African Fashion Hub
Just like a butterfly in its cocoon the new generation of African designer and artist alike have been hibernating for some time for the metamorphosis to begin, slowly flourishing with a new ray of light shining on the horn. For the past couple of years we have seen much African faces flourishing in the fashion world and gracing the cat walks ever since the top models namely Somalian models Iman and Waris Dirie, and neighbouring South Sudanese models such as Alek Wek have been gracing the catwalk for long enough. We now have Ethiopian models that is to say Liya Kebede, Maya Haile and Germany’s Top model winner Sara Nuru who have put the African model on the map. There has recently been an explosion of young talent coming from the East of Africa, it seems that the so-called ‘dark continent’ has gotten hold of the fashion world after all. Consequently, with the fashion business prospering in East Africa, fashion designers are not too far off from conquering the west too.
FIKRTE ADDIS
NETSU ABEBE
looking at recent Hub of Africa fashion show in Addis Abeba there are distinguished designers such as Fikirte Addis, Haile Garment, Mela and Sewasew from Ethiopian, Somalian duo Mataano, Kenyan designer Kiko Romeo currently featured on vogue Italia. The fashion show featured beautiful array of fabric’s intertwined with astonishing designs from hot new African designers. Designer like Fikrte Addis a psychology graduate has more interest in fashion and has made design her career while still working with children in Ethiopia as a psychologist, her designs are subtle, elegant, sophisticated wearable with extensive infusion of traditional Ethiopian designs. The Somalian duos who grew up in the states and have two degree between from Boston University and the University of Michigan, their collection is stylish wearable and casual attire to splendid evening wear. The Kenyan designer house Kiko Romeo is an establish fashion house launched by Ann McCreath who studied fashion in Edinburgh, Scotland and moved her company to Nairobi in hope of creating a fashion household ofmarketable African designers.
MATAANO
As well as this African in the diaspora are doing quite well in representing their homeland. With models such as Sara Nura who won the Germany Top model and the Eritrea model Elsabel Yemane working as a professional model and ambassador for the charity Whizzkids are very promising for a countries such as Eritrea that celebrated their independence of only 21 years on May 24th. Talent to watch out for in the Diaspora include fashion designers Zakaryas Solomon and Netsu Abebe both based in London.
