|
African
Fashions Win World Acclaim
by
Muguette
Goufrani
Africans
are painting the world in a
kaleidoscope of bold colors and
patterns,
an exciting trend Africa Travel
Magazine features in every issue.
Webtrends, which monitors our
website around the clock, proves
that fashion is tops for reader
reaction, and last month when our
editor did a multi topic search
on Google and Yahoo, out of
1,340,000 entries for the words
"Africa Fashion," this website
was #1. Shining examples abound,
such as the vibrant color
combinations, dazzling patterns,
rich fabrics, fabulous headgear
and elegant gowns we saw in
Conakry and traveling through
Guinea (right). A few months
prior, while returning to Paris
from Cameroon, we spent some
quality time with
Seidnaly
Alphadi,
whose African- inspired creations
are taking Europe by storm. It
seemed like half of the plane was
filled with models from a Fashion
Show Alphadi (below left) had
just staged. We spoke to the
popular African designer at his
office a few years ago in a phone
interview, and expect to attend
some of his coming events in
Africa soon.
Born
in Timbuktu, Alphadi is one of
today's leading edge fashion
designers.
This
kind of exposure has spawned a
growing market for the
Alphadi
label in Africa
itself.
At
a
garden
party by the beach at Limbe, near
Mount Cameroon and the famous
Limbe Botanical Gardens, our
group of travel agents was
treated to an outstanding fashion
show. It featured the creations
of ' Estrella' one of Cameroon's
top designers,
whom
we showcased in Africa Travel
magazine and on this
site.
Washington,
DC: The Ministry of Tourism and
Handicrafts for the Republic of
Mali showcased the rich culture
of Mali and its people at the
Smithsonian Folklife Festival on
the National Mall, last June. In
addition to the great
entertainment, Mali's musical
ambassadors (left) gave their
United States audience a sample
of the country's colorful
fashions. Stay tuned for much
more about Mali's role in the
world of fashion and
design.
Webisco
of Nigeria: In 2000 at the Addis
Hilton in Ethiopia, our editor
was prompted to get into the act,
and took the stage, along with
his ATA colleagues at an event
sponsored by Chief Margaret
Fabiyi of Nigeria. The first of
what's now an annual affair, was
held in Arusha, Tanzania .
Convinced by the results from
Webtrends and comments from
Tourism Ministers, we know that
Africa Travel Magazine's readers
enjoy this timely topic. That's
why we invite designers, jewelers
and cosmetics firms to send items
of interest. African wear has
been a routine with us for years
at home and away. It's a reminder
of the wide smiles, upbeat
attitudes and lasting friendships
we enjoy. Like the pace and
lifestyle of Africa itself... it
feels good.
Oumou
Sy, Senegal's Queen of
Couture
by
Nicole L. Smith. Where else does
Western chic meet
Afro-avant-garde but in the
creations of Oumou Sy, Senegal's
Queen of Couture. Her signature:
bold fashion ideas which contain
glamorous Afro-centricism fused
with universal style. Ms. Sy is
not only a prolific fashion
designer, but she is also a
stylist, teacher, businesswoman
and founder of the annual Dakar
Carnival and International
Fashion Week in Dakar. Always on
the cutting edge, it was she
(with her partners) who pioneered
cyber-cafe culture across all of
Senegal. (continued)
Textiles from 53 Destinations in
Africa and its Offshore
Islands.
by
Muguette Goufrani
It's
amazing! For the past three
years, the most popular section
on this web site, according to
Webtrends, which charts our page
views day by day, is Africa
Travel Fashions. Since Africa
Travel Magazine's editors believe
in giving readers what they want,
each new editiion of our printed
magazine contains additional
pages featuring the colorful
clothing, designers and fabrics
of Africa,. In addition, there
are visitors tips on what and
where to buy Two years ago at the
huge Merkato Market (the size of
several football fields) and
other unique spots in Addis
Ababa, we were in Shoppers'
Heaven. The prices were
exceptional with our exchange
rate and the variety of items was
endless.
