Fashion week chairperson Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe on October 10 announced that the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa (MBFW Africa) will be taking place from October 30 to November 2.
Collections of more than 30 designers from 15 countries across the continent will be showcased in 20 runway shows in the City of Tshwane; the new host of the four-day event.
Featured in the event is Mozambican designer Taibo Bacar – last year’s designer of the year winner – as well as Mille Collines from Rwanda, Mina Evans and Duaba Serwa from Ghana, Sheria Ngowi and Mustafa Hassanali from Tanzania, David Tlale, Marianne Fassler and Thula Sindi from South Africa.
The event is a trans-seasonal showcase, which takes place yearly in October and provides a stage for African and heritage designers to present their work.
Moloi-Motsepe said: “MBFW Africa is the pinnacle of African fashion: the platform is the gateway between African designers and the global fashion community to engage and promote our local industry.
“African designers have shown themselves to be world-class in their creativity and aesthetic, and MBFW Africa strives to heighten accessibility to new markets through regional and international exposure, creating a global desire for African-designed fashion.”
This year’s fashion week will also feature a retail element: the Africa Fashion Trade Expo. The expo offers designers the opportunity to engage in business-to-business networking with the media and buyers as well as sales directly to the public.
For more information go to www.afi.za.com.
Rhodé Marshall for the Mail & Guardian