JOHANNESBURG, Jun 4, 2010 / — African designers from all over the world are jetting in to showcase their Trans seasonal 2010 collections at the Sandton Convention Centre during Africa Fashion Week which starts on June 30, only days before the FIFA 2010 World Cup Quarter Finals.

Established South African fashion-world heavy-weights including Marianne Fassler, Errol Arendz, Stoned Cherrie and David Tlale will show alongside global talents like Deola Sagoe (fresh from New York Fashion Week) and current celeb-favourite LaQuan Smith.

Xuly Bët, the Paris-based go-to label for many celebrities, including Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill and Neneh Cherry, will be opening this year’s Africa Fashion Week. The award-winning label recently made global headlines with the ‘Obama’ dress at New York Fashion Week.

Marianne Fassler, who has not shown for two years, will be showcasing a collection entitled Global Gathering. The collection, a multi-layered extravaganza will focus on the idea of beginning: Africa as the birthplace of mankind and children as the original designers – her show will open with a small capsule collection designed under her direction by two children Adam (7) and Sibella (9), before continuing on a journey that pays homage to Africa’s polyglot of nations.

Joining her on the schedule is New York-based label Mataano. The soft, feminine line is designed by the Somali sisters Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim who have been likened to the Olsen twins of Africa and have featured on CNN and Oprah.

Other designers traveling from the US include Laquan Smith, the current favourite of Rihanna (he designed the gold jumpsuit for her Rudeboy video) and Lady Gaga.

Mimi Plange, who has worked with designer Rachel Roy and Patricia Field, the famed Sex and the City stylist, will be bringing her sophisticated, yet deeply romantic label Boudoir D’Huitres to Africa Fashion Week.

Bunmi Koko, a British-based label has been garnering UK press attention over the past year with her innovative, structured designs favoured by celebrities such as Mel B (who chose a Bunmi Koko couture dress for the 2010 Brit Awards), Alesha Dixon, Alex Curran, Sadie Frost and Kate Middleton will also be showcasing on African soil.

Local South African brand Stoned Cherrie will be marking their tenth anniversary with their Africa Fashion Week show – their Summer 2010 collection is a retrospective look at the label’s silhouettes throughout its history.

“Africa Fashion Week is providing a platform for shining stars from across the diaspora, the continent and the country,” says Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Chairperson of African Fashion International. “The world continues its love affair with all things African, African as a point of reference, not as a cliché and it’s very important we here in Africa continue to support that.”

Completing the line-up of designers at Africa Fashion Week 2010 are Sakina Msa, Ituen Basi (last year’s Africa Fashion Award winner for Innovative Designs), Soucha, Heni Este-Heijzen and Christie Brown (joint winners of last year’s Emerging Designer Award), Noir, Qumi Bespoke, Koketso Chiepe, Gloria Wavamunno and Abigail Betz, Thula Sindi, Carducci and Fabiani.

The four day event features more than 27 designers from Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Uganda, Botswana, Ghana, Somali, Tunisia, French Commores, South Africa, Mozambique, the United States and the UK
Africa Fashion Weeks runs from June 30 – July 3 2010 at the Sandton Convention Centre

For more information, full show schedules and highlights from previous collections go to www.africanfashioninternational.com

Tickets available from Computicket from June 7.

The full list of designers is as follows

DESIGNER / BRAND COUNTRY

  • Abigail Betz South Africa
  • Boudoir D’huitres Guinea Bissau
  • Bunmi Koko Nigeria
  • Carducci Men & Womens wear South Africa
  • Christie Brown Ghana
  • David Tlale South Africa
  • Deola Sagoe Nigeria
  • Errol Arendz South Africa
  • Fabiani South Africa
  • Gloria Wavamunno Uganda
  • Heni South Africa (JHB Based)
  • Ituen Basi Nigeria
  • Kluk CGDT South Africa (Cape Town based)
  • Koketso Chiepe Botswana
  • Laquan Smith US(NY based)
  • Marianne Fassler South Africa
  • Mataano Somali (NY Based)
  • qUmi Bespoke Ghana
  • Sakina Msa French Commores
  • Sandra Muendane Mozambique
  • Soucha Egypt
  • Stoned Cherrie South Africa
  • Suzaan Heyns South Africa
  • Thula Sindi South Africa
  • Xuly Bet Mali (Paris Based)

Africa Fashion Week 2010
June 30 – July 3, 2010