We would need a whole web site or
catalog just to cover fashions,
wearable art, fabrics and
shopping venues in Ethiopia, let
alone what I've already
experienced in Togo, Gabon, Cote
d'Ivoire, Morocco, Tanzania,
Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and
various other destinations we've
visited. We're now considering a
special edition of our magazine
devoted entirely to African
travel fashions with a gallery of
color photos.
 Speaking
of Ethiopian Design, attractive,
multicolor scarves and shawls are
very popular with visitors. I
bought several, one to match each
of 3 separate outfits. Such an
array to chose from, and they
take up so little weight and
space in your suitcase. The photo
(right) by Robert Eilets of New
York, was taken at Lake Tana. We
visited a busy and bountiful
outdoor market there at Bahar
Dar, a lakeside resort that is
sure to become a major tourism
attraction of the future thanks
to its historic setting and the
addition of an attractive new
resort that was nearing
completion at the time of our
visit in February 2000.
details
Ghana's
Weavers of Dreams
When
myself and the Editor of Africa
Travel Magazine, visited historic
Kumasi with our guide from
Sagrenti Tours of Accra, Ghana,
we made several trips to the
weavers village which is located
nearby. As in the big city
markets, were overwhelmed by the
wide variety of Kente cloth items
available. Be prepared to bargain
- it's part of the scene. The
caps, shirts and other goods we
bargained for have since proven
to be of excellent quality - they
never seem to wear out. The
question that arises most often
when other North Americans see us
wearing our African duds is
-"What is Kente cloth?"
What
is Kente Cloth?
Basically,
it's an Asante ceremonial cloth
that is hand-woven on a
horizontal treadle loom. The
looms we saw at the village near
Kumasi were out in the open air,
although in a grassy, shaded
area. Cloth strips, approximately
4 inches wide are sewn together
into larger bolts. Of many
colors, sizes and designs, Kente
cloth items, long scarfs in
particular, are worn throughout
Ghana and its neighboring
countries, during most social and
religious occasions. The name
comes from the word 'kenten',
which means basket. We saw
virtually every possible color
and pattern of kente cloth during
the day-long Durbar ceremony at
Koforidua village near Accra.
According to Ghanaians, kente
depicts the area's history and
philosophy, its ethics, oral
literature, moral values, social
and religious concepts.
Iman
Cosmetics:
Iman, daughter of a Somalian
diplomat, might be called the
Estee Lauder for women of color.
Iman distributes her cosmetics in
700 shops in the USA. Now living
in London and married to David
Bowie, she's rated among the 5
most beautiful women in the
world. Iman opened a shop in
London and South Africa in 1998.
Her products are for women of
many races; Asian, Black,
Hispanics and Arabs. Iman says
that Metis are in fashion and
provides products for them.
Colored women were always ready
to invest in cosmetics, a sector
of rapid expansion. What's termed
minorities, represents the
majority of world population. In
the USA, fifty percent of the
public will soon be colored,
which represents a gigantic
purchasing power. We have to tell
to the black women that they are
beautiful. I am against products
which clear the skin. Colored
women sometimes use chemical
products and damage their skin.
Those products should be
controlled by professional
dermatologists.
Ethiopia's
Rising Star
Guenet
Fresenbet, known as Gigi to many,
is one of a few Ethiopian
designers in Addis. She launched
the first fashion magazine in
Ethiopia called 'GIGI,' with the
message of promoting clothing
that is made in Ethiopia by
Ethiopians. Gigi's desire is to
promote the Ethiopian textile and
leather industry, so that
Ethiopia as well as other African
nations can play a more
competitive role in the worldwide
fashion industry. Gigi has always
had a passion for art but decided
to pursue a career in the fashion
industry in the late 80s after
studying fine arts and graphic
design in the United States.
Although Gigi spent some years in
United States, she has always had
a desire to return to her
homeland of Ethiopia to promote
Ethiopian clothing and textiles.
