APRIL 2013VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2

Jo’Burg Fashion Week 2013Exclusive Coverage

5 Every day African Fashion Tips

contentsEditorial

Get Inspired!

3

18

JoBurg Fashion Week- Stefania Morland

- Grapevine - Khosi Nkosi - Avant - Tart - Life by Andre Martin - David Tlale - Suzaan Heyns - Gavin Rajah - Fabiani

8

The G Store - Are your ready for summer? - Atiklaman Lingerie: The Charm of Africa - Mikuti Braclets - Sawa Sneakers: Made in Africa - William Okpo & Schier - Memoirs of a Timeless Classic - Update to a timeless Classis - Alexandra Mann's Washbags

22

The Future of African Fashion: Orange Culture 5

Q & A with Designer of a Diaspora 4

Chichia London AW13 Lookbook 6

To our beloved readers

We have made some unexpected strides this past month with our first pub-lication. From how it was received

(positively) to all the views it got (over 5000!), gèlè magazine owes many thanks to our readers. Thank you for encouraging us.

We are trying to do more and expand with what we have. With your support, we will accomplish so much more and experiment with a few differ-

ent aspects of the magazine, including layout, content, photos, and colors. Your feedback, of course, is greatly appreciated, as always.

Bringing you the best of African fashion is our mission statement. No matter what obstacles we may face as a magazine, the end goal is you, the reader. We make sure your product is delivered.

In this issue, we have covered the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Johan-nesburg, South Africa, including footage from over ten designers pre-viewed at the show. Also covered in this issue is some fashion tips on how to wear African prints in everyday life, an introduction to summer Afrocen-tric fashion, lingerie with an African flair, and some unconventional fashion.

Stay tuned and turn the page. We promise you won’t be disappointed!

Welina Farah , Editor-In-Chief

4

gèlè

...the joy of African Fashion

Based in Toronto via Ghana, Design of a Diaspora was launched by designer Miss

Yeboah in September of 2012. The clothing line’s objective is to recon-nect Africans with their lost roots while also reintroducing them to an area of fashion not yet fully discov-ered. Here is an interview with AfriPOP!, have done in order to get to know Miss Yeboah and her clothing line

Design of a Diaspora just a little bit better…

AfriPOP!: How did the concept for Design of a Diaspora come about?Miss Yeboah: It was tedious for the first few months trying to come up with a name, image and goal for the brand, but one day the name literally just came to me. The word Diaspora encompasses every dis-placed African individual outside of Africa, and what I believe makes us distinct are our fabrics, our “design’ if you will; that’s the one thing that connects and allows the world to

Q & A with Designer of a Diasporasee one’s history whether you live in north America, Asia, Africa, South America, Europe etc. Design of a Di-

aspora, as a coined name just made sense from that point on! We are who we are, and this is what makes us who we are.

AP: What, in your opinion, is the future of African fashion?MY: I believe African fashion IS the future, but I also believe it has been the past and is the present. So many unforgettable, notable, beautiful influences have derived from Afri-can History/Fashion that it’s hard to overlook its nuanced influence over

western culture and style. I believe African fashion will further ascend into the fashion world and many power house names will develop to rival some of the top giants we

see in magazines today. Design of a Diaspora is not simply a clothing line; it’s a cultural experience. So for other designers to be able to put their stamp on the map makes me cheerful, because that’s one more person introducing the world to something great.

AP: Who are some of your favorite African designers?MY: My one space of motivation and inspiration came from Project Runway’s season 5 contestant Korto Momolu. Although her African print influences were subtle and sporad-ic, I was more so motivated by her passion, drive and ability to get as far as she did, as she was bringing something brand new to the atmo-sphere. From her experience I drew the ability to refocus myself and go for what I’d been longing to do.

AP: Finish the sentence. “My cloth-ing line is…”MY: Revolutionary. It is innovative and established outside the norm.

via http://bit.ly/171JgvG and http://bit.ly/Xm5giq

5gèlè • April 2013

This collection was prepared for “Woven Threads”, an ex-hibition organized by Lagos

Fashion and Design Week.

