 |
| AFW chicago at The Promomtory. |
 |
| Joquette Boutique Collection |
African Fashion Week this year was held at
The Promontory in Chicago on the 12th of November.
AFW Chicago marked its fifth year running this year and Christianah Ajanaku founder of
AFW Chicago put together a fabulous show this year. The pre show vendor marketplace was a fun little experience to get you into the mood of what was in store for us for the next part of the evening.
Zurik Girl from last years show was one of the vendors and they had some really eye catching pieces, I bought an African print skirt for myself and cannot wait to wear it for a special occasion. Newcomer Adejoke Oyewole of
Joquette Boutique showcased beautiful African inspired versatile pieces at the vendor market as well as on the ramp later for the main event.
Triple A Gourmet Treats owner Biola was offering a tasting of Chin Chin a Nigerian cookie snack, it is delicious and crunchy not too sweet, just right.
 |
| Fehinti Home Decor |
Moji Akinde the host for the show that evening was also showcasing her home decor line called
Fehenti pronounced feh-yin-tee it is Yoruba for "to lean back and relax" or "to chill." Her company also provided decor for the night with pops of bright African prints.
The music at
AFW was a collection of contemporary beats from all over the African continent. The vibe created by the amazing skills of
DJ Dee Money of
D.I.S Entertainment. If you are into Afro beats you need to check him out, he plays at various Chicago venues and the most popular of his events is
Afrofusion. This Saturday 18 th November 2017 the
Afrofusion event is taking place at The Bassline in Chicago, if you want to do some serious dancing go enjoy some great music this Saturday at The Bassline in Chicago.
 |
| Designer Binta Sagale |
 |
| Binta Sagale Gown |
 |
| Binta sagale Gown |
The shows main designer was
Binta Sagale who as always had a stunning collection.She had a daywear collection that incorporated sleek simple silhouettes with a touch of an African flavor. Her evening wear was very elegant, from what I have seen in the past white gowns seem to be
Sagale's thing, they were absolutely stunning, a beautiful deep plum feathered gown was at the other extreme of her color palette and champagne and rose pink gowns to bridge the two together. Binta
Sagale's work and attention to detail is just amazing.
 |
| Rouge Bear Shirt |
 |
| Grey Trench with Lime Green Embroidery by Rouge Bear |
Rouge Bear provides designer wear that is very street smart, you can see the African inspiration in the apparel designed by
Rouge Bear. The embroidery on the shirts that were showcased was that of a Agbada or a Dashiki suit. My favorite was a lady's grey trench coat with lime green embroidery on the the sleeves, I wouldn't mind being caught in one of those on a dull cold winters day, the crisp lime green adds a great pop of color like a pick me up!
 |
| Jacket by Chicago Playground |
 |
| Motherland Homage to Africa Jacket by Chicago Playground |
Chicago playground was really fun to see, designer Rodnell Harris says he doesn't see his work or himself as a clothing designer, he is more of an artist or a storyteller. He creates visuals on varsity jackets that are very eye catching. Of course my favorite was "Motherland Homage to Africa Jacket," you can take me out of Africa but you cannot take Africa out of me!
 |
| Designs by Ilava |
Ilava who I saw at the Pan African Association's charity fashion show earlier this year was also showcasing their collection. I was drawn to one particular ensemble of a chic pink and grey jumbo polka dot printed low neck peplum top that had matching ankle pants. I loved the color combination and how it was a little different from the rest of the collection but played well with the other prints in the collection. I liked how it had the notion of bright colors from African clothing but at the same time it wasn't, it was refreshing to see that after seeing a sea of busy prints this piece was kind of like a much needed Alkaseltzer after all the energizing prints that were on show.
If you have enjoyed reading about this event and are looking to experience something different, fashion wise, as well as music and want to experience Africa without flying to Africa I highly recommend attending
AFW Chicago next year.
Special thanks to
Onyii Photography for all the lovely visuals.
No comments:
Post a Comment