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• Cell phones fight AIDS in Africa
• Sophis Okonedo plays in Skin
• Africans challenge global corruption in ‘Bamako’ courtroom
• Africa: 48 African countries expected in Cannes
• Warner Music announces strategic initiatives in North Africa
• Global Film Community invited to Oscars
• Africa/America—a beauty that could be
• Joburg Fashion Week’s Disco Masais and African City Girls
• Are mud floors cool?
Back in my fashion week round-up post, I mentioned the lack of black/african models on the runways this season. While it was a passing comment the topic holds great weight with many Africans trying to build a career in the modeling industry. While many of us take them for granted and often trivialize the idea of someone making money on their looks, the fact remains that models are an important part of selling a product in any industry. Many years ago, I went with a friend to a casting call. Let me tell you, you have to have serious determination, passion, and focus to go to those “cattle calls”. As I sat in a room of about 100 people vying for only one spot for a simple shoot, I realized that putting yourself out there to be judged by your looks alone is a harrowing experience. You are often at the whim of whomever is in charge and whatever their hang-up is that day or even that minute; and not taking it personally is easier said than done. My friend didn’t get the gig but she continued to pursue modeling until she finally gave up. Working on the “other side of the camera”, I’ve been witness to quite a few instances where models have had to tolerate everything from physical to verbal abuse just to get ahead; and if you feel that they get paid well enough to bear it you’re wrong. Just this past fashion week, I had to literally choke a model to get her shirt buttoned to complete the look the designer wanted; and my model just stood there and took it. Each season African models compete in a world where even when the product is being sold to people who look like them, they can easily be replaced by someone who doesn’t. Particularly in the fashion world there is a growing cap on how many African or black models can work each season or even per show. And I mean worldwide. Many designers make the excuse that African models don’t fit the look they’re going for, but the fact is it’s just an excuse not to make the effort. There are tons of qualified models like Noella, Honorine, Ajuma, Oluchi, and Atong working their way through the industry with varied enough looks for any shoot or runway. And they all represent the varied consumers who spend money on the fashion. If fashion week is all about creating excitement, then what is more captivating than an African model putting some flavor in an otherwise vanilla fashion show. So the next time you open a magazine, watch a video, or buy a product think about all those models who are putting themselves out there so that your image is represented and give them some credit. (photo: Style.com)
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Like the previous Converse RED sneakers up to 15 percent of profits of the sale of the sneakers will going directly to the (Product) Red Global Fund.
Via Complex
Last August while in Las Vegas for a mini vacation with the family, being the workaholic I am, I squeezed in a visit to to Magic and it’s satellite tradeshows, Project and Pool. For those who have never attended the Magic event, basically it’s a few days of high octane buying and selling of apparel of all levels. The tradeshow is possibly the biggest and most known in the world and attracts everyone involved in the apparel industry. Though Magic is primarily organized as a meeting place for apparel companies and buyers, it has become a place for everyone to flex their brand muscle and get attention by outdoing each other. Magic is the main show held at the Las Vegas Convention center while the two smaller more specialized shows, Project and Pool take place at different venues in the surrounding area. I can’t describe the hustling that takes place at Magic. Because Magic attracts EVERYONE from celebrities, who are usually endorsing a clothing line, to magazine publishers and editors, for that week Las Vegas becomes a hustler’s heaven. And African companies are getting hip to the opportunities at Magic. In the short time I had to see all the exhibitors, I made sure to go over to the DESIGN South Africa area, a first-time collection of 10 South African fashion houses who, sponsored by the South African government, had been chosen to make the trip to exhibit their offerings to the international buyers. I got into a good conversation with Themba Mngomezulu of the Darkie label about design, African identity and breaking into the US market. Darkie is a popular label in South Africa and Themba has been doing his thing on the fashion scene for a while. I was happy to talk to him and see that African designers are making an organized effort to compete outside of their borders.
