AFRICAN FASHION AND ARTS MOVEMENT 2020 AN AMAZING EVENT

AFRICAN FASHION and ARTS MOVEMENT

The African Fashion and Arts Movement Vancouver held its annual show on February 15th, 2020 at the Pinnacle Hotel in North Vancouver. I was privileged to be invited to cover this event by my friend and fellow fashion lover Dayo Alabi.

Founded in 2018 by Yao Zeus Mohammed, African Fashion and Arts Movement Vancouver is the largest African fashion and Trade exhibition in British Columbia. AFAM Vancouver, African Fashion and Arts Movement holds an annual event in February, which is Black history month. Many talented designers and artists contribute to this event including fashion designers, dance and musical artists and exhibitors. Since I am predominately a fashion writer, I was thrilled to see such talented designers presenting their work. There was extraordinary fashion presented on both the runway and by the exhibitors.

While I am not an expert on African fashion, I always do my research before attending an event. Africa clothing varies from brightly colored textiles to abstractly embroidered robes, to colorful beaded bracelets and necklaces. The film Black Panther was a great introduction for many to the beauty and variety of African fashion. The amazing costumes in Black Panther were all drawn from African culture. In fact, all of this was on display at AFAM Vancouver. Therefore, I would like to celebrate the designers who stood out to me.

AFRICAN FASHION AND ARTS MOVEMENT

THE FASHION

Africa is a complex social and historical entity, where the fashion is just as deep and colorful as the continent itself. There are many histories in which traditions of a given locality have become engaged and intertwined with form and fabric. Fashion has always been a global language; a medium by which Africa’s diversity chooses to speak to the world.
Therefore let me guide you through some of the fabulous African inspired fashion that was presented at AFAM.

MAWOGAN FASHION

https://www.facebook.com/Mawogan/

https://mawogan.ca/

The Mawogan line is designed by the creator of AFAM Yao Zeus Mohammed. The designs are constructed by a committed team in Togo. Yao says his "designs are inspired by the joy and brightness in the fabric's my ancestors chose to make their own ." African fashion is full of bold bright textiles, so how does a designer make a unique statement to create their brand? Certainly, in this case, Yao shows not only bright patterns but he finds a way to make them his own.

What stood out to me was a collection, of predominantly dresses, that could be taken from the resort to an evening gala. In the tradition of fashion shows Yao mixed it up by showing what I would call his show stopper first. First up, was this show stopping unique jumpsuit. The streamlined silhouette in an gold/green and purple has long train sleeves that create a look that is both dramatic and fashion forward.

This collection is fresh in the use of color, and silhouettes. Color wise the use of yellow stands out as bold and daring and binds the collection together. The silhouettes are strong with several dresses using high slits that create movement. The long dresses could be styled for the poolside or the ballroom. Certainly, this collection shows the designers versatility and creativity. Yao has dedicated the collection to his mother "Roselyn".

V-LOVE DESIGN

https://www.facebook.com/vlovebyvincent/

https://vlovebyvincent.ueniweb.com/#services

Since, I see a huge amount of fashion I am always keeping my eye open for that rare moment when something stands out. Certainly, I was thrilled to experience this at AFAM with the designs of V-love Design.
Jubilant prints in controlled silhouettes, joyous embellishment to sporty shapes - V-love resounded from the catwalk at this week's event. The applause from the audience tells the story of this vibrant and lively collection. My heart lifted on seeing his vivid graphic patterns especially the black and red which won the hearts of the crowd.

KYN APPAREL

The New Elegance

kynapparel.ca

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Part of the evening at AFAM, were awards given to outstanding accomplishments in a number of categories. Of course my main interest was in the category for Fashion Designer of the year. The winner is Alethe Kabore for her label Kyn Apparel. Alethe is a designer who comes from Burkina Faso. Having come to Edmonton to study Alethe, found her love of African fashion and textiles came with her . She is a self taught designer and seamstress. Kyn has a strong mandate to incorporate African inspired fashion into Canadian and International fashion.

One of the best compliments you can pay a fashion designer is , "I could sell everything you showed on the runway". In fact that's what I heard said about Kyn Apparel. In this case I couldn't agree more. With a controlled use of a bold print and color palette Alethe sent refined a collection down the runway. A large scale circular print was repeated in several looks giving unity to the collection . A belted top in this bold print with a black skirt was the perfect melding of African and Western fashion. Alethe Kabore, creates garments that make her life in Africa and her life in Edmonton make sense. Through her bold fusion of African and Western style Alethe Kabore tells her own story of cultural diversity and immigration. Brava for a well earned win.

AFAM - AFRICAN FASHION AND ARTS MOVEMENT

In conclusion I was so thrilled to have seen the amazing talents of all the fashion designers at AFAM. Furthermore the evening was completed by the outstanding musical and dance performances. Certainly it was a wonderful way to celebrate Black History month.

The fashion world has started to wake up to African Fashion. For the first time the 2020 Paris Haute Couture fashion week showed an African designer. For his first showing as a guest on the couture calendar, Imane Ayissi highlighted the diversity of African craftsmanship. From London to Milan, Paris to New York, African design has started to find it's well deserved place on the International runways. Certainly to the credit of African immigrants around the globe many cities host African fashion weeks. I am excited to hear that AFAM Vancouver is working towards hosting an African fashion week. The impressive work at African Fashion and Arts Movement Vancouver is fabulous beginning of what promises to be bright future.

SHOTS FROM AFRICAN FASHION AND ARTS MOVEMENT

WHAT'S HOT?

Certainly, the world is changing as far as conscientious fashion is concerned. Sustainable, ethical and green fashion are now common terms in the industry. In fact, many fashion brands are moving away from animal products. The first victim to fall to this new conscience towards using animal products is fur. However the move away from fur has been happening for decades now. However, what is being currently embraced is a move away from leather. New products named vegan leather are turning up everywhere.

While, I have yet to be convinced that i should get rid of my collection of leather jackets , I am considering a move towards artificial leather for future purchases. Moreover vegan leathers have been seen on all the catwalks lately. Therefore my WHAT'S HOT ? for this post is vegan leather. I have reached out to my partners to find the hottest vegan leather products. If you’re ready to go vegan (shopping, of course!), I've rounded up the coolest cruelty-free vegan leather pieces I'm loving at the moment. Shop them all below.