As the Berlin Fashion Week draws to an end, one of its latest highlights took place on Friday (January 17): Africa Fashion Day Berlin
celebrated its second event during the fashion days with a fancy dinner and a show comprised of pieces by various designers with African or Caribbean roots.
The goal of Africa Fashion Day is to bring African fashion into the existing fold and to create a platform for African, Afro-Caribbean and
African Americans living in Europe, said the founder of the event, Beatrace Angut Oola. She is herself German-born with Ugandan parents, and says the time is right for the fashion world to embrace design that is a combination of the European and African influences.
“Africa Fashion Day Berlin is a platform for designers of African heritage who are based on the continent or also here in the diaspora.
It’s a platform for them to present their collections, to network, to create business contacts. We want to bring awareness to the fashion people here in Europe and basically here in Germany,” Oola told Reuters TV.
The event was also in honour of the late South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, said Oola. “Since we are doing this event we need to honour this gorgeous, incredible man and that is why we said we are going to have this tribute for Nelson Mandela with a South African dancer who performed South-Afro-fusion.”
Braima Sori Ba is one of those designers. His extravagant suits already sell all over the world. He was born in Guinea Bissau and discovered his passion for good clothes early on in life. His label BSB sells from Hamburg, Hong Kong, New York and Bali.
Braima Sori Ba believes that fashion helps connecting people: “A suit is important. If you wear an interesting suit, you can be anywhere and people will talk to you. When I wear my suit, it does not matter where I am, people will approach me, I have met so many people because of it. Clothes are a means of communication,” the designer told Reuters TV.
Reuters
FRENCH VERSION
Africa Fashion Day vise à intégrer la mode africaine l’existant et decréer une plate-forme pour les pays d’Afrique, Afro-antillaise et
“Africa Fashion Day Berlin est une plate-forme pour lesconcepteurs d’origine africaine qui reposent sur le continent ouégalement ici dans la diaspora.
L’événement était également en l’honneur du combattant de la liberté de l’Afrique du Sud fin Nelson Mandela, a déclaré Oola. « Puisque nous faisons cet événement nous devons rendre hommage à cet homme magnifique, incroyable, et c’est pourquoinous avons dit que nous allons avoir cet hommage à NelsonMandela avec un danseur sud-africain qui a joué du Sud-Afro-fusion. »
Aurelie Sori Ba est l’un de ces créateurs. Ses costumesextravagants déjà vendent partout dans le monde. Il est né enGuinée-Bissau et a découvert sa passion pour les vêtements bonsdès le début dans la vie. Son label BSB vend à partir deHambourg, de Hong Kong, New York et de Bali.
Aurelie Sori Ba estime que la mode aide à connecter les gens: « uncostume est important. Si vous portez une combinaisonintéressante, vous pouvez être n’importe où, et les gens vousparlera. Lorsque j’ai porter mon costume, il n’importe pas où jesuis, les gens seront approcher de moi, j’ai rencontré tellement depersonnes à cause de cela. Le concepteur vêtements sont unmoyen de communication,”a déclaré à Reuters TV.
Reuters