The Fall 2007 season of Magic started yesterday in Las Vegas and this season there’s an African Pavilion organized by Eastern and Central Africa Trade Hub and West Africa Trade Hubs. The area will be featuring various African companies “with the relevant strategies and insights” who have been chosen to get assistance in penetrating the American market. Unfortunately I will not be on the scene to report about their efforts for two reasons. The first reason is Las Vegas will be overrun with posers and groupies this week with Magic and NBA All Star Week taking place at the same time; I can’t take it! The second reason is, while the few days can gain a clothing line like mine unparalleled exposure, Magic is a budget buster which doesn’t fit my current business strategy. With costs ranging from $2500+ just to rent a booth space, it can be a costly lesson to learn if your company is not structured to capitalize on the exposure. Magic brings buyers from all over the world who are always eager to stock new brands. The reason for going to Magic from a designers perspective is to get orders and you are almost guaranteed to get some good ones. But I learned from attending a smaller tradeshow in Miami last year that getting sizable orders can actually kill your business. As a good friend of mine said “if you are building a house and you want it to last, you need to start with a solid foundation and use the right materials” (translation: longevity is based on patience and strategy). The apparel industry is an especially difficult one to succeed in. People go out of business everyday, and one of the main reasons is they grow too fast. Many people get into business for the fame and notoriety and fail to pay attention to the business part. Yes, the fashion business has some nice perks, but if you get caught up in the hype it’ll die just as fast as it lived. Lack of proper financing, partner disagreements, and absence of adequate apparel business knowledge constantly cause apparel companies to go out of business; and many times it can be avoided. When a company like Cloak has to close down, then you know there’s more to fashion than champagne and models. With that being said, I hope the African companies taking part in this season’s Magic tradeshow have the structure in place to deal with the possible instant success. While we must start competing at some point we should also try to set our own pace for growth. The American market has eluded numerous foreign brands. I’m lucky to have started here, but I think I’ll take my time and grow.
More about the African Pavilion and African Sourcing at Magic:
Discover the Magic of Africa
Following from a Hub sponsored workshop to provide Kenyan apparel firms with the relevant strategies and insights for exhibiting their wares at the Sourcing at MAGIC apparel trade show and that will assist them in penetrating the lucrative $180 Billion U.S apparel market, it was highlighted that for maximum impact at MAGIC, it would be important for participants from the region work together. In view of this, the ECA and West Africa Trade Hubs are working together to set up an ‘African Pavilion’ at the show. The Pavilion will showcase over 30 companies from 10 countries in Africa. The ECA Hub is sponsoring 9 companies from Kenya, Uganda, Madagascar and Ethiopia to the show which will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada in February 2007.
So, I survived another fashion week with very little scrapes and bruises. As usual the week was hectic. Here are my observations:
• Kofi-ism #1: Never tell a model she’s sweating. Models need to be complemented only. Whatever!
• Kofi-ism #2: The only people worse off than uninvited fashion guests are the photo and video people”.
• Kofi-ism #3: Fashion is going through a black out period. Black/African models, unless Baby Phat hires you , you’re f**ked.
• Kofi-ism #4: Fashion week is over run by spectators who have no purpose but to eat, drink and be merry. If you’re not working at fashion week, please stay home. You’re killing the vibe.
• Kofi-ism #5: The days of goodie bags are over. See #4 for the reason why.
• Kofi-ism #6: There are way too many shows going on in the week. They need to be consolidated and staged in closer proximity.
Highlights of the week included Diesel’s retro punk show (Fresh!), Doo Ri’s excellently crafted dresses (I need to learn to sew like yesterday!), and Jackie Rogers’ show at Scores (Yeah baby!)