The exhibition was geared towards the future of Nigerian fashion. It ventured into the art of ‘textile

The Future of African Fashion: Orange Culture

craftsmanship,’ with such tradition-al arts being an important part of Nigerian heritage and cultural iden-tity, plus creating jobs in Africa.

Hosted by the British Fashion Council , “Woven Threads” had created a solution to the disconnect

between textile craftsmanship and the emerging talent in the fashion industry of Nigeria.

Photographer: Obi Somto

via http://bit.ly/16ljHV3

6

gèlè

...the joy of African Fashion

London based label Chichia has released their Autumn/Winter 2013 line in hopes of

diving deeper into the concept of communicating through dresses. Details like ruffles, tiered bodices, and manipulated style lines make themselves known throughout the collection. The styles are easy to wear and incorporate a vibrant and playful color pallette.

Peculiar details like patchwork khanga prints, beadwork, sequins, print, solid, and anything else you can dream up. A reoccurring theme in the collection is the Swahili Khan-ga sayings across the pieces.

Mismatched pieces of underskirts are placed with contrasting prints…

Opposite colors next to each other break the expectations…

Mismatching has become the norm in Chichia’s collection this season.

Who says winter has to be bland?via http://bit.ly/171Jovi

Chichia London AW13 Lookbook

7gèlè • April 2013

Hailing form Sierra Leone, Amizo is the brains behind Maryzo Designs. She created Maryzo in 2010 in hopes to create an African fashion

brand that is casual, yet Africana focused. The brand creates wedding dresses, cou-ture, clothing for children, accessories, even evening and career wear. Their latest line of products, shown here, come from their “Pink Royalty” collection, dedicated to women who have battled cancer.

via http://bit.ly/YiTm8y

Maryzo Designs

8

gèlè

...the joy of African Fashion

Fashion Shows

Feminine and retro, classic and simple, Grapevine

focused on green, maroon, and satin in their autumn/

winter line. Models wore pearls to accentuate the

look.

via http://bit.ly/YjcoLO

9gèlè • April 2013

JoBurg Fashion Week

Gothic overruled the runway at Avant Apparel. The pieces were chic, dramatic, yet polished. Gold body chains, wheth-er around the model’s torso or draped on their face, added a Mediterra-nean gypsy touch.

via http://bit.ly/YXgghe

10

gèlè

...the joy of African Fashion

Incorporating steel and pastel blue, pale pink, burgundy, and rust orange, Stefania Morland creates a timeless look that can be worn from the 9-5 cubicle workflow to after hours fun at the bar.

via http://bit.ly/10m-mzgJ

Fashion Shows

11gèlè • April 2013

The Suzaan Heyns runway show was an architectural playground, rang-ing from the cuts of the clothing to the overhead arches of the runway and the statement necklaces. Corkboard colors, neutral tones, wire necklaces, brown, navy, and capes were aplenty to be seen. A dramatic line for sure, but most defi-nitely wearable.

Via http://bit.ly/11U0U4C

JoBurg Fashion Week

12

gèlè

...the joy of African Fashion

Plunging necklines and camouflage pieces took over the run-way this year at the Gavin Rajah show.The headpieces caught

our eyes, including a bedazzled military top hat and a horizon-tally long feather head piece. Venturing away from his usual

delicate and fantasy-like pieces, Rajah shows us his diversity with sporty looks paired with heels, interesting shoulder/waist

cutouts on dresses, and chokers that extend past the torso. Futuristic elements on dresses like sheer from the thigh down

and exaggerated mermaid cut make this line one to hold over with no expiration date.

via http://bit.ly/16lze7o

Fashion Shows

13gèlè • April 2013

Life by Andre Martin’s autumn/winter col-lection looked a lot

like street style. Fun colors, funky patterns,

and bold colors pop-ulated the runway.

