The African Shoot underlines why African inspired fashion has seen its high point these past couple of years. The fad has received major presence on the runway all over the world.
Western and non-African designers alike have infused their styles with African designs, celebrities and public figures are loving and wearing these designs and the industry in Africa seems to be experiencing a tremendous boost.
Fashion icons like Beyoncé, Fergie and Rihanna have rocked designs from these lines.
Africa and West Africa are booming as far as new media is concerned. There are so many new people who can create new garments and they expose that on new media. Whenever there’s a new collection of brands, the blogs are booming with new creations.
Anything they see as new, they immediately translate into something they have not done before and that makes it so dynamic.
Whether it is for bright colors, patterns or prints the world is looking to African fashion. Tropical landscapes with lush green forests, fruits and exotic flowers are great sources of inspiration for designers worldwide.
African inspired fashion is identified by the use of African print fabrics, such as Kente, Ankara or the wax print, and the embodiment of African themes in designer creations.
“This also means that the trend is inspired by Africans and is not necessarily made in Africa.”
To understand why one of the most successful clothing brands in Africa is a fabric manufacturer, one must first get to grips with how fashion works on the continent.
African Shoot: Fashion Designers
One of the key players in the augmentation of African inspired fashion was the fashion designer. Fashion designers such as:
- Kofi Ansah
- Joyce Ababio
- Abba Folawiyo
- Olujimi King (the old schools)
paved the way for the many new schools like Deola Sagoe, Aisha Obuobi (Christie Brown), Ozwald Boateng, Duro Olowu and Lisa Folawiyo and the bigger epiphenomenon we see today.
These old school designers, although historically important to the revolution of African fashion, were unable to bridge the generation gap and exceed the local market, which the newer generation of African designers have been able to do with their creative designs.
The spotlight is not on African fashion for nothing, it is only up to us to use the opportunity given us to showcase the creativity that exists on the continent.
African Shoot CREDIT INFORMATION
Photographer: Phil Halfmann
Creative Director: Sophia Lenore
Art Director: Gintare Minelgaite
Photography Assistent: Malaika Sajjad
Lead Wardrobe Stylists: Dafina Abdullahu & Martina Ngoc Anh
Lead Hair & Makeup: Raquel Suarez & Reem Jarhum
Hair & Makeup Assistants: Sasha NoirNoir & Isabel Christ
Models:
Ramatoulaye Barry “Bijou”
Eduar Pabon
Jarai
Kelleyann Grenville
Stephen Aboagye
Marie Noguera
Wardrobe: African Head- & Shoulder-pieces by Tarik
