While major publications are hailing the arrival of African designers in New York; and highlighting Grace Jones on the runway, none have offered any real, much less meaningful analysis on the designs, trends and colors that these African designers showed at fashion week. Accordingly, we take the lead in doing so by starting with the Tiffany Amber show for Fall ’09.
Everything about the Tiffany Amber Fall 2009 Collection was on point. From the colors, shapes, fabric choices and design execution, she showed a collection that can easily translate from the red carpet at the Oscars to a very chic cocktail event for any Ladybrille woman.
Tiffany Amber [Designer Folake Coker] sent jolts of vibrant colors down the runway in mostly purple, electrifying/royal sapphire blues and lemon yellow dresses. Fabric choices included cotton ankara and silks. Sleeves were kept full on some dresses and shapes were classic yet accommodating of the Ladybrille woman whether she be a size 4 or 14. Design details were obvious with rich embroideries on short silk dresses. Hair was a simple french braid head band and makeup was equally simple, fresh and clean consistent with Fall ’09.
GET RED CARPET READY IN TIFFANY AMBER GOWNS
Perfect for the Oscars, just right around the corner, this silk dress moves so fluidly and is guaranteed to be a show stopper with its plunging embroidered neck line.
Floral print gowns remain sexy and Tiffany Amber does it well with this explosion of trendy colors: blue, purple, red, grey and black. The heavily embellished wide belt is unnecessary. Substitute that for a solid wide black leather/patent belt. Belt not recommended if you have a short waist.
ANKARA PRINTS
It’s official. Michelle Obama’s one shouldered Jason Wu white Swarovski embellished crystal gown she wore at President Obama’s Inauguration set the trend for ‘gotta have’ one shouldered dresses. Tiffany Amber hits the nail on the head with this one shouldered ankara embellished mini-dress. 
The Ankara belted shirt dress is a look we have seen many times from London based Nigerian designer Duro Olowu. In fact, that is his signature; and of course the many Western designers who get ‘inspiration’ from Africa. However, it remains a clever choice by Tiffany Amber and reflects the dominant trend for ankara across the continent and especially in Nigeria, where the design label is based.
More Ankara dresses with a flapper style reference from Tiffany Amber
SHORT FLIRTY EMBROIDERED SILK DRESSES
A salute to the flapper look, this short/mini-dresses with rich embroidery are cute, sexy and fun. It is best worn on taller, leaner shapes. If you are short and/or heavy on the top and bottom, the look might not be as flattering as it can make you appear bigger than you really are.
~Photo credits: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
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.
Thanks for the review of the show, it seems to be the only one available. I disagree with your position though and here is why….The first dress is an EXACT replica of a lebanese designer whose name I cant remember but I will find a link and post it.The second dress is lovely fabric but something she has been churning out for years,and in an attempt to make it "fresh",has added the most ridiculous beaded monstrosity around the waist.The third dress is pretty but an "orphan" in the collection because it relates to nothing else.The black thing looks like someone vomited some african print down your front, and from the scowl on the models face I think she agrees.The two ankara dresses are tiffany jumping on the band wagon, but they are so badly made and ill fitting that she should jump right off!As for the "flapper" dresses (that mini-shift silhouette reads more 60's than 20's to me)…I like the purple one,only because the risky placement of that beaded detail at least didnt seem like something I'd seen before. The other two were on sale racks last season and the green one looks suspiciously similar to something her fellow designer MOMO did last season.All in all the collection didnt work as a whole despite one or two nice pieces and she "referenced" too many other designers work so it seemed scattered.Fashion is my passion,and african designers even more so but this was a wack effort IMO and I have to tell it like it is.