We covered the young Zimbabwean model, Nyasha Matonhodze when she first struck a deal with Louis Vuitton earlier in the year, and now she is back and on the cover of Love Magazine.  These photos are set in a slightly different mood than her previous shoots.  It gives her more of a darker, serious side as some of the photos show her with make-up streaked down her face as if she were crying, and black crows laid neatly on top of her head.  Regardless of the obscurity of the shoot, Nyasha still shines beneath the somber setting.

Source: Shadders

Grace Bol, of Sudan, was recently featured in the latest issue of Plastik Magazine.  The stunning spread showed the model and her silky skin in some laid back t-shirts and swimwear while wearing fun, brightly colored head wraps against red walls which grab and hold your attention.  The shoot seems to fit Bol’s personality well as she is a self-proclaimed tomboy who once aspired to become a basketball player.  Besides Plastik Magazine, Bol has modeled for famed fashion designers such as Givenchy and Vivienne Westwood.

Source: Shadders

Votre Avant Garde, the PR company responsible for the fashion show, Camer Couture, is producing their latest project, Pop Up FashionMarket in London’s uber trendy Brick Lane.  The event will be a bazaar to connect emerging designers, and businesses to new markets they have not been able to interact and experience yet.  The pop up market offers a great place for creative minds to meet and create lasting business relationships.  One designer taking part in the pop up market and representing Nigeria is Asakeoge Couture.  The Brick Lane event is scheduled for Sunday, July 3, 2011, so Asakeoge will have enough time to pack up her fashions and jet set off to New York to take part in our show on July 15.

Source: Shadders

African fashion is being noticed all over the globe, and Elle Bulgaria made that even more evident by putting Africa Fashion Week New York in their July issue.  The editorial featured photos from this year’s fashions that will be showcased July 14-17, 2011.  We are headed straight toward the finish line and we are getting noticed along the way.

AFWNY image featured in Elle Bulgaria.

The North Face Purple Label (exclusive to Japan) has always been one to push boundaries and break the mold from the standard North Face jackets commonly seen in America.  The high-quality outerwear line features jackets, vests, and ponchos all adorned with bold African prints.  These prints are traditionally seen in weather upwards of 100 degrees, but the company(The North Face) is named for the coldest, most brutal side of a mountain.  Let’s see if these designs hold up with consumers.

Source: Ciaafrique

AFWNY designer Korto Momolu was interviewed by CNN International about going back to Africa after 23 years. She is working on projects to give back to her home country of Liberia, and discusses the emotions that come with everything surrounding the trip. Watch the video and hear her story.

Italian fashion designer, Giambattista Valli, revealed his resort 2012 collection and showed us an explosion of print and pattern.  The collection, which has a blatant African influence with floral and animal prints, patterns, and wild colors all fused into one cohesive whole is definitely not for the faint of heart.  Valli proved that he is not afraid of color and is embracing the sheer essence of Africa with these designs.

Source: Shadders

Guetan Calvin Elito, Congolese model, is featured as the face of Ohema Ohene for its summer 2011 collection for the second year in a row.  Ohema Ohene is a British based fashion brand which draws inspiration from Ghanaian culture and whose self-proclaimed mission is to bring the world “royal splendor”.  This season’s collection features vibrant prints, and is tailored to have a much more street chic, relaxed vibe as opposed to previous years.

Source: www.onenigerianboy.com

Model Malaan Ajang was featured on the cover of Faint Magazine and in a fashion editorial shot by photographer Alexandre Dubois.  The editorial is titled “Jewel Thief” and shows Ajang with canary yellow eye make-up, and ruby red lips wearing dazzling dresses, glittering gowns, and of course some larger than life jewelry that makes a serious statement.

Source: Fashion Bomb Daily

The models of Africa Fashion Week New York 2011 do not have to worry about strutting down the runway barefoot because MO SAÏQUE has stepped up to be our official shoe sponsor. MO SAÏQUE is a line designed by Afua Dabanka, a German born Ghanaian who has been shaped and influenced from many different cultures which she makes very evident through her designs. Dabanka says MO SAÏQUE “is about who you are and what you love.” It is a fusion of luxurious, smooth sexiness with rich African and European cultures. Her shoes will compliment the designs of all the AFWNY designers throughout the three days of runway shoes, and will sure to make a statement of their own with their bold colors and classic silhouettes.

Source: http://www.stylehousefiles.com/for-the-love-of-shoes-mo-saique-by-afua-dabanka/