Duro Olowu Spotlights New Book On African Fashion

In the new book New African Fashion (Prestel) author Helen Jennings "takes an encyclopedic view of looks from the continent, focusing on designers, models, and street-style photographers of the diaspora, like runway star Ajak Deng and established international player Duro Olowu," reports Vogue.com.

Olowu, who once was a practicing lawyer, is now one of the few African born designers that have made the leap into the fashion big leagues. His bold prints, superb tailoring and vibrant designs are a favorite of Solange Knowles and First Lady Michelle Obama.

"African culture has always been seen as being influential anthropologically, but never as a fashion presence in its own right," designer Duro Olowu told Vogue.com.

We agree!

Here's a list of a few African designers Oluwu believes are worth knowing and noting in the new must-read book:

1. Maki Oh
Nigerian designer Amaka Osakwe’s line of womenswear

2. Casely-Hayford
London-based menswear father-and-son duo Joe and Charlie Casely-Hayford

3. Omer Assim & Maya Antoun
A Sudanese womenswear designer and jeweler join forces.

4. Mimi Plange
A Ghanaian-born, California-raised womenswear designer in New York

5. A. Sauvage
The multitalented London menswear designer Adrien Sauvage

6. Xuly Bët
Designer Lamine Badian Kouyaté, a Malian fashion veteran in Paris

Here's a look at Olowu's Spring 2012 collection:

Comments

[Aissatou Sunjata]

06:41 PM on 11/02/2011

Here are more clothing that fit two categories:

Fashion we can not afford, even moreso than designer clothing we already can not afford.
Fashion that although historically the more healthy you are means that you are beautiful in Africa, now these models resembling think trees which means they don't come in plus sizes! Darn, here we go again!!!

[Aissatou Sunjata]

09:47 PM on 11/02/2011

sorry, meant thin trees. Eyes, fingers, just everything getting old. Apologies for mistake in word.