By Kemi Yesufu
The inaugural edition of the African Fashion and Cultural Week ended last week in Abuja . However, the buzz created by the show lingers, with many fashionistas in the nation’s capital calling for an encore next year.
The three day event which culminated in a well attended runway segment, hosted by star actor Ramsey Noah was put together by organisers of the African Fashion and Cultural Week Amsterdam (AFCWA) and Tozali Magazine.
Cameroonian fashion entrepreneur, Diana Tambe leads the think-tank, which organises the AFCWA. She collaborated with Nigerian designers to host the Africa Fashion and Cultural Week in Abuja. Tambe, who started out studying Economics in The Netherlands, also trained as an air-hostess in France and still went on to get certified in International Tourism and Travel Management at the London Metropolitan University.
She also had a stint in modeling, but these days, she is committed to creating jobs for Africa’s talented youths by selling the continent’s creative industry internationally.
Speaking on the AFCW Abuja, the African culture ambassador described it as a beginning of great things to come for creative minds in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nigeria.
“It (show) was great success. The most important thing is that we’ve established the brand here in Nigerian” she said, adding that, “a lot of dignitaries were in attendance despite it being our maiden edition”. “It was hosted by iconic actor, Ramsey Noah. The quality displayed by the designers and models was quite high. We also had well travelled fashion photographers from France”, an elated Tambe added.
Reiterating the idea behind the show, Tambe said: “our goals still remain to elevate and encourage talented Nigerian and African youths to see the creative industry, the fashion sector as sectors, they can invest in and reap bountifully. For us, the best way to keep young people interested in the creative industry is by providing them with a platform like the Africa Fashion and Cultural Week Abuja. I have to say Tozali Magazine who we collaborated with on this show, selected some of the best hands in fashion and culture in Abuja and I am glad, they were exposed to a global audience”.
Taking a critical look at the work ethic of the professionals who participated in the show, the model turned fashion entrepreneur, said the Nigerian fashion industry is very much marketable. “Take G&G Models, they provided the models you saw. They did so well, that I can tell you, that I will take the same models to Holland, London or Belgium, if I have a show tomorrow. Coming to the designers, I would say, they certainly made me feel like they can be showcased on the global stage. We have picked two designers from the Abuja event to be at the Africa Fashion Week in Amsterdam. They were picked based on the attention they paid to the finishing of their garments and how they presented their collections. We also will be sending some of the other promising designers for training at the fashion institute in Amsterdam”, she explained.
But the Abuja event also had its low sides. As according to Tambe, a lot still needs to be done in terms of making the Nigerian creative industry profitable to those in it. She said : “what I realised is that, most of the guests were at the show for the entertainment value. Most people left the show entertained. But like I have always said, we want the fashion and culture industry to be one that young people in Abuja, Nigeria and Africa can be gainfully employed. We are just starting and the goal is to expose Nigerian designers and craftsmen to international retailers, the international press and not just have a fashion week, for people to come out to enjoy themselves”.
When asked if the AFCW Abuja gave credence to talk that Nigerians are one of the most fashionable people on earth, Tambe gave a conditional, ‘yes’. She explained why. “ Looking at Nigeria as one of the leading economies in Africa, with probably the most ingenious and lucrative creative industry, I would say, Nigerians are worth the hype as being uniquely fashionable”, she said.
“But I must confess that people in Abuja are a little laid back. So, we would have to find ways to connect Abuja’s high society with the fashion industry in a way that it would be said, that we triggered patronage for the creative industry. First step is for us to bring the retailers, the big patrons and other major players from other top fashion cities, down here to Nigeria’s capital next time”, she added.