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By Andrew, September 18, 2009 7:38 pm

For Mustafa Hassanali fashion was originally a hobby, but has since become his career. His passion for elegance, style, flamboyancy, glamour and glitz has not gone unnoticed by most of East Africa’s social crème de la crème.His collections have been shown widely throughout Africa and Europe and his exquisite handwork, detailed beadwork and creative ensemble embellishments have made Mustafa Hassanali a sought after brand name in the couture market.

His work has been showcased at the Durban and Cape Town fashion week, Vukani Fashion awards in Pretoria, Miss Ethiopia Beauty pageant, Mediterranean Fashion Festival in Sicily, Italy, Nokia face of Africa, Mozambique, Uganda and Kenya Fashion Week. To take Tanzanian fashion to the next level, he launched The First Annual Swahili Fashion Week on November 2008.”His work has been showcased at the Durban and Cape Town fashion week, Vukani Fashion awards in Pretoria, Miss Ethiopia Beauty pageant, Mediterranean Fashion Festival in Sicily, Italy, Nokia face of Africa, Mozambique, Uganda and Kenya Fashion Week. To take Tanzanian fashion to the next level, he launched The First Annual Swahili Fashion Week on November 2008.”

Mustafa Hassanali’s , is definetly a refreshing look at what could be the future of  a trend setting dialogue for the east of Africa and beyond, with designers ready to put their vision and effort on the runway it informs the public of what the possibilities are, while the public act as a feedback mechanism by showing their passion and appreciation and noticing what exists around them will begin to request for more authentic identity statements. His collections like many of his contemporaries throughout Africa are at thier infancy as compared to Europe, but because of this creative ensemble and steady growth in brand name recognition, the future of this scene is not just colourful it is also extremely bright . With the emphasis that designers like Hassanali have for giving back to the poor and disadvantaged the dialogue is in a healthy state.  Other designers and indeed artists who are ready to follow this formula will also enjoy a level of appreciation that will grow in what is an undeveloped and under invested market for women, and men. Mustapha is the new breed of African entepreneur it remains to be seen to what heights he can soar,  the story continues to unfold out there.

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By Andrew, September 11, 2009 9:44 pm

David Tlale, winner of the Arise Africa Fashion Week Designer award, will be showcasing his designs at the New York Fashion Week in September 2009.  Tlale’s designs have been lauded in South Africa and he is considered one of the premier fashion designers in South Africa and internationally.

The New York Fashion week will give Tlale a great boost and help expose his fashion sense to a much wider, more particular audience.  In his show which will be titled “Cultural Intimacy”, Tlale will be highlighting  ‘Africouture’ at its best – Swazi and Ndebele geometric patterns, ostrich eggshell jewellery, traditional beading, and Kudu horn all swathed in natural and skin-toned colors.

Tlale will be shocasing his designs in a category entitled Arise: African Promise Collective, which will feature Nigerian designers Tiffany Amber and Lisa Folawiyo, and Madagascar’s Eric Raisina.  His clothing line will be featured on the night of September 11th.

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By sally, September 10, 2009 11:33 am

Mrs. Tara Fela Durotoye is the Managing Director and Creative Director of HOUSE OF TARA International. A veteran in the beauty industry, who pioneered the bridal make up profession in Nigeria. She is a lawyer from Lagos State University who started business whilst an undergraduate. Tara is a trained and certified make up artist of Charles Fox, Convent Garden London.
In a series of first, she launched the 1st Bridal Directory in 1999, set up an international-standard make up studio, and established the country’s first make up school. Whilst the nation was yet catching its breath, Tara launched the Tara Orekelewa make up, a brand that promotes ethics and ethnicity, by empowering young women for economic independence without moral compromise, just as it flies the proudly Nigerian flag. Yet again, at her tenth anniversary in Lagos, she scored another first with the launch of the fragrance, “Be Inspired”, which has begun to gain ground around the country.

House of TARA is a registered makeover outfit that was founded in 1998. H.O.T. is dedicated to serving individuals and corporate clients who desire to enhance their unique looks, or that of their client, using make-up products and techniques. House of Tara International is a beauty/skin care consulting firm that desires to become a household name primarily amongst Nigerian females and thereafter West African females. It is also involved in raising young entrepreneurs in the beauty industry otherwise referred to as beauty care representatives. HOUSE OF TARA is adequately positioned to capture the online
market primarily in Nigeria and then West Africa. This is due to the fact that there is still a rich untapped market for the beauty/skin care consultants especially in Nigeria and other African countries.  Their mission is enrich lives of young women by offering them quality products to enhance their self-esteem and beauty. The product can also be used as a tool for becoming financially independent. House of Tara’s vision is to be the first choice of cosmetics for every black woman.