These pieces even had a ‘preppy/geeky’ feel to them, something Andre

Martin made work in his collection.

via http://bit.ly/16lz6ow

JoBurg Fashion Week

14

gèlè

...the joy of African Fashion

Velvet, bold colors, and comfortable fits were found aplenty at the Khosi Nkosi show. The oranges, purples, teals, and corals really popped on the black and white runway.

via http://bit.ly/XL7YcY

Fashion Shows

15gèlè • April 2013

Earrings down to the waist, se-quins, tail-end skirts and shirts, high slits, plastic capes, and sweatshirt material galore at the Tart runway show. One can tell the minimalist look was chan-neled in this collection and it was done well.

Via http://bit.ly/XgflhJ

JoBurg Fashion Week

16

gèlè

...the joy of African Fashion

Fabiani previewed a mature collection comprised of both casual and formal looks. The look that seemed to domi-nate seemed to fit in from the office to the bar. Lots of blazers were seen, reinforc-ing the ‘mature’ look. The motorcycle on the stage didn’t let the audience forget that this line was for manly men. The oxford shoes with colorful socks were a nice detail, too.

via http://bit.ly/YXguVu

Fashion Shows

17gèlè • April 2013

Delicate, gothic, and formal, David Tlale delivered this year. Maroon, black, white, and lots of gold were included in the color scheme for this collection. Menswear tried something new with elaboratly printed suits and ties and a top with a cut-out chest. Gold face paint was seen on all the models, pushing back on the formality of the collec-tion and adding a laid back, ‘messy’ feel.

Via http://bit.ly/XL8c3G

JoBurg Fashion Week

18

gèlè

...the joy of African Fashion

Inspiration

A scarf like this would look great paired with a simple outfit. Try wearing a white tee, dark den-im, neutral colored bag, and a shoe that matches one of the colors on a day out

via http://bit.ly/XKOm8V

Both pieces in the photo are intricate and bold. Realisti-cally, you shouldn’t wear them to-gether (unless you like having all eyes on you. Color for days!) The top would look great tucked in with some black cropped skinny leg slacks and a green/blue/red heel. The skirt could be paired with a pale yellow sleeveless tee and chunky em-erald green heels.

via http://bit.ly/10etbxP

19gèlè • April 2013

The bangle is a sta-ple in every woman’s

jewelry box. As for these, try making your

own! Buy fabric and a generic bangle from

any store. Cut a piece of the fabric in a long,

thin manner. Glue one end of the fabric to the

inside of the bangle. Wrap it around in any

way you’d like, then glue it again at the end.

And voila! Your very own bangle with the

pride of D.I.Y. all up in there.

via http://bit.ly/171JBOV

For an extravagant event, a dress and

shoulder pads like this would certainly catch

some attention. Try pairing the shoulder

pads with a white dress for an added dose of

flair. The top would look great with some

light washed denim and pink heels. Try adding

gold jewelry to the out-fit to bring it more sass.

via http://bit.ly/XKOHbI

This is such a beau-tiful summer dress. Just in time for the warmer months, pair this with gold hoops or a brown/beige pair of wooden earrings. Be sure to pull you hair off your shoulders to keep the attention on the pattern and design of the dress!

via http://bit.ly/10et-bxP

20

gèlè

...the joy of African Fashion

Online finds

SlippersbyKene (SBK), the footwear resort line from the accessories label Kene Rapu,

uses locally sourced materials and labor to create handmade sandals ideal for the summer getaway we all look for.

Kene Rapu and SlippersbyKene were started by lawyer, model, and fashion enthusiast Kene Rapu in October 2011.

Once the brand started creating sandals for men, an unexpected boom in growth and sales took place. A choice of colorful be-dazzled slippers and brown/black conservative ones give men a wide range of options, depending on what look they’re going for.

The slippers have the option of being custom made and the clients have the option of choosing their taste of ankara.

Recently in an interview with The Publicist blog, Rapu, CEO of her self-titled company, said, “I be-lieve my brand will play a role in the growth of the local Nigerian industry through the use of locally sourced materials & workman-ship, providing jobs & revenue for craftsmen who may otherwise have a steady income flow. I also see Slippers By Kene becoming a household name; every lady should own a pair”

get this at: http://bit.ly/XmwVQ4

Are You Ready For Summer?

