Fashion International’s (AFI) Pan-African Africa Fashion Week & Africa Fashion Awards event at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The event had a variety of designers from the continent and like the events currently planned by Arise, was very Pan-African in its goal to showcase African designers to the globe. That same year, Arise continued its ties with AFI in yet another sponsorship deal of AFI’s Capetown Fashion Week. The sponsorship agreement between Arise and AFI, as announced to the press in numerous press releases, was for five years. It, however, ended abruptly barely months into the deal and after the two aforementioned events.
The severance of the sponsorship deal between the two fashion greats who provide highly important platforms for African fashion seemed like a blow to African designers, the industry and stakeholders alike, especially given it was on the heels of the first ever World Cup to be played on African soil. Nevertheless, it now appears, Arise was planning something bigger and better and taking the fashion events to Nigeria, a country considered the heart of Africa.
The Magazine has now announced plans for two major events this March 2011: an Arise Magazine Pan- African Fashion Week featuring 50 of the continent’s best designers and an Arise Magazine Fashion Awards. Africa’s fashion industry from all fronts and particularly business, has just become very interesting! We can’t wait to see the flurry of economic activity in Nigeria come March and of course our designers soar both on the continent and on the global fashion map.
EXCERPT FROM ARISE PRESS RELEASE SENT TO LADYBRILLE
“First, ARISE MAGAZINE FASHION WEEK. It will be held in Lagos, Nigeria from 10 to 13 March 2011, at an exclusive venue. Africa’s Top 50 designers, selected by invitation only, by a panel of experts, will showcase their collections for 2011.
As with ARISE AFRICA FASHION COLLECTIVE, this showcase will come as the fitting end to the traditional fashion season after Paris Fashion Week and is designed to compete with and complete the world’s global Fashion Weeks.
The ARISE MAGAZINE FASHION WEEK will end with the ARISE MAGAZINE FASHION AWARDS on the night of 13 March 2011.
Then, to validate their successful collections, the very best of these designers will also be invited to participate in the inaugural and annual ARISE MAGAZINE FASHION GALA in New York on Wednesday, 14 September 2011 during New York Fashion Week.
ARISE MAGAZINE’s mission is to continue to promote young and established African and African Diaspora designers. This new initiative will complement the showcasing opportunities offered by the traditional Fashion Weeks around the world.
ARISE MAGAZINE founder, Nduka Obaigbena says: “ARISE MAGAZINE is already leading the way and due to the unprecedented demand to showcase Africa’s finest designers, from Deola Sagoe, Tiffany Amber, Clive Rundle and Black Coffee, to newcomers like Maki Oh and Christie Brown and others, we feel the time is right for us create our very own series of spectacular events and show the world that Africa is here to stay at the cutting edge of international fashion.”
Award-winning, London-based show producers, Bacchus, will produce the entire ARISE MAGAZINE FASHION series of events.”
~Article by Uduak Oduok
Founded in 2007, Ladybrille® Magazine is a California based pioneer digital publication demystifying the image of Africans in the west through contemporary African fashion and celebrating the brilliant woman in business and leadership, with an emphasis on the African woman in the diaspora. Our coverage includes stories on capital, access to markets, expertise, hiring and retention, sales, marketing, and promotions.
Great but how will the desingners be selected
This is AWESOME! bringing it home to Naija. I am proud. Well done ARISE!