AFRIKAN FASHION WALK AWARDS GO REGIONAL

As East Africa’s fashion industry continue to expand, the Afrikan Fashion Walk awards have remained committed to providing the public with the region’s best fashion trends.

After a successful awards ceremony last December at Cayenne lounge, the awards are back in their third season to showcase East Africa’s finest. A nomination party was held at Club Le Beaujolais in July to launch new categories. There will also be regional search tours in Nairobi and Kigali for the industry’s future big names.

Daudi Baraka, the awards chairman, says they are aimed at rewarding and encouraging new entrants, pioneers and gurus as a means of improving and expanding the industry’s standards. The Afrikan Fashion Walk awards are an annual event where new labels and new collections are showcased.

Different from the past two years, the 2012 awards will cover Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. The nominations will be featured on a weekly live show on Record TV as candidates await the awarding ceremony early November.

“On top of awarding the sixteen categories from across East Africa, the night will showcase the best of African couture with a collection of eleven designers from Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda,” Baraka said.

For Baraka, the awards are also about giving back to society. For instance, the 2010 season was dedicated to the plight of children infected and affected by HIV/Aids. The 2011 awards were launched with a special donation of foodstuffs, clothes, beddings, books and utensils.

This time round, the proceeds from the awards finale will be dedicated to the women of Kireka, a group of widows of ex-war soldiers working in a stone quarry to better their lives.

To nominate, go to your phone messages and type ‘Fashion’, leave a space, type the nominee’s name, leave a space and type category then send to 8777. The public voting will weigh 49% in influence, with the rest coming from the judges.