Whether looking to the runways in London or Johannesburg, it’s obvious that young African designers are breaking with tradition and letting the world know there’s more to African style than boubous and dashikis. Gone are the days where ‘African’ designer meant only African fabrics and traditional patterns…
While African designers may complain of getting little exposure on the international stage, it looks like American designers are certainly paying attention to the happenings on African runways. This year’s most surprising collection came from rocker Gwen Stafani’s label, L.A.M.B., which was a colorful collection of African-print motifs splashed on everything from mini-dresses to tailored suits.
An “Afrocentric wind is rising” as declared by the New York Times. “To armchair travelers in the fashion world, many of whom are tapping the heritage of Kenya, Mali, Nigeria or Senegal in search of inspiration, Africa is playing the role that India had until recently, its themes embraced in the hope of making cash registers hum.”
