There was an article recently published on whether runways are doing justice to African Fashion. Many designers just label their collections as “African inspired” rather than crediting which part of Africa they were inspired by.
Many African designers are speaking up regarding the fashion industry using African fashions without mention of their inspiration. Lisa Folawiyo, a Nigerian designer stated, “It is quite positive that African cultures and our ways of life do influence internationally renowned design houses. However, I don’t believe we are referenced properly”.
The fashion industry effectively represent African elements and culture but not the African designers. This results in no gain for African fashion, and this is the purpose of Africa Fashion Week. We want to pay homage to African Designers and let the media know the source of these “tribal prints” that we see in magazines and on the runway.
