As Africa is demanding more and more attention from the fashion industry, it’s hard not to notice them. As seen through the lens of Swedish photojournalist Per-Anders Pettersson, who wrote a book called “African Catwalk” and photographed 16 different fashion weeks in Africa. Here are the fashion weeks he’s photographed:
1. Cape Town
Cape Town is for the up-and-coming fashion newcomers in South Africa. A local publication, Cape Town Travel writes, “he event, which hosts the country’s most fashionable—both on and off the catwalk—fittingly plays out against the backdrop of Table Mountain one of most recognizable, and naturally beautiful, landmarks in the country, if not the world.”
2. Africa Fashion Week
We write on our official website, “Through partnerships, quality productions, campaigns, and media placements Adirée are establishing the way consumers should view products from Africa (i.e. Made in Angola, Made in Zimbabwe, or Made in Nigeria). Using communications strategies such as hosting international “Africa fashion Weeks” in 2009, ignited a trend via their original idea of establishing and hosting African Fashion Weeks throughout fashion capitals thus birthing Africa Fashion Week New York | London | Paris | Milan | Berlin | Tokyo. Africa Fashion Week (AFW) in New York attracts more than 1,500 industry insiders.”
3. Kinshasa (Congo Fashion Week)
Africa’s fashion has been on its way to global popularity, but artists and entertainers push them even further. Solange Knowles featured men in bright-colored suits in her “Losing You” video. This fashion week was founded by Marie-France Idikay with the mission to “to promote Congolese and African fashion, upcoming and established designers to the fast, ever-growing international market.”
4. Johannesburg
This city in South Africa is not an uncommon name around the world. Joburg Fashion Week garnered international recognition by giving younger and newer artists the chance to showcase their work. They also have South Africa Fashion Week claiming to be “the only business-to-business platform that markets and promotes designers throughout Africa and are the authoritative voice on the business of fashion.”
5. Lagos
Omoyemi Akerele, founder of Lagos Fashion Week, said in an interview with The Guardian Life Nigeria “For us, it’s always been beyond fashion week. It’s not just an event; it’s a platform. [Style House Files] has developed and executed strategic initiatives to support and strengthen the industry. Lagos Fashion Week is one of them.” This fashion week has become a stepping stone for designers to showcase in bigger fashion weeks like Milan and Paris.
6. Accra
This fashion week is held in Ghana – known for their kente cloth. Ghana Fashion and Design Week is an annual event that aims to do more than just showcase fashion. They hold seminars, workshops and networking events for their designers. Accra Fashion Week is also held here. “Ghana’s premier fashion week destined to make Accra city a fashion capital” is how the website describes them.
7. Dar Es Salaam
In Tanzania, the city of Dar Es Salaam hosts Swahili Fashion Week and has been doing so for over 10 years. They write on their website that they are “the biggest and largest annual fashion event in the whole of East and Central Africa providing a platform for fashion and accessory designers from Swahili speaking countries and beyond to showcase their talent, market their creativity and network with clientele and the international fashion industry.”
8. Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia, which hosts Hub of Addis Fashion Week. This is one of the best cities to be in for up-and-coming designers because it is the headquarters of the African Union – what does this mean? Diplomats and families alike swarm these shows.
9. Dakar
Senegal has been a cultural hot-spots since the 1960s, so it’s not new to the fashion world. Dakar Fashion Week is the longest-running fashion week in the whole continent – running for 17 years. Designer Adama Paris founded this and has only grown ever since its inception. It is not the most popular but it is beginning to gain traction with shoots in Vogue and GQ.
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Backstage beauties shot by @kafeniccolai #dakarfashionweek2019 #mygreatafrica #adamaparisagency
Moises is a full-time graduate student at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY reporting mainly on food and restaurants but maintains overall emphasis on arts and culture.