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By sally,

Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973) is an American media personality, actress, occasional singer, former model and businesswoman. She first became famous as a model in Paris, Milan, London, Tokyo and New York, but television appearances were her commercial breakthrough. Banks is the creator and host of the UPN/The CW reality television show America’s Next Top Model and is co-creator of True Beauty. She also hosts her own talk show, The Tyra Banks Show. In 2009 she was honored by Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) with the Excellence in Media Award.  Banks began modeling in the 11th grade. She later went to Paris, France to do some runway modeling. Within Banks’ first week in Paris, designers were so entranced by her presence on the runway that she was booked for an unprecedented twenty-five shows – a record in the business for a newcomer. She has done extensive print and/or runway work for fashion/advertising giants, such as Anna Sui, Coors Light, CoverGirl, Badgley Mischka, Bill Blass, Cynthia Rowley, Chanel, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Gemma Kahng, H&M, Isaac Mizrahi, Maria Snyder, McDonald’s, Aislinn Dubois Modeling Agency, Michael Kors, Milk, Nicole Miller, Nike, Inc., Oscar de la Renta, Pepsi, Perry Ellis, Randy Kemper, Richard Tyler, Rifat Ozbek, Swatch, Todd Oldham, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria’s Secret and Yves Saint Laurent. She has appeared on the covers of high-fashion magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan and Elle.

Banks was the first African American woman on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In 1997, she received the VH1 award for Supermodel of the Year. That same year, she became the first-ever African American chosen for the cover of the Victoria’s Secret catalog. Banks retired from modeling in May 2005 to concentrate on her television career. She walked the runway for the final time at the 2005 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Aside from modeling, In 1998, Banks authored a book entitled Tyra’s Beauty, Inside and Out. The book was advertised as a resource for helping women to make the most out of their natural beauty.

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By Andrew, September 9, 2009 7:33 pm

Afrokicks founders came up with the brilliant idea to let people proud of their country rep it on their shoes. So far the response has been so positive that more countries will be added to the company. NFL player Visanthe Shiancoe is the first of many celebrities that will surely show their African pride with Afrokicks. Jamati caught up with G.King for this exclusive interview.

When I first saw your sneakers I thought it was a brilliant idea to rep your country on your sneaker. Please share with us how the whole Afrokicks concept came about?

Well the idea came about in 2003 where a yearly event (Monrovia Classic) was held here in Atlanta. One of the other partners in the company (Baba Tunde Noibi), along with a couple other family members and myself wanted to rep Liberia in a way that no-one had ever done before. So we decided to get our Airforces hooked up the way you see our product today. The response was bigger than we imagined. From that moment we knew we had a real market for our product. You know there is a void in the sneaker market that needs to be filled. That void is the lack of African representation and we plan on filling it with Afrokicks.

What you are doing with Afrokicks is revolutionary because it’s a matter of pride to wear your home country flag and or colors. How do you see your brand as having a social impact on African youth?

Thank you Roxana. I see Afrokicks as having a major impact on African youth. Our youth needs to be connected to their roots and heritage tremendously. Unfortunately, the old way of sitting down with our parents to find out about our history, doesn’t work too well with today’s youth. We realized that hip-hop and urban lifestyle is what they connect to so we used the sneaker market to grab their attention and give them something that they can consider their own. Each pair of Afrokicks has a tag with a little bit of info about that country’s flag.

Wow, I am impressed my brother. I would need to rep for two West African countries because my family is from Sierra Leone and The Gambia and I am proud of that. How do you relate your sneaker to an eleven year old boy who is born and raised in the West who may not feel a source of pride for his parent’s African country?

That’s where our superstars come into play. When kids see some of their favorite athletes and entertainers with a pair of Afrokicks on, it helps draw them even closer to our product. So far we have reached out to some NFL players such as Vishante Shiancoe of the Minnesota Vikings (Liberia), Ovie Mulghelli of the Atlanta Falcons(Nigeria) and Joseph Addai of the Indianapolis Colts(Ghana) just to name a few. We also have a few other entertainers that will be wearing Afrokicks but I don’t want to ruin the surprise!

Since the sneakers are such unique products do you find it hard to market your sneaker? How do you identify your target consumer and how do you market this product to them?

Marketing our product isn’t that hard. We have done our research dealing with the African demographics so we have an idea of what cities in the U.S are heavily populated with Africans and what specific country they are from. We market these kicks through various websites, as well as posters and flyers. In 2008 you will see more Afrokicks ads with models instead of just the shoe.

Have you decided to partner with other brands for cross promotion?

We have been approached by a few apparel brands to do some cross promotion. Rebel Wear-One Nation, Jamhuri Wear, and Rasjudah are some of the lines that we have in mind to do some possible cross promotion with in the future.

Please describe your customer.