On the last day , with the last once of energy left, I left Tommy Hilfiger and walked uptown to attend the Designers for Darfur event. While the event got mixed reviews by the press, I was content with the way it turned out. Malcolm Harris and Lydia Hearst took on a huge responsibility in trying to put together this event and I think they deserve credit for that. One of the problems with scheduling a show to close out fashion week is that most people are exhausted by the last day and just ready to put the week behind them. While there weren’t as many celebrities at the event, the event did make a statement though not a huge one. The clothing was great and the vibe was on point. Though it could have been better planned to guarantee certain people be involved, I don’t share the NY Post’s Danica Lo’s opinion that it was a failure. The Designers for Darfur event reflected the general theme of the whole fashion week. Not many big name celebrities or industry vets even at the big name designer shows, a whole bunch of fans getting in the way, and shows running late and too close together.
Tommy Hilfiger had a dope stage
Organizers: SaveDarfur.org, Steve Madden, Malcolm Harris, Lydia Hearst
Steve Madden interviewing with MTV
Turkish designer Rabia
Designers for Darfur banner
Designers for Darfur poster
1 AM. I’m exhausted!
Sorry no real updates since Friday guys. The Fashion Week marathon is in full swing and the schedule is crazy. I’ll sneak in some updates soon. In the meantime read My Global Hustle, Africa Incorp, and Ecorazzi. I’ll be back.
• Africa’s tourism booms
• Bollywood at South Africa Fashion Week
• China’s new ‘win-win’ strategy in Africa
• The African Union’s ‘United States of Africa’ Project
• Ghana’s new way to stop it’s Brain Drain
Back in 2004 I organized a party to celebrate the launch my Spring/Summer 2004 collection. The collection was based around the Nigerian singer/Afro-beat originator Fela Kuti, an innovative musician who dared to re-invent African song. My launch party, called “Redefining African Style”, featured some upcoming African musicians who I felt were creating a new sound which also re-defined what African music was today. One of those artists was a fellow Ghanaian Wanlov The Kubolor. While I hadn’t seem him perform before, I was a fan of his music and was honored to have him perform as a special guest. Wanlov’s performance was one of the highlights of the Redefining African Style party and still stands out in the minds of many attendees. Wanlov’s “Never Die”(produced by Kweku Ananse of Pidgen Music) is now a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition finals. The finalists were chosen out of almost 15,000 submissions from 88 countries worldwide. Read Wanlov’s recent interview in The African magazine and watch the video below to see him performing his song “In Ghana” wearing his “Bling is Dead” t-shirt at last years “Bling & Blood” concert. You’ll agree that the guy’s got skills. Vote for Wanlov, one of Africa’s upcoming young innovators.
So I finalized my Fashion Week schedule the other day and, while I won’t be showing my clothing line this season, I am excited about the shows I’ll be attending. The week will definitely be an exciting one, as I am scheduled to work with some wonderful mens and womens designers. One show that I’m looking forward to attending though is the Designers for Darfur show taking place on Friday February 9th. Designers For Darfur, was founded in 2007 by designer Malcolm Harris of Mal Sirrah and model Lydia Hearst-Shaw (One Model Management) in association with Fashion Television and Steve Madden, Inc. The event is aimed to raise funds and awareness on behalf of the Save Darfur Coalition. The organizers have gotten a exciting list of designers to create one complete ensemble in Red, Yellow, Green or Black (or any combination of these symbolic colors of Africa) to be featured in the fashion show at Roseland Ballroom. Confirmed participating designers are Chado Ralph Rucci , Steve Madden , Donna Karan , Catherine Malandrino , Rachel Roy, J. Mendel, Michael Kors, Naeem Kahn, Alice & Olivia, Carlos Miele, Joseph Abboud, Marc Bouwer, Nanette Lepore, Carmen Marc Valvo, and Mal Sirrah among others. And those are just the designers. Oprah Winfrey, Joss Stone, Roberto Cavalli, Kanye West, Mia Farrow, Maria Bello, Don Cheadle, and Russell Simmons, are scheduled to attend; but the big question is will George Clooney, a serious advocate for US intervention in Darfur, make an appearance? I’ll let you know. Kudos to the organizers for closing out the week on a good note.
A collectors item?
via Fashion Cult