From the majestic fashions found in the sand dunes of Senegal to the electric buzz of Lagos, Nigeria – sprinkle in the bright colours and tones of Congo, and you have a pan-African melting pot of explosive fashion. This year, Cape Town Fashion Week will host some of Africa's finest designers, who have shaken up the fashion industry and made it realise that Africa is now.
The programme will host a range of of South African design favourites like Laduma Ngoxoko for MaXhosa, Nicholas Coutts, Khosi Nkosi and Gavin Rajah. In addition the catwalk will for the first time feature jewellery and accessories designer Adele Dejak.
Dejak, who hails from Kenya, has been in the business of fashion for some time. She set off on her journey into jewellery-making when living in England and Italy. She returned to Kenya in 2005, and has a vested interest in tribal adornment. In an interview with AFI, Dejak said,
"The brand has always been deeply interested and influenced by tribal adornment of the Maasai, Samburu, Pokot and Turkana communities. Before the beaded adornment for which the Maasai tribe is world-famous, they crafted their accessories using metallic. Our latest range will examine this tradition with fresh lenses: as proof that the future of fashion is to be found in its past.
Watch below to get a taste of what to expect from Dejak:
As Africa continues to make its mark, more creatives within the continent battle with international brands stealing their designs. The most recent incident saw British-Liberian artist Lina Iris Viktor claim that the "Black Panther" soundtrack used her artwork without permission in Kendrick Lamar's music video for "All The Stars".
In response to this increasing issue within the industry, day two of the programme will offer a range of master classes placing specific focus on unpacking thoughts on cultural appropriation, and how to make the best use of intellectual property protection.
The events will unfold from 21 -24 March 2018. For the full programme, click here – and also get all your Cape Town Fashion Week updates.