Competition to discover emerging African fashion designers launched

Much of African fashion is built on designers who have been on the scene for years and have the financial might and confidence to take part in the top African fashion weeks, in the continent and abroad. To take up the challenge of discovering emerging designers, Fashion Africa (FA254) has launched a competition – African Designers for Tomorrow.

FA254 was founded in 2013 by Waridi Schrobsdorff, a former Kenyan top model, to promote Africa through the exportation of luxury fashion brands to the European market. The competition that will put a spotlight on some of Africa’s brightest young fashion talent will also open the door to European markets.

“I have been in the fashion business in the European market for years and I have been connecting with African designers since 2008, especially in Kenya. So, I realised the gap that needs to be filled in the African fashion market, to create this search and fill the gap by training and consulting those talents,” says Ms Schrobsdorff.

The project will “rebrand Africa” in the sense of rediscovering its beauty through young, talented and creative minds who will make the country re-emerge in its traditions but with a new and contemporary interpretation.

FA254’s vision is to celebrate contemporary African richness and creativity. Last month, unique fashion brands from Kenya, South Africa, Morocco, Ghana and Nigeria were exhibited at Lodenfrey in Munich, to launch FA254 as a platform that brings quality and beauty from the African fashion universe that few people have access to.

“Our goal is to change people’s minds. We have many talented young people who deserve the recognition,” says Ms Schrobsdorff.

For this competition, FA254 has collaborated with several organisations, including the Inter Region Economic Network and Cotton Made in Africa Initiative in East Africa (IREN-CmiA).

It seeks to grow the domestic textile market in East Africa through facilitation of linkages (matchmaking between retailers, industry and designers), riding on the growing middle class population to popularise quality products from eastern Africa.

“IREN-CmiA collaborates with FA254 to offer African designers a platform to showcase their textile design talents as part of its strategy to activate East Africa’s domestic textile and cotton markets. This will enable African designers to showcase collections that will use African-sourced materials,” says IREN managing director James Shikwati.

Recognising that designers are a crucial element in the textile sector that can help drive uptake for locally made quality fabrics, garments and accessories, IREN’s mission is also to position Kenya in the region as a value addition production hub.

In the end, it is about linking farmers, ginners, industry and retailers to resuscitate the cotton sector and grow employment opportunities for the youth. To enter the competition, the designers are to submit a portfolio of their work to FA254’s website (fa254.com) by August 20.

“I am open. I am searching for diamond, but who knows. I might find a precious stone that nobody expected to be found in Kenya or Africa. Creativity has no limits,” says Ms Schrobsdorff.

Ten nominees will be chosen from the submitted portfolios under various categories, namely apparel, accessories and home decoration. These will then be taken through a three-month training programme from October to December to add value to their portfolios.

The nominees will be required to offer improved designs after which the best design in each category will be selected in January 2015 by an international jury chaired by Vogue Germany chief editor Christiane Arp.

“The competition will be held every two years as lots of work has to be done with all the applicants. It is not only about the finalist,” she says.

The category nominees will have the opportunity to produce their product with internationally renowned fashion companies using cotton made in Africa. The winner will have the possibility to present their collection during the Berlin Fashion Week 2015.