Ann McCreath, the managing director and head designer of the fashion brand Kiko Romeo, showcased on day three of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week (Africa), hosted by African Fashion International – AFI, at the Melrose Arch in Johannesburg, South Africa from October 29th – November 1st 2014.
The DNA of the African Fashion Industry is quickly being decoded by designers like Ann McCreath, who with her menswear collection — a la Afro-punk — told a different African story.
The fashion delivered on the runway was diverse, incorporating subtle and some dramatic use of traditional patterns and symbols, sending a message and telling a story adaptive to global consumer taste and trends.
Here are three clear-cut messages that her collection and brand sends us about Africa’s growing fashion industry:
1. FASHION FROM THE CONTINENT IS SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE & CONSCIOUS
2. FASHION FROM THE CONTINENT HAS GLOBAL APPEAL
The movement continues to grow. And the participation of black people globally in the punk and alternative music culture also continues to grow.
Ann McCreath’s use of Afro-punk as an inspiration for her collection is proof that designers from the continent can identify with global movements, and appeal to growing trends.
3. FASHION FROM THE AFRICA IS AN INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY (YEAH, PUT IT IN THE BAG)
Kiko Romeo is a brand that has made her presence known in New York’s edition of Africa Fashion Week, and has also created fashion platforms on the continent such as Festival for African Fashion and Arts, and showcased at other Africa Fashion Weeks, such as Mercedes Benz Fashion Week (Africa).
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