FASHION FRENZY-THE EAFW

On the ninth and tenth of May, fifteen of the top designers from across East Africa captivated an enthralled audience for an evening of non-stop runway action. As an increasingly large consumer of world culture, Nairobi was the perfect place to host the first ever East Africa Fashion Week (EAFW).

Fashion has never been so funky, so hip, so diverse and so accessible. The empty runway was transformed into a rich canvas of colour, texture, poise and style from which it was impossible to look away. 

Speaking to Nick O Junior, the main organiser behind EAFW, one thing that was clear was that this is  just the beginning. “EAFW is going to be one of the largest fashion platforms,” Junior effused, adding: “it’s rare to see such a good crowd at such a new fashion show”.

Junior managed to identify and get in touch with the impressive group of designers showcased at the show, largely by scouring social media. The strategy paid off for him in the end, with designers coming from as far as Zambia to present their work.

And a great success it was. Never before has diversity, ethnicity, culture and style, been shown with such glamour in Nairobi. From flowing evening gowns, hip street fashion, daring bikini outfits and smart casual chic, EAFW featured East Africa in all its colourful glory.

“We get to show what we’ve got and to broadcast our vision of what we think fashion should be,” commented Ian Muigai, designer of the male catalogue of the Zaliko Fashion House Streetwise Collection. Zaliko was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the evening and the up and coming fashion house proudly showed-off edgy street fashion laced with eye-catching African prints.

“Our designs come from our everyday life,” Muigai continues. “We’re living out our youth, working with what we like to wear and what we’d like to see out there”

The same could be said of all the work on display. Whether it’s street fashion or smart suits for men, each designer expressed themselves in a unique, captivating and specific way. The future of fashion in Kenya, if it follows this path, is bright, textured and exciting.

 By Ondi Madete

http://www.upnairobi.com/dt_portfolio/fashion-frenzy/