Showcasing The best of the best at the Face of African Fashion Week

BY SYDNEE WALCOTT

Just like a handful of industries, the fashion industry continues to have a lack of diversity. Due to this issue, models of colour often experience difficulty gaining the opportunities they need to thrive as models. However, work within the Toronto area is being done to help give Black models the opportunities they deserve.

Founded by Isaac Ansah, African Fashion Week Toronto (AFWT) is a not-for-profit initiative that works towards giving Black models, designers and creatives a platform and providing them with opportunities within the fashion industry.

Since 2013, AFWT has held an annual Face of African Fashion Week Toronto competition to allow models to be the face of AFWT. The competition consists of three rounds, with a panel of judges declaring who will be the winner.

For the first time this year, female and male contestants were part of the competition, with one female and one male chosen as the winners.

Round one consists of the contestants showing off their best runway walk before showing off the best poses at the end. After deliberating to see who was the most impressive, only a select few would continue to round two. The second round involved the models advertising themselves and the AFWT brand for no more than 30 seconds. Once again, those who ranked the best moved on to the third and final round. The last part involves the final contestants striking their best poses for 30 seconds.

The male winner of the competition was contestant 22, while the female winner was contestant 13. Along with a gift basket, the winners will receive experience for their portfolio and represent the Face of AFWT through marketing and promotions.

Although they did not become the Face of African Fashion Week Toronto, the other participating contestants were encouraged to come back and model for the AFWT runway show – which will take place in August.

Charlene Ajdogah, the event manager for AFWT, said it’s fulfilling to see her work in organizing these events brought to fruition and the overall result of seeing people enjoying what she has coordinated. Ajdogah also said these events are a great networking opportunity and beneficial for her growth in the marketing aspect of these events.

Ansah brought the initiative to life in 2012 to address the lack of representation of Black models, designers and creatives in the Canadian industry. The initiative prides itself on start-ups for those with almost little to no experience in the industry, along with giving a platform for them to go on to become a supermodel within and outside of Canada and receive endless opportunities.