Africa is slowly but surely making its presence in the world of fashion. The continent has provided endless inspiration for designers, celebrities and virtually anyone who has come in contact with its beauty, which includes us. After visiting Johannesburg this past October for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa, we were hooked.
So, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that EDUN, Bono's "fashion brand bringing about positive change through its trading relationship with Africa," was teaming up with Diesel for a 25-piece capsule collection called Diesel+EDUN. Each piece from the line is crafted from Ugandan cotton and manufactured entirely in Africa -- a feat that Diesel founder Renzo Rosso says has never been done before.
"With this project we want to show to consumers, and to industry alike, that it is indeed possible to source, produce and generate sustainable trade in Africa," Rosso told ElleUK.com.
And while the raw, untreated denim and dresses embellished with Kenyan metalwork will no doubt become must-haves, we're particularly excited about the Diesel+EDUN's Studio Africa concept.
Studio Africa is described as "a virtual loudspeaker for a new generation of creative talents from across the continent." Diesel+EDUN rounded up a team of tastemakers from fashion, photography, music, film, music and literature to provide dynamic first-hand accounts via a Tumblr page filled with photo galleries and videos that demonstrate the power of African art and culture.
The collaboration's official launch was feted on Sunday during Paris Fashion Week with a party attended by Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Nicole Richie and Jessica Alba, to name a few. A special performance was given by Solange Knowles, who serves as an ambassador for the collection.
"My love for African fashion, music and art runs deep to my core and has been a significant source of inspiration to me as an artist," Solange told ElleUK.com. "I'm constantly being exposed to such innovative African talent so I'm excited that Diesel + Edun is celebrating that extraordinary creativity through Studio Africa and taking me along for the journey!"
Check out the amazing campaign video above and a look a the stunning style we witnessed while attending Africa Fashion Week in the slideshow below.
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