Since 2011, Africa Fashion Week London has been the biggest African fashion show event in Europe, providing a platform for African designers as well as designs inspired by African print and culture. And over the years, the event has been one of the best platform for new designers to mark their mark as well as for established ones to broaden their audience and introduce their brand to a newer audience.
As the event keep on growing, so is the number of designers hoping to showcase their work at Europe’s biggest African fashion event. Below are some of the designers that’ll be showcasing their wares at Africa Fashion Week London 2015, taking place at Olympia London next month.
ANAISARTS
Anaisarts is one of the designers that will be showcasing at Africa Fashion Week London 2015. It is a fashion brand that prides itself on creating colourful African-inspired pieces for men, women, and children. Big on using African prints, the brand also makes fashionable accessories such as headwrap, purses, jewellery (necklaces, earrings), teddies, and home decoration items.
AṢỌ
Aṣọ is a new brand that was launched last year at the Africa Fashion Week London 2014 edition. The brand produces ethically manufactured African-inspired t-shirts, vests, t-dresses, sweatshirts, denim jackets, and accessories for men, women, and children. To celebrate its one-year anniversary, the brand will be unveiling some new designs from its new artistic collaborations at #AFWL2015.
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CONTINENT CLOTHING
Continent Clothing another brand that will be present at Africa Fashion Week London 2015. It is the colourful and comfy brand aiming to bring African colour and culture to the UK. The brand believes in creating pieces that make those we wear them Want to stand out in the crowd, to enable them to start a new trend, or make sure they’re not bored with wearing the same kind of designs over and over again.
KILUMBA
KILUMBA, which means beautiful woman – is an African inspired fashion brand that was founded in 2013 by Angolan Luciana Peres. Together with her team, the brand creates ready-to-wear outfits and accessories. The brand currently has three lines that cater to different needs.
- The Misses du Jour: This is the brand’s ready-to-wear collection for women. And it is inspired by the sexy, bold and lush universe of burlesque.
- Cleopatra Now: Women’s ready-to-wear collection that brings the iconic egyptian queen, Cleopatra, aesthetics to the today’s woman.
- Tropical Cubism: Women’s ready-to-wear collection that portrays African patterns through the artistic perspective of cubism.
L.O.G. COSMETICS
L.O.G. Cosmetics is a brand that produces a range of natural cosmetics products for women of colours. “We call it “A cosmetic religion”. It is more than just looking good – it is about building a community of beauty lovers that want to be part of a brand that is personally rewarding,” the brand says about its products.
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PORJAI THAI PRINTER
Porjai Thai Printer is a textile designing brand that has been producing print and colourful textile fabrics popular used in East and West Africa. The brand has been in the business for over 30 years and produces fabrics such as Java, Super-wax, wax, glitter textile. Besides making these general fabrics, the brand is open to making customised fabrics for its clients.
SASCHA GRANT
Sascha Grant started her designing career in Botswana before moving to the UK where she continued her creative work. “I’ve always loved leather,” she says about her preference for using the material in creating her pieces.
Her inspiration for using leather comes from the first inhabitants of Botswana and its wild animals, she says. With the leather fabric, Sascha Grant produces handbags and goods that are handmade and contemporary.
According to the brand: “We use the finest leather and instal each product with passion. Sascha Grant bags are versatile, combining street style, elegance and class.”
UBUNTU FASHIONS
Ubuntu is inspired by the rich and diverse culture of Tanzania and Sierra Leone. West meets East. And the brand name, ‘Ubuntu’, was derived from a Zulu phrase ‘Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu’, meaning ‘a person is a person through other people’. As such, the brand is a fusion of the philosophy ‘Ubuntu’ and Fashion. And its aim is to change the negative morality that reigns in the fashion industry. “Out with the ‘me, myself and I’ attitude; UBUNTU Fashion celebrates ‘You, Me and Us,” the brand advocates. And it got this inspiration from the bible verse that says: “Love your neighbour, as you love yourself,” – Matt 22:39.
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SHERENE MELINDA
Sherene Melinda is a London-based designer handbag brand with a vibrant collection of South-African inspired springbok hair-on-hide handbags. Combining the brand’s African heritage with the latest London trends, owner and Creative Director Sherene Robson has dreamt up a range of handbags that are truly one of a kind.
NEEDLE POINT
The Needle Point Shop is a lifestyle brand defined by the love for African Culture and Fashion. Needle Point focuses on the creation of contemporary ready-to-wear clothes in African print. It is distinguished by the use of high-quality prints and embellishments to create timeless pieces that transcend seasons. It caters to the personal style needs of its clientele of varied ages, who seek to be effortlessly stylish, elegant and comfortable in their clothes.
Founded by Creative Director, Theresa Onwuka as a hobby in 2006, Needle Point was re-launched in 2010 with the opening of its flagship store in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria. Theresa has a passion for making women look amazing in her timeless pieces. According to her, “it’s all about adding that touch of effortless chic to every piece”.
A need to collaborate with other brands, while staying true to the core brand DNA saw the launch of a commensurate line, “Needle Point Xchange” in October 2014. Each Xchange collection is exclusive to the brand it is associated with. In this way, the uniqueness and intrinsic values of the collection are maintained.
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NJEMA HELENA
Based in Nairobi, Kenya – Njema Helena is a fashion brand that creates modern fashion with an African aesthetic for everyday life. It prides itself on making sure its Kenyan products are sustainable and produced in a fair manner. And it is one of the several brands that will grace Africa Fashion Week London 2015 show.
PRIMAVERA FITNESS
“We offer an array of tropical sun-seeking prints, in high quality Brazilian colourfast, dry-fit lycra. Our collections are tailored with movement in mind and our fabric is perfect for those high-performance sports offering breathability and comfort. From, running, yoga, the gym and just chilling at home or with friends, Primavera Fitness guarantees a fit to keep you moving freely,” Primavera Fitness says about its brand and products.
Wohoo, those are some of the brands that will be exhibiting and showcasing at Africa Fashion Week London 2015. Stay tuned for more post on this year’s edition.