Ivory Coast held its 15th edition of the Afrik Fashion Show, ‘Made in Ivory Coast’, in the capital Abidjan as it brought together 15 designers to promote materials made locally.
The show was also organized to showcase various new and upcoming talents all over the country. According to a statement by the event organizers, beyond the symbolism of the 15 showcases of flamboyant creativity, the 15 creators on the bill “established the experience of ‘Made in Côte d’Ivoire'”.
The statement also noted that the designers expressed their creativity by using locally obtained materials and demonstrated the resilience of fashion designers and actors who have suffered greatly from the effects of Covid-19.
Nel Soro, an editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine noted that there were very beautiful collections showcased by the 15 designers. According to her, the designers through their designs showed that Ivory Coast has a lot of potential in its fashion industry.
“This year’s edition was under the theme ‘Made in Ivory Coast’ and with everyone here, we saw that Ivorian designers have potential”.
Nel Soro
The 15th edition of the Afrik Fashion Show took place under the theme ‘Promoting and digitalization of fashion in Africa’. It also aimed at promoting Ivory Coast through art, culture, and tourism.
It is important to note that the event was placed under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture and the Arts and Entertainment Industry, and the chairmanship of Siandou Fofana who is the Minister of Tourism and Leisure.
15 Designers create designs in four generational dimensions
The event highlighted the artistic heritage and creativity of Côte d’Ivoire through 15 designers who have created a brand in the Ivorian fashion industry.
The 15 designers designed original outfits using local materials and inspirations, in four generational dimensions. They were Ciss St Moïse, St Joe, Étienne Marcel, Pathé O and Michelle Yakice for the generation of Seniors. Anderson D, MB Design, Momoche, Tim Création, Patrick Asso, for the Junior generation. Franck Gnamien, Modeste Ba, Yohou Couture for the Cadets generation, and Michael Trah and Diamond Couture for the Benjamins generation.
Speaking after the fashion show, Gilles Touré, a renowned stylist in Ivory Coast said:
“Today we can afford (a garment from) a designer at a low price. So, we can say that fashion is becoming more democratic. Things are happening little by little, there are a lot of young designers, young ready-to-wear brands that are emerging, and African and Ivorian fashion today costs nothing at all”.
That notwithstanding, popular fashion designer, Maxim Sigani during an interview noted that she believed Ivory Coast’s fashion industry can achieve the ‘Made in Ivory Coast’ project if there was a fund to help young stylists, young designers. According to her, it will help the designers to be able to express themselves freely without thinking so much of financial constraints.
Afrik Fashion Show is an event dedicated to the promotion of African fashion, putting African designers on the same podium in Abidjan.
For years, it has showcased the talents of outstanding designers, promoted the talent of artisans made in Africa, enhanced the image of certain brands, and unearthed and nurtured new talents.
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