Africa Fashion Week founder Adiat Disu was a guest on "Our Take" during it's premiere week. Disu, seen in this video for the 2012 show, was in the planning stages for the 2013 Africa Fashion Week New York when we caught up to her.
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| Our Take on Arise TV Photo Credit: Debbie Mitchell |
While fashionistas anxiously wait to be a part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in February and September, Africa Fashion Week quietly sashays into New York City during the summer. Adiat Disu founded the concept of the Africa Fashion Week in the fashion capitals: New York, London, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, and Berlin in 2009.
She told "Our Take" host Christina Brown, "This whole concept was more of us creating a portal for those in the fashion capitals to know or be educated in the luxuries that come from the continent in the fashion realm."
Originally from Nigeria, Disu promotes the idea of sustainable fashion by having her branding firm Adiree contribute to fashion and beauty enterprises in African villages such as Indigo Africa, The Maasai Project, and beauty company Shea Radiance.
The theme for this year's Africa Fashion Week (July 15-July 20) was "Sustainable Luxury." Arise TV personality Christina Brown went to the runways of Africa Fashion Week and reports as the guest contributor of today's Ready4Air.
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| Photo Credit: Christina Brown |
By Christina Brown
Eric Ampong, 32, didn’t know the health care company for whom he worked in Toronto, Canada, would one day lead him to the runways of New York City. “The company decided to branch off into Ghana … so while I was out in Ghana, I had bankers and what-not … and they would ask me to bring them suits from North America,” he said last weekend at the fourth annual Africa Fashion Week New York event in lower Manhattan. Eventually Ampong stopped delivering suits, and started designing them and launched his menswear clothing line Eaden Myles.
Ampong was one of forty designers featured in Africa Fashion Week New York, sponsored by the Adirée Fashion Agency, the boutique agency features luxury and African-owned fashion brands and began Africa Fashion Week New York four years ago. The three-day event, which started last Thursday evening at the Broad Street Ballroom in downtown Manhattan, showcased designers, whether from the Africa diaspora or inspired by its rich history, landscape or people, to an audience desperate to see Africa prominently represented in the New York fashion industry.
Iris Amuto, 25, a model originally from Kenya, wearing a Sarfo Of Styles, red and black strapless evening gown, tried to mask her excitement and nervousness backstage before heading down the runway. She was excited to be a part of Africa Fashion Week New York, and relieved she wasn’t just one of a handful of Black models used by the designers. “Not a lot of African models get to participate in runways, especially in New York,” she said.
Angela Maina, 24, and Julie Ojiambo, 20, decided to come to the event to support their friend and Nairobi designer Sara Karay whose eponymous line also went on display for the first time Thursday night.
The ladies used social media to spread the word about Karay’s line. “We have some of the designers in Europe using some of the same fabrics, so it’s really growing and we’re really excited about that,” Maina said as she and Ojiambo watched Karay, just a few feet away, network with other designers.
The ladies used social media to spread the word about Karay’s line. “We have some of the designers in Europe using some of the same fabrics, so it’s really growing and we’re really excited about that,” Maina said as she and Ojiambo watched Karay, just a few feet away, network with other designers.
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| Photo Credit: Reuben Reuel |
Questions about “What is African fashion?” surfaced during conversations among the designers. Does it mandate the use of Akan, or Kente cloth? Ankara, which is the term more frequently used by fashion insiders, originated in West Africa, and is typically made of a silk or cotton fabric, with vibrant patterns and colors of intricately woven cloth strips.
Can African-American, Detroit-born Tracy Reese, whose women’s wear, accessories and home fashions can be found in major retail department stores, claim to represent African fashion? One designer finally exclaimed, citing criticism she’s heard, “I’m not African enough, I’m not American enough.”
Can African-American, Detroit-born Tracy Reese, whose women’s wear, accessories and home fashions can be found in major retail department stores, claim to represent African fashion? One designer finally exclaimed, citing criticism she’s heard, “I’m not African enough, I’m not American enough.”
Zimbabwean designer Farai Simoyi, whose line Fara was buoyed by her exposure as a contestant on Project Runway, said she has participated in the popular Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week, but in 2011, after showing in Africa Fashion Week New York, she decided not to return to Bryant Park. “I feel at home, I feel so comfortable because we’re all uplifting each other … being at New York Fashion Week, it’s a good platform, but it’s hard to find people that are interested in your brand, because you’re just an African designer, they don’t even take the time to see you,” she said wearing a red and blue cotton pencil skirt from her line.
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| Photo Credit: Reuben Reuel |
Sitting four rows from the front, Aishling O’Shea, originally from Ireland, who regularly attends fashion shows, said she could see herself wearing some of the designs. “It was something so unusual,” she said after the show, “…the ethnic designs, it was like high street fashion as well.” O’Shea attended Thursday night to evaluate the performance of Bill Witherspoon, one of the menswear designers, to decide whether she’d make a recommendation to have him participate in another fashion event.
Noticeably absent were the hundreds of press photographers and reporters typically found at New York City fashion week events. There was no Anna Wintor, editor-in-chief of American Vogue, seated in the front row. Adiat Disu, founder of Adirée Fashion Agency, who created Africa Fashion Week New York, wasn’t surprised. “It’s interesting that many of the European franchises are featuring us first when we’re thirty minutes away from headquarters,” she said, minutes before four unfilled rows of seats for special guests were opened up to the rest of the public.
International fashion buyer and stylist Sheila Gaillard of Gai R Collective couldn’t leave before getting a word with Eric Ampong. Ampong was trying to catch his breath between interviews with reporters and hugs from his models. Impressed with his dress shirts and several of his suits, Gaillard waited several minutes to find out about his production capabilities.
After securing a deal to dress two of Gaillard’s clients, Ampong said, “I’m tired. I’m glad it’s over, but I’m really happy with the whole outcome.”
After securing a deal to dress two of Gaillard’s clients, Ampong said, “I’m tired. I’m glad it’s over, but I’m really happy with the whole outcome.”
TV/Social Media Producer Debbie Mitchell is an Emmy nominated producer who is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA). She is currently a member of the James Beard Broadcast and New Media Awards Committee. If you have a story idea for "Our Take" or are a brand interested in Social TV, blogger outreach campaigns, or a blogger or personality interested in television placement follow Debbie Mitchell @SocialTVDeb and/or email SocialTVDeb@gmail.com
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