What do you call a bustier that takes up to 280 hours to make, consists of around 3000 individual items, is linked individually by hand with all crystals and is also glued individually by hand? Wearable art. “These are actually works of art, not items of clothing, but they can be worn, as long as …
Christian Lacroix Says You Better Work that African Headgear!
Happy Friday! Paris Fashion week has been churning some beautiful designs. One designer we ‘heart’ is Christian Lacroix. Lacroix’s Spring/Summer 2008 pret-a -porter collections said in a very colorful way to the fashion world and ‘fashionistas’ globally, “you better work it with the West African head wrap!” If you don’t have a head wrap, ask …
Designers Mathew Williamson & Duro Olowu Keep it Afri-Chic at London Fashion Week
Two designers, Duro Olowu and Mathew Williamson, with their Afri-chic collection, emerged as our favorites from the recently completed London Fashion Week. Duro Olowu: You would have to be under a rock not to know London’s fashion designer Duro Olowu. Former lawyer turned designer, Olowu is half Nigerian and Jamaican. His breakthrough came when Vogue’s …
Africa Shows Strong Presence at New York Fashion Week, Spring 2008
New York Fashion Week Spring 2008 was a refreshing take on the aid vs trade debate observed at the recently completed TED conference. Fall 2007, NY Fashion Week was all about aid to Africa–think Designers for Darfur among many similar shows. This season, however, it is as if America’s fashion industry persons were at the …
Capetown Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2007-08
On August 8th-11th, 2007, Capetown Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2007-08 debuted in a very unique way. The event was, for the first time, produced in conjunction with Cape Town Fashion Council and had the support of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape and the City of Cape Town. This is a BIG deal on South …
How to Choose and Care for Ankara Fabrics
Ladies, especially those in Europe and America, have you ever tried buying African fabrics? They never seem to come with instructions! How frustrating is that? What do you do with them. Where is the back, where is the front? Should they be dry cleaned or machine washed? An online search generally comes up with scare …