FAFA kept its promise to wow the audience

Since the postponement from last year, FAFA (Festival for African Fashion & Arts) promised to hold a night of fashion that would send a positive story about Kenya out to the world as it seeks to celebrate peace through fashion and arts.

The event held last Saturday was a night of contradictions: old and new trends, safe and daring, feminine and masculine, and chic and trendy. The audience was also transported across the border to South Sudan with a collection from some of its creative entrepreneurs calling for peace in their country.

After observing a minute of silence for the late Kofi Ansah, a Ghanaian fashion designer who was a FAFA 2010 guest designer, the mood changed suddenly to welcome the first designer.

Opening the show was the FAFA founder and head of the fashion house KiKoRomeo, Ann McCreath. Celebrating her 18th anniversary on the Kenyan fashion scene, her collection was inspired partly by the Somali and Swahili cultures.

It featured hooded capers in bright khangas, solid-coloured silk, maxi dresses as well as men’s printed shirts. One of her fans, Lupita Nyongo’s mother Dorothy, was in the audience. She had worn KikoRomeo when she accompanied the Oscar winning actress to the 2014 BAFTA Awards in London.

Next up was Anna Adero, whose bare-chested models with beaded corsets and fishnet tops with beads got prolonged applause and appreciation from the women in the audience.

Le Collane Di Betta, a collection inspired by 30s Europe included multi-strand beaded necklace with brass coin details and collar-chocker that had a tussle detail hanging past the waist both in front and behind.

In fact all the jewellery in FAFA demonstrated that it had gone back in time when African jewellery was for dramatic statements and big (both in size and detail) in design.

Ani Shah – the second runners up at the FAFA 2013 Emerging Designers Competition, Niku Singh and Riri Jewellery’s were not for the conservative or trendy but for adventurous people; chokers, yokes and necklaces in shiny brass and aluminium as well as beads.
Perhaps the youngest designer of the night, Iona McCreath – yes, Ann’s daughter - of Kikoti and also a model was there to show her collection geared towards the young, trend-conscious people; short dress, capri trousers and cropped tops mostly in African prints.

Escorted by the FAFA team and dressed by different designers, the breaks of the nights came with the sponsors getting a chance to get a feel the runway.

The daring went to Manciny Migwi who is trying to build a name for herself as a menswear designer. Her collection looked like a representation of the different stages of life for a man: the trendy young man with the ripped jeans paired with a punk printed ripped t-shirt who graduates to the sophisticated man with a long subtle African print kaftan.

Aryam’s Japanese inspiration was evident with the obi belts, Japanese umbrella and conical Asian hat. Keeping it minimalist like the great Japanese designers, she did origami, symmetrical and keeping to one colour – brown, blue, black – clothes fitted loosely with sometimes a leather belt with metal front sitting on the hips.

Shenu Hooda and Nick Ondu stuck to their formula; heavily embroidered colourful Afro-Asian and depending on the colourful, patterned printed coats and jackets paired with slim-fit trousers respectively.

Deepa Dosaja with Kapotea by Ambica, a feather accessories designer, to accessorise her chic timeless cut collection.

As for the invited guest designers, FAFA looked down south to Botswana; Mothusi Lessole of iZAURA and Lesedi Matlapeng of Seddy Wear.

Perhaps inspired by the founder’s work with the Kenya 7s Rugby Team, there was a Sport Fashion Show - “a celebration of our brand Ambassodors for Kenya”. Dressed by different designers, it had Racheld Ousa, the hockey captain of Strathmore ladies team, Camilyn Oyuayo, assistant captain of the National Women’s Rugby team, Julius Yego, Javelin national champion among others.

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