Africa Fashion Week, Brazil to boost cultural, economic ties

Queen Ronke Ademiluyi Ogunwusi, founder, Africa Fashion Week London and Nigeria has announced the introduction of the Africa Fashion Week Brazil which she said will boost cultural and economic ties between Africa and Brazil.

This edition of Africa Fashion Week which is scheduled hold between 26th to 27th of May, 2023 at Expo center in São Paulo, the most populous city in Brazil, is said to help create a synergy in the fashion industry between Brazil and Africa, promote economic growth, boost cultural ties and provide a platform for future cooperations.

Speaking during a press briefing to announce the event at the Consulate General of Brazil in Lagos, Ministro André Veras Guimarães, the Consul General of Brazil said the Africa Fashion Week Nigeria was established by Queen Ronke Ademiluyi Ogunwusi in 2014 with the aim of promoting emerging Africa fashion designers on global platforms.

Guimarães said the fashion industry promotes diversity of culture expressions, values, creativity and depicts the tradition of textiles and craftsmanship.

He said the fashion and textile industry in Africa is growing, adding that as at November, 2022, the sub-saharan Africa Apparel sector was reported to have an estimated worth of $31billion.

African textiles and fashion, he said are spreading around the world.

He said the fabrics and prints mostly derived from natural fibres, cottons and various colour dires featured Africa cultural symbols.

“Fashion and clothing matter to the economy, society and individuals. The industry generates activities in trade, it creates employment opportunities,”Guimarães said.

Also speaking at the event, Queen Ronke Ademiluyi Ogunwusi, founder Africa Fashion Week London, Nigeria and Brazil said the Africa Fashion Week started in 2011 in London and was created as a platform to bridge the gap between Africa designers, black designers and the general public.

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“When we started over a decade ago, there wasn’t a platform that brought together African designers and the global audience. Most of the platforms were mainstream platforms and a lot of people then shy away from Africa fashion. So African fashion was considered then as more traditional. People were not proud to wear Africa fashion especially in the diaspora.

“I grew up in London, I was born there. I knew we did not have that exposure to African fashion like we do now where we have amazing, phenomenon African designers both in Nigeria and abroad that are doing so many wonderful things with our textiles and our fabrics.

“There was an urgent need to create a platform that showcased the great creativity of Africa designers. This gave birth to Africa Fashion Week, London. In 2014, we created a sister brand called ‘Africa Fashion Week, Nigeria,” Ogunwusi explained.

She said the reason why she crated the Africa Fashion Week, Nigeria was to enable her and her team to reach out to talented designers within Nigeria and Africa who could not afford the logistics of travelling during the international show.

“It is going to be our 9th year this year and Africa Fashion Week, London is going to be our 13th year this year,” she added.

Ogunwusi said she was giving birth to a new baby, Africa Fashion Week, Brazil and this will boost economic ties and deepen presence of Africa fashion on a global map.