If you haven’t explored African fashion yet, where have you been?
The creativity, craftsmanship and sheer level of artistry coming from African designers is impossible to overlook. From dramatic couture and sculptural silhouettes to incredible handwork, bold textiles and modern interpretations of traditional techniques, African fashion has a distinct look and energy that simply cannot be ignored. African Fashion Week Toronto has been providing a platform for this talent since 2012. The nonprofit initiative was created to provide opportunities for models, designers, and creatives within the African fashion industry, bringing together talent from Canada and around the world.
Photographer: @TonysPhotos416
This year’s African Fashion Week Toronto took place from August 20th to 23rd, with four days dedicated to fashion, creativity, culture and, of course, some fabulous clothes. The week kicked off at Todmorden Mills Toronto History Museums with Eco-Chic Charrette: Threads of Change, an interactive upcycling design competition that gave emerging designers a chance to show us something we don’t usually get to see at a fashion event: the creative process in action.
Rather than seeing only a finished garment, guests could watch the competitors work against the clock, transforming materials and developing their ideas in real time. From the sidelines, we were able to see how differently each designer interpreted the challenges and watched their creations gradually come together. Judges Gillian Hamilton, Carleen Crooks and Ronald Cummings made their way around the room, speaking with each designer individually about their creations, inspiration, and design choices before evaluating their work. The event also featured vendors offering everything from clothing and jewelry to eyewear, skincare, hair care, and makeup, giving guests an opportunity to shop and discover African and diaspora-owned creative businesses.
Photographer: @TonysPhotos416
One of the most interesting parts of the evening was a conversation between AFWT Creative Director and Lead Stylist Brenda Foreman and Nigerian-born, UK-based designer Adebayo Jones. Jones is a multi-award-winning fashion designer, lifestyle entrepreneur and educator known for his luxurious couture, bridal and occasion wear. Their conversation explored the business of African fashion, its history, the realities of the industry today and its potential for the future. For anyone interested in fashion beyond the glamour of the runway, the discussion offered an insightful look at the business, experience and longevity required to build a career in the industry. It was a fitting way to begin four days dedicated not only to fashion, but to the people building the industry around it.
On Friday, AFWT moved into the heart of downtown Toronto with its High Fashion Showcase at Sankofa Square. The free public event brought African fashion directly into one of the city’s busiest public spaces, with designers presenting collections alongside music, artisans, food vendors and other activations celebrating fashion, culture and community.
Photographer: @TonysPhotos416
Saturday shifted the focus toward luxury with the Luxury Couture Showcase & Fashion Industry Awards at the National Event Venue. The evening combined couture runway presentations with an awards ceremony recognizing talent across the Afro fashion industry. Among the designers presenting during the showcase was Adebayo Jones, bringing the conversation that began earlier in the week full circle onto the runway.
The four-day celebration concluded on Sunday with the LookBook Day Party, AFWT’s official closing event at Spaces Toronto. Designers, models, creatives, media, and fashion enthusiasts came together for a final celebration and an opportunity to connect beyond the runway.
Fashion week is obviously about clothes. We all want to see what comes down that runway, but an industry cannot survive on beautiful clothes alone. It needs designers, models, photographers, stylists, makeup artists, artisans, entrepreneurs, media and people willing to support and buy the work. For more than a decade, African Fashion Week Toronto has been bringing those worlds together.
As African fashion continues to command even greater international attention, only one question remains: what will AFWT bring us next?
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