Our customer is not limited to an African. Our customer is anyone who identifies or wants to be identified with the African culture. We have a lot of customers that feel connected to Africa and are in love with the idea of Afrokicks. Then of course we have those that buy because the kicks are just that fly!

Your website only has kicks from Liberia, Ghana, Senegal and Nigeria listed. When do you plan to expand your product line to other countries?

Yes we do plan on expanding. Right now on our site we have a voting poll to help us determine which country or countries we should release next. So far we have been getting a lot of votes from Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.

You are based in Atlanta, Georgia. What stores outside of Atlanta have picked up your Afrokicks for sale?

We are in negotiations with a few stores outside of Georgia. We want to make sure that we choose the right store in the right areas that can reach our customers. We are also working along with a few stores in the UK as well. So keep your eyes open because we plan on making Afrokicks a household name. We plan on being out there like all the other sneaker brands. It’s up to us Africans to take Afrokicks to the next level. We created this product for us to be worn with pride by us.

Well it sure sounds like there is nothing but success in your future.

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By Andrew,

IF you live in London you will sit on them (once a week if you are lucky), they are sometimes garish, often dishevelled and over 3.5 million people see them every day – and now the seats on the London Underground are on the receiving end of a fashionable makeover.

For over 100 years the tube network has transported travellers across the capital, and artists and designers through the ages have created the print design for the seating fabric, or “moquette” seen by every passenger. Now Transport For London has launched a competition, for professional and non-professional designers, to create the next fabric.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the entries people send in,” Saskia Boersma, TFL brand licensing manager, said. “Design has always played an important role for London Underground and the new seating fabric will continue this tradition of high quality design.”

The design brief, which remains very much the same as it did in 1930, emphasises that the design’s colours should respond well to both natural and artificial light, with a pattern which takes account of wear and tear. The winning design will launch on the Piccadilly line in 2012 and will then be adopted across the London Underground system.

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By sally, September 8, 2009 11:43 pm

For the last 160 years in the Netherlands, Vlisco has dedicated itself to creating highly desired textiles that have become part of the vibrant culture of West and Central Africa. Vlisco Wax Hollandaise has become a phenomenon in its own right. These imported product designs have consistently surprised and inspired their passionate and critical audience, through the generations. Vlisco’s craftsmanship is second to none, both in look and in quality. From the beginning, Vlisco has created exciting and expressive textiles, which never use ‘cliché African’ imagery. This has ensured that Vlisco has no equal in this market. In a constantly changing world of consumer preference, Vlisco is committed to remaining at the forefront of African fashion. Whether buying by the yard or ready to wear, continuous updates in design and collections stimulates the creative force of the consumer. The core element in Wax Print is of course the wax. Using two deep engraved copper rollers, with the mirror image of the design, the two sides of the cotton fabric are printed with a pattern of melted wax, hence the name Wax Print. The fact that the cloth is printed on both sides enables you to wear the product either side.  This is the true sign of a quality wax print.  Following this, the cloth is immersed in a bath of dye, often Indigo, that penetrates into the areas that are not covered with wax. After the wax as been washed off in varying stages, a negative image of the printed pattern remains on the cloth. This intricate wax printing process results in unique effects that makes the product so outstanding. In fact, not one single centimetre of fabric is identical to the other!

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By Nwinkus, September 7, 2009 10:10 pm

Showmen to the last, Les Sapeurs have taken the genteel art of dressing to its illogical conclusion by adhering to the discipline known as La Sape – The Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes translated (the Society of Revelers and Elegant People)- otherwise referred to as the ‘religion of clothing’. Colonies of  La Sape exist in Kinshasa, Paris, Brussels and London and follow the example of Congolese rumba singer Papa Wemba (top left wearing a Cavalli fur coat on stage) the movements sartorial leader. The Sapeurs of  Congo Brazzaville and Congo enjoy a style rooted in the salons of Paris in 1920s, they wear designers like Cavalli, Versace, Gautier, Burberry,Comme de Garçons, Yamamoto, Miyake, Watanabe, Paul Gaultier and a lot more, yet choosing colours bright enough to stop traffic. Their armaments are hats, waist coats, scarfs, gloves and even a pair of braces, not to forget stylish shoes sunglasses and the odd cigar or pipe. Congolese immigrants  fascinated with the french style decided to imitate it, a number of them subscribe to Amicale, a pseudo religion founded by Congolese intellectual, Andre Grenard Matsoua, he returned from Paris in 1922 dressed in the fashion of the day and caused an uproar and a lot of admiration, he was known as the first Grand Sapeur, he struggled for human rights and freedom from colonial powers and as such achieved notoriety as a revolutionary, prophet and national hero.  I have always admired their ingenuity and indeed had they been of a different time and place  (not a country in transition) they will have been better acknowledged as style vanguard’s and artisans of a very unique craft ” the art of dressing in collage”.