SlippersByKene Is!

21gèlè • April 2013

Atiklaman Lingerie:The Charm of Africa

Its magnificent to see what will come of the mashup between African and Europe. One example would be Atiklaman Lingerie: “the charm of Africa at the gates of the West.” “Ati Klaman” means “you’re beau-tiful” in the language of the Baoulé ethnic group in West Africa.This line of lingerie is very distinct. Just think- the union of delicate satin and lace with wild and charm-ing African fabric. You find yourself right in the middle of Africa and Eu-rope. This is the exact effect Atikla-man looks to reproduce. No brand has done that.

get this at: http://bit.ly/11Vncz8

Mikuti’s new collection of brace-lets for the Spring/Summer 2013 season, called “Ceres Bangles”, is popping with color. With the unique and original beading technique Mikuti uses, they have stepped up their game with the “Ceres Bangles” collection. They have created color combinations no one can deny.

Arm Candy For Your Spring Adventures: Mikuti Bracelets

Mikuti joins the kingdom of fashion and jewelry with community eco-nomic development. With a strong focus on sustainability, job creation, and supporting current workshops/chains in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Making new and original designs with quality products from locally sourced materials is part of the mission of the company. To be mindful of the impact they have on communities where they work is important to the company.

get this at: www.mikuti.com

Picture this: after a few months of using a new bag for your makeup, all the remnants of everyday life some-how find their way to the bottom of your purse. This includes pencil shavings, eye shadow, gum wrap-pers, loose hairs from your brushes, and so much more.

Lay your eyes on the solution: wax-print washbags from Alexandra Mann. The bag lining is made from old ‘Ghana must go’ bags. How do you clean them? Just rinse when dirty!

get this at: http://bit.ly/Zs3FTg

Alexandra Mann's Washbags

22

gèlè

...the joy of African Fashion

Online finds

Inspired by the African market next door to her home, Danish de-signer Trine Lindegaard teamed

up with weavers from Ghana and the Ivory Coast to create her Spring/Summer 2013 look. By creating an interesting twist using Kente pieces and combining them with a laid back style, Lindegaard has revamped the African fabrics.

“The collection is rooted in these African fabrics. I wanted to take them away from their traditional use, the wraparound dresses and headpieces, and their links to social status. I wanted to make them more accessible but still keep the tradi-tional influences. I’ve used a lot of technical fabrics and dying through-out to keep it fresh.”

get this at: http://bit.ly/14AjfnQ

An update on an old classic:

Trine Lindegaard x Kente

23gèlè • April 2013

Sawa Sneakers: Made in Africa

Sawa Shoes is a sneaker company that has risen to the challenge of producing sneakers in Africa. Doing so benefits the continent overall and the country they’re made in, Ethiopia, by creating jobs in differ-ent vectors of the company. Their Spring/Summer ’13 collection offers the same sneakers they’ve always had but in new colors and new fab-rics- leather!

get this at: http://bit.ly/10iTWzy

William Okpo x Schier

Namibian made Schier shoes have collaborated with New York based William Okpo again to create des-ert boots for the Autumn/Winter 2013 season. All shoes from the collection are made to order.

get this at: http://bit.ly/14AjbVm

'Taryor Gabriels Bespoke’, a fashion label founded by Adeyeye Adeta-yo, is geared towards a look called ‘masculine elegance’. Previously exclusive to members of the enter-tainment industry, this debut collec-tion is open to the public.

get this at: http://bit.ly/XmxDNe

Memoirs of a Timeless Classic

The production teamgèlèSpecial thanks

Design and layout

David Jérémy Delonnay

24

Editor-in-Chief

Welina R. Farah

Director

Bamidele Omotosho

We here at gèlè would like to thank the following blogs for their determination, hard work, and dedication to African fashion. Without them, we would not be here. Thank you.

OneNigerianBoyCIAAfriqueAfroklecticBellaNaijaafriPOP!Ladybrille MagazineFashionJunkiiLaizaLounge

COVER PHOTO CREDIT: http://bit.ly/10XiIcu