Her dreams have always been to
see Ethiopian clothing sold in
stores throughout the world
(continued
below).
Speaking
of Ethiopian Design, attractive,
multicolor scarves and shawls are
very popular with visitors. I
bought several, one to match each
of 3 separate outfits. Such an
array to chose from, and they
take up so little weight and
space in your suitcase. The photo
(right) by Robert Eilets of New
York, was taken at Lake Tana. We
visited a busy and bountiful
outdoor market there at Bahar
Dar, a lakeside resort that is
sure to become a major tourism
attraction of the future, thanks
to its historic setting and the
addition of an attractive new
resort that was nearing
completion at the time of our
visit in February 2000.
details
Ethiopia's
Rising Star (continued from
above)
Gigi uses several types of
Ethiopian fabrics for her
designs, and one type of material
that she is currently using is
known as the 'Shibshebo' which
means 'crinkles' in Amharic and
gains this crumpled effect when
washed. The Shibshebo is a very
popular fabric in Ethiopia and is
used to make the traditional
Ethiopian dress. The traditional
manner of designing dresses from
this material does not enhance
the woman's body, so Gigi has
used contemporary designs to make
better use of this wonderful
handmade fabric. Her Shebshebo
designs have created dresses that
are graceful, flowing and
comfortable. The Shibshebo is
unique, because to date it has
generally been used to make
traditional dresses.
The
new designs by Gigi that use this
material incorporate tradition
and contemporary fashion, a
unique mix. It also offers a
special advantage because the
designs are very modern but the
fabric will still remind people
of the tradition associated with
this material. This material can
also be appreciated because it
keeps one cool when worn in warm
weather. Residents of Ethiopia
can especially appreciate this
attribute because we live in a
land where we have 13 beautiful
months of sunshine. In addition
though, Shibshebo can be
appreciated in the western world
where it can be worn during their
summer months. It can compete
with linen, which is normally
worn during hot weather.
The Shibshebo has traditionally
been used to make clothing for
women only but Gigi has taken
this a step further and has
designed different outfits for
men as well. We are certain that
the future designs of Shibshebo
will include children's clothing
as well. Also, Gigi's designs
have made clothing made from
Shibshebo quite adaptable,
enabling them to be worn at both
casual as well as formal
occasions. The Shibshebo is one
of many Ethiopian-made materials
that Gigi uses for her designs.
All of her designs use materials
that have been produced in
Ethiopia since she believes in
supporting Ethiopia's natural
resources that have thus far been
under-utilized. In the future,
Gigi would also like to develop
and introduce western made raw
materials if they can not be
produced in Ethiopia. She
continues to encourage Ethiopian
designers living overseas as well
as local designers to use
Ethiopian raw materials as well
as doing everything in their
power to help the Ethiopian
fashion industry grow to its full
potential. Gigi: Tel: 251-1-53 16
86/53 16 90, E-mail: gigi's
designs@yahoo.com, Website:
www.geocities.com/gigiecm, PO Box
101315, Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia.
Gigi,
one of our advertisers in the
Jubilee Edition, presented a
Fashion Show at the elegant
Sheraton Addis Hotel; one of two
African Fashion events held
during ATA's 25th Jubilee
Congress in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, May, 2000.
A
fashion show was held in Ghana's
State House in Accra during the
ATA-WTO Congress in May, 1999,
confirming that Africa's Upbeat
Fashions is integral part of ATA
events to come. Fashion from
Ethiopia was a main feature in
our Jubilee 2000 edition, as we
journeyed to the Roof of Africa
for a Congress in Addis Ababa
(new flower).
Footnotes:
Koforidua, Ghana, also called New
Juaben, is capital and commercial
center for the Eastern region.
The area produces cocoa, palm
oil, cassava, and corn. An
important highway and rail
center, Koforidua was founded by
refugees from Ashanti in 1875.The
Population is over
60,000.
|
...