The big winners in the 4th annual Africa Fashion Awards were announced at a glittering ceremony at Melrose Arch, Johannesburg on October 28, concluding over 20 shows in the inaugural Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa.
Highly-acclaimed Nigerian designer, Ituen Basi, won
the Designer of the Year: Africa award while Ghanaian-born,
American-based designer, Mimi Plange was announced Designer of the Year:
International. As part of the prize, both designers will feature in the
international Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks in 2013 – showing Africa at its
fashionable best to the rest of the world.
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| Designer of the Year: Africa, Ituen Basi of Nigeria ; Credit Simon Deiner SDR Photo |
Designer
of the Year: Africa, Ituen Basi of Nigeria ; Credit Simon Deiner SDR Photo)
Mozambique designer, Taibo Bacar, who was
recently crowned “Best Designer” at Mozambique Fashion Week, won the Emerging
Designer of the Year: Africa award while Cote D’Ivoire-born and
Paris-based, Laurence Airline won Emerging Designer of the Year:
International.
The Accessories Designer of the Year award
went to the inventive designer, Doreen Mashika from Zanzibar and South African
Thula Sindi was crowned the SA Tourism Designer of the Year.
The dazzling closing event of Mercedes-Benz Fashion
Week Africa 2012 included performances by renowned singers Lira, Lindiwe
Suttle, Naima McLean, Nandi, Chiano Sky, Mi Casa and Rutendo Denise &
Theresa Muteta.
The prestigious Africa Fashion Awards acknowledges
design talent from the continent and African diaspora. Nomination criteria for
designers and industry influencers included the notion that their work
represents a strong emergence of a global African signature along with
measuring the potential global reach of their brand.
“The Africa Fashion Awards rewards African fashion
excellence using global industry criteria and recognises the exceptional talent
of African industry members world-wide,” says African Fashion International
(AFI) Executive Chairperson Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe.
“The awards focuses not only on African and
diaspora designers showing at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa, but also
acknowledges those making outstanding contributions to the industry in
general.”
After a ten-month journey in the AFI Fastrack
mentorship programme, the AFI Young Designer of the Year award went to
Capetonian Kim Gush.
Fashion-forward icons were also acknowledged with
the Male Style Icon of the Year being awarded to Khaya Dludla and the Female
Style Icon of the Year to Ethophian model, designer and actress, Liya
Kebede. The Model of the Year award went to South African supermodel,
Candice Swanepoel.
Acknowledging the world’s most-wanted
behind-the-scenes creative stylists, Cape Town based make-up
artist-to-the-stars, Lesley Whitby, won the award for Outstanding
Contribution to Make-up Direction and the Outstanding Contribution to
Hair Direction award went to the globally renowned celebrity stylist, Kevin
Epstein who is also based in Cape Town.
The esteemed Jackie Burger, Editor of Elle
magazine, South Africa, was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to African
Fashion accolade which recognises meaningful change to the industry
and the support and nurturing of developing local talent from the continent.
This award was shared with photographer Simon Deiner.
Outstanding Contribution to Fashion Styling went to Arthur Malan-Murison,
Editor of GQ and Creative Director of GQ Style South
Africa while Cape Town based, Ross Garret won the award for Outstanding
Contribution to Fashion Photography. The Fashion Communicator of the
Year award went to London based journalist, stylist, and author of New
African Fashion, Helen Jennings.
Nominations for the various award categories were
made by the public earlier this year and final judging took place during
Mercedes-Benz Africa Fashion Week Africa. The judging panel consisted of local
and international fashion leaders including Felicity Spies of Egality,
Robyn Cooke of Style Guide Cape Town, Bryan Ramkilawan, CEO of Cape
Town Fashion Council, Elle magazine’s Fashion Director, Poppy Evans
and internationally-acclaimed fashion journalist and Vanity Fair
Editor-at-Large, Michael Roberts. The results of the awards were
independently audited by Pricewater House Cooper Incorporated.
With more than 20 shows over four days,
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa presented designers from South Africa, Cote
D’Ivoire, Mozambique, Cameroon, Rwanda, Angola, DRC, Trinidad, Nigeria and
Ghana as well as designers from the African diaspora – all of whom were chosen
for their standards of global relevance and commercial viability along with a
distinctive design that exemplifies African creativity.
By: Sem-sierraexpressmedia.com
ITUEN BASI CROWNED DESIGNER OF THE YEAR AFRICA AT MERCEDES BENZ FASHION WEEK AFRICA AWARDS
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