Naomi Campbell, Ozwald Boateng, Tinie Tempah and more at Arise Fashion Week in Lagos 2018 Video
AP Archive
Diffusion Apr 8th 2018
DESIGNERS PAY HOMAGE TO AFRICA AT ARISE FASHION WEEK
(3 Apr 2018) DESIGNERS PAY HOMAGE TO AFRICA AT ARISE FASHION WEEK Arise Fashion Week, which featured 45 designers, many from African countries wrapped up on Monday (02APRIL2018) in Lagos, Nigeria.
The four-day fashion event saw a number of well-known designers and at least one very well-known model – Naomi Campbell – present collections inspired by their African roots. Campbell walked the runway for Ozwald Boateng – a British fashion designer of Ghanaian descent, known for his trademark twist on classic British tailoring, popular among Hollywood’s elite.
Boateng, the subject of a 2012 documentary about his rise in the fashion world, presented a collection influenced by his African heritage. « Since I started designing which is thirty years now, I remember feeling like I wanted to revolutionize the concept of the suit and I thought by doing that, I basically take the traditional suit from Savile Row and find a modern flair for it. And the way I use, the way I use this modern flair was using color and texture and detail, » said Boateng.
« You know, at the time I never used, thought that my African roots were an influence. I just was basically looking for spurring different ways to be uniquely different. But what’s very clear to me now, that my African roots are why I do what I do. My cultural root has definitely been my tree and foundation of my creativity.
» Also showing during the event was British rapper and designer Tinie Tempah who presented his « What to Wear » collection.
Tempah, who is of Nigerian heritage, said he hoped young Nigerian designers would feel encouraged by his work.
« Even though we always had the best creativity in Nigeria, I didn’t really feel like this was the place where that creativity will be embraced and celebrated in this modern time, so what I hope is that it’s going to encourage more, you know, young, creative Nigerian designers, just young Nigerian creatives, to one, have the belief that they can make it anywhere, that they can make it, doing whatever they love, and just to encourage them to come out from wherever they are hiding from.
» Tempah also commented on sourcing locally for his designs.
« Being from the UK we always have to go to Turkey to sample fabrics or we have to go to Paris or we have to go to Milan, and I am so happy that I can be in my motherland, my fatherland and I can find everything that I need here because this is how it should be, » said Tempah.
