The clothing and design elements within African culture are visual representations but also represent an individual’s identity/resistance, and heritage; therefore, there are many forms of clothing and design represented throughout all of Africa. This annual fashion show, The Afri Art Fashion Show, is the perfect place to present cultural heritage, traditional artisanship, and modern artistic representation of what African fashion represents in order for others around the globe to see and appreciate.
The event takes place every year in Kampala, Uganda, and serves as a platform for showcasing African creative talent in fashion while also creating economic opportunities for many through this artistic medium.
A Platform Built to Empower Designers
African designers face many challenges surrounding economics, lack of funding or structures that limit funding, insufficient international visibility, and limited connections to the world of global fashion; the Afri Art Fashion Show creates a professional forum that will allow designers greater visibility to the media/event organizers and to each other.
In addition to providing a platform for young creatives, women-led and marginalised artists and their organizations, many established designers participate in this show. The show intends to continue developing and nurturing emerging talent while additionally supporting long-term growth in the industry versus short term growth of established brands.
Tradition Reimagined Through Modern Design
The Afri Art Fashion Show features many great designers whose collections reinterpret their cultural heritage in a more modern way; for example, traditional African clothing (such as Ankara, Kitenge, bark cloth, and hand-woven textiles) can often be reformed into modern silhouettes, high fashion clothing, urban wear, or gender-neutral collections. Rather than replicating or copying traditional methods of dressing, designers now have an opportunity to use their cultural textiles to come up with new and creative forms of design.
Designers take cultural motives that represent their culture and infuse them into worldwide trends, while still being authentic to themselves.
The Importance of It
Worldwide, Africa is home to a significant number of young people, which is vital when creating Bright Futures by unlocking the potential of Africa’s Creative Industries through support for local designers and developing and sustaining local production supply chains. This also relates to how we can use creativity as a tool to further develop communities’ sustainable development and preserve culture.
The story to be told to the audience through KnowAfrika goes beyond just the exploration of the designers’ styles; it also connects the elements of identity, entrepreneurship, and innovation. By participating in runway shows in Kampala, designers are creating a future for Africa by using creativity.
