From Africa-inspired to African-made, this guide is the first to celebrate a new wave of fashion designers who are appearing on the global stage. Ever since the late 1960s when Yves Saint Laurent presented African-inspired collections, the textiles, details, and colours of Africa have moved into the realm of high fashion. In the past few years, young designers from the continent itself have emerged as people to watch in the fashion world. Helen Jennings, editor of award-winning ARISE magazine, offers in this book a brief history of African fashion, beauty and style, and follows its influence on global trends. She profiles popular lines such as Duro Olowu, Jewel by Lisa, Black Coffee, Ozwald Boateng, Suno and Eric Raisina, as well as the best photographers and models from across Africa and the diaspora, and explores the myriad reasons why African fashion is having its moment in the sun. She shows how designers are looking beyond clichés of the African aesthetic by embracing both traditional and contemporary fabrics and garments, and how the passion for ethically and environmentally conscious clothing is fueling this trend. As colourful and exciting as the fashions it features, this volume will appeal to anyone interested in following the world’s most exciting new fashion development.
The Author
HELEN JENNINGS is one of Europe’s per-eminent fashion journalists as well as the editor of ARISE, a magazine that celebrates African fashion, music and culture. She lives in London.
New African Fashion
By Helen Jennings
Publication Date: October 2011, £19.99 flexicover
240 pages with 335 colour illustrations
19.5 x 27 cm
ISBN: 978-3-7913-4696-0
www.prestel.com
Tags: Anita Quansah, Banke Kuku, Bridget Awosika, Eva Sonaike, Jewel by Lisa, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi
