SIXTEEN DESIGNERS FROM SOUTH, WEST, EAST AFRICA AND THE GULF STATES MADE SEYCHELLES FASHION WEEK WORTH SHOUTING ABOUT

Bold and beautiful fashion showcased at 4th edition of Seychelles Fashion Week.

If the question was ‘what can you do for your continent?’ then one good answer would be …Seychelles Fashion Week (SFW). Their most recent showcase was the fourth edition for the stylish island nation. 

Driven by Founder Terry Carola, the fashion showcase aims to build a broader, tighter African community of design, modelling and fashion that maximises opportunity for young talent. There to play their part were six South African designers in a show of solidarity of participants from across the continent, dressing Seychelles models in African originals.

Durban-based designer and founder of Sista Felaz, Makhosazane Ntshangase,   showcased a collection inspired by the African continent’s 54 countries – with garments that featured prints representative of each country. 

Fellow KZN national, author and luxury watchmaker Lunga Nthuli (LN Watches), showcased locally produced handcrafted timepieces with an African flare.

Precious Lulu featured her Precious Lulu Couture collection called Survivor. The range symbolises the detanglement of oneself from a particular situation, and showcases garments with lots of prints from the continent, tassels, strings and ropes.

The strong Zulu influence at this year’s fashion week also included a collection by Silungile Mokoena from Sluvin Designs who channelled the colours of the Indian Ocean island waters in her offering and featured a showstopper, titled African Queen, which had a fully beaded African cape and Zulu hat (isicholo).

It was an African Union of fashion with Ghanaian TV personality Anite Akuaakuffo both reporting and representing. 

Local designer Athalia Barbe, owner of L’Elegance Africaine and Athalia Private Collection, showcased for the first time at SFW and showed a versatile range of casual beachwear and formal dress. 

While showcasing his work, Nigeria’s Ekene Paul from Romeo Paul Designs applauded South Africa’s promotion of all African design.

“I’ve seen some of the South African designs and it’s encouraging seeing the South Africans coming to showcase here, many of which we hear are being sponsored by their government. This means that the government is very interested in the African fashion industry as a whole.” comments Ekene Paul. 

“The South African government has been great to us. About six designers coming from KZN have been sponsored by The Department of Trade and Investment in KZN. So, it seems that it’s a great partnership between Seychelles and Seychelles Fashion Week, The Department of Tourism in Seychelles and The Department of Trade and Investment in KZN,” comments  Precious Lulu who showcased for her third time at SFW.  

“I’ve fallen in love with the country. I fell in love with the people, the nature here, the culture here and I’ve been influenced by what they have to bring,” she adds. 

Our congratulations go to The Seychelles for navigating all the tricky global protocols needed to make this happen. And to the fashion industry across our continent, here’s to a thriving 2022 for all of you.

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CONNECT WITH SFW

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ON THE SHOW THIS WEEK:

Explore the ocean with ScubaXcursion
Simphiwe Dana unwinds at Sandcastle Luxury Villa
Discover the best activities to do when visiting the Seychelles
Darren Solomon’s first timer's guide to the Otter Trail
See Seychelles Fashion Week’s island catwalk

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