Africa Fashion Week Nigeria 2016 Opens July 1
As Ade Bakare headlines show
Created by Ms. Ronke Ademiluyi six years ago, the Africa Fashion Week Nigeria (AFWN) began its distinct journey as a proudly Nigerian, proudly African and international brand in London.
What started then as a small brand to satisfy a niche, has now gone on to become an award-winning and very well recognised brand, which is the biggest platform of its kind in Europe showcasing African designers and African inspired fashion.
The popularity and success of the Africa Fashion Week London brand was what triggered the organisers to bring the brand home to Nigeria.
Africa Fashion Week Nigeria, now in its third has been a memorable and very fulfilling journey. In just a few days, AFWN will not only be celebrating its third year anniversary but it will be yet another Africa Fashion Week.
Beginning from July 1 to July 3 2016 with a conference, fashion exhibition and showcase of upcoming and established designers, the Africa Fashion Week Nigeria, is a first class packaged, high octane and very glamorous event as well as a celebration of stupendous fashion and style of good form and refinement. And to lead an array of fashion designers as the headline designer at the 2016 edition of the annual fashion show, will be British couture designer, Ade Bakare.
The celebrated designer whose clientele include English and American aristocrats, international corporations and African elites, will debut his Cruise 2016 Collection at the show next month. The show will host five catwalk shows, 50 designers, a fashion gala and awards night as well as panel discussions aimed at positioning Nigeria as a textile and garment production hub.
Bakare, who runs Ade Bakare Couture London, has designed the capsule Cruise Line Collection for summer 2016, influenced by his constant travels between London and Lagos where he maintains his design studios and boutique respectively with the word, ‘cruise’ evoking travel, luxury, style, boats, yachts and summer.
The Cruise Line has been greatly inspired by his clients on both sides of the Atlantic who desire something colourful, modern and ethnic to wear while abroad. To satisfy these demands, Bakare came up with an exquisite range of vibrant jackets and dresses in neoprene textiles and 'adire' in modern geometric and circular designs embellished with his unique signature style of wood and glass intersected with beads that sparkle. Some of his celebrated designs are his long sweeping gazar coats soft but structured his wrap sash jackets. He uses mostly natural fibres especially gazar, chiffons and organza’s. Long eveningwear dresses with intricate details, capes, and boleros and fitted suits.
The AFWN, which is a weeklong show will kick-start with the Street Catwalk in the Mall set to take place on June 25 at The Palms Mall, Victoria Island, followed by the conference at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on July 1, 2016. The second day will have back-to-back Catwalk Shows from upcoming established designers while the last day will end with a Gala Night.
Meanwhile, the AFWN which has picked Yemi Alade as its 2016 Brand Ambassador, aims to discover young new exciting brands by providing a platform to build and promote them to an international standard, aims also to promote the beauty of Africa, from the creative side of fashion to the business of it.