ADIREE will be hosting New York Fashion Week [Africa], a one-day activation under the Africa Fashion Week brand .The goal is to create structure around Africa’s growing fashion industry through entrepreneurship, education, branding, and global engagement.
Africa’s Fashion Industry Branding and Global Engagement :
ADIREE is the company behind the newly re-branded activation, New York Fashion Week Africa , an idea fostered by Adiat Disu and her team after reviewing the trend of Africa Fashion Weeks across the globe (triggered by the launch of their Africa Fashion Week, New York in 2009).
“Our mission has always been to integrate foreign and African brands globally, while creating and maintaining a sustainable platform, thus the idea of creating a string of (3-day) Africa Fashion Week’s in major fashion capitals. The trend was immediately adopted and replicated by others unaffiliated with Adiree, causing confusion and perhaps causing more harm than good to the fashion brands involved. It is very important to us that we create a unique brand of activations under the “Africa Fashion Week” label that truly lends itself to the global development of fashion from the continent. An activation respected by African’s as well as respective fashion and retail bodies of respective industries.
As important, our brand should remain unique and managed by selected partners who ethically adopt our Africa Fashion Week brands’ identity and mission as their own.” – Adiat Disu, Director of Africa Fashion Week.
NYFWAFRICA, will take place on Friday, September 11th, during New York Fashion Week (September 10-17, 2015). Bringing a piece of Africa to the New York Fashion Week calendar is essential to us because it adds both diversity and authenticity to the global fashion economy. In addition, it integrates Africa’s designs and related brands with the global fashion calendar (which is essential for Africa to complete globally). As important, creating this one-day activation under the scope of New York’s biggest and most globally recognized fashion expose allows guests to explore Africa’s modern fashion, designs, and related brands.
Overall, New York Fashion Week Africa becomes a bridge where people behind Africa’s premier brands can leave their imprint on American consumers and meet consumers, partners, and industry movers and shakers in the diaspora.
This year’s event will be be featured on the CFDA’s fashion calendar, with the ultimate goal of integrating Africa’s premier brands in design with the global fashion calendar. In addition, the following is what to expect.
Africa’s Fashion Industry & Education:
Nevertheless, the intent of re-naming and creating such activations was not to establish an entertainment platform, but to birth an activation that is improved; developing, building, educating, and integrating Africa’s fashion professionals and brands within the global fashion arena.
Thus, the idea of re-branding and creating a one-day activation during major fashion capitals’ retail driven weeks was born. Respecting each fashion calendar’s structure (for example: New York, London, Paris, Milan), Adiree looks to partner with those interested in placing Africa on the global fashion map through meaningful programming, retail-focused and fashion-education activations and creative presentations.
Africa’s Fashion Industry & Entrepreneurship :
“There are approximately 800 fashion companies based in New York, and they contribute a combined total of approximately 175,000 jobs to the city’s economy. The mission behind our original Africa Fashion Week (in fashion capitals) concept was about acknowledging and developing the power of fashion / creative entrepreneurship . Let’s face it, the fashion industry is a sector in Africa that is often overlooked. All too often, parents and society in general looks down on children for wanting to pursue a career in fashion. The perception is that fashion is only for those who couldn’t succeed at “respectable academic pursuits.’ With this type of thinking, it is no wonder the industry is left formless; without anyone with a reasonable amount of power and/or resources to develop it for future leaders to grow and prosper from. Whereas, if structure, global branding initiatives, and more educational platforms were provided to show the propensity and variety of careers in the fashion industry, many would flock to build the industry and its leadership. I believe developing such an industry is one way of providing economic empowerment to women and the youth in Africa (considering that 75% of the continent is youth, and a majority are unemployed). Whether it is actually designing, marketing, project management of production or manufacturing the clothing and fabric- we need to pay more attention to the opportunities that reside in the industry and assist in formalizing its existence. Partnering with the UN Foundation, USAID, and US based entrepreneurs with the trade-and-not-aid mentality, has aided us in building a structure around Africa’s Fashion Industry.” – Adiat Disu
For those who would like to attend and secure their seats CLICK HERE!
Date: Friday, September 11th, 2015
Place: 41 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004 (Broad Street Ballroom)
Luxury Africa Conference | 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM |
New York Fashion Week Africa | 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Prints & Mixer | 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM
FEATURED SPEAKERS/BRANDS: David Tlale (South Africa), Fanta Kamara of Marazetti (Liberia), Moet & Hennessy, more…
DESIGNERS: AfricaFashionWeek.com/designers
