Suzanna Dai is known for her bold and dramatic jewelry that’s often seen on Gossip Girl stars Leighton Meester and Blake Lively. Her glamorous yet sophisticated accessories have become a staple for Hollywood royalty. Head designer Suzie Gallehugh draws inspiration from the many cultures she’s visited around the world. Dai’s Madagascar Collection is fully inspired by the exotic local and traditional garb of the women who inhabit the gorgeous island right off the African coast. The array of dazzling metallic and beading on the jewelry is the perfect way to capture Malagasy flavor in anyone’s wardrobe.

London Fashion Week came to a close just about a week ago, and we were left with a ton of awesome collections to be excited about for this fall. A personal favorite of the AFWNY team was the collection called Tata Naka, designed by Tbilisi-born identical twins Tamara and Natasha Surguladze. The sisters’ Fall 2012 collection was a Motown-meets-Malawian look that kept with the bold colors and prints we saw during New York Fashion Week. This dynamic duo can count us in with Cameron Diaz and Sarah Jessica Parker as big fans!

We’ve still got a little more winter to go, but buyers are looking forward to the future and filling up their stores with this spring’s hottest trends. From color-blocking and stand-out prints to different hemlines and waistlines than before, this coming season is all about color. To keep up with the latest trends, be sure to shop for bright hues and vibrant patterns. Skinny jeans in every color and bold African and Asian patterns on dresses and tops were seen all over the runways at Fashion Week, and will be perfect for the more daring fashionista. 

USA-based Zimbabwean designer Farai Simoyi is extremely talented, and we are humbled to have her showcase at Africa Fashion Week in New York this summer. Her soft, steel, bohemian pieces have a mix of influences from the places she has lived and studied in: Europe, America, and of course Africa. What’s exciting for Farai now is that she will be appearing on Lifetime TV! The show 24-Hour Catwalk is a reality series on Lifetime in which four designers compete to create their entire collection in one 24-hour period. Farai’s episode will be airing on March 1, 2012 at 10:00pm EST, be sure to tune in!

McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland held its second annual Celebrating Africa to challenge the stereotypes students hold of Africa.  The event included African dance, trivia, poems, dinner, and individual presentations. To spice up the night, a fashion show was held to showcase both traditional African outfits as well as more modern designs that are emerging from the continent. The fashion show was an especially big hit with the audience, and it gave them a new perspective on the culture and way of life in Africa. 

Cape Town came alive on February 10^th for the Red Carpet Fashion Show at the Camps Bay Rotunda. Some seriously talented South African designers were on display for the Heat magazine sponsored show. Craig Port, Stefania Morland, Jagadi Haute Couture, Beach Cult and Malcolm Kluk all showcased their latest trends in an assortment of designs that were “beautifully whimsical while still etched into the darker, intense, and rooted qualities of true African design” (http://www.whatsonincapetown.com/post/review-red-carpet-fashion-show-2012/).

We hope you remember how L’Uomo Vogue released its first issue focusing on African style back in November 2008 (following Vogue Italia’s super successful “Black Issue”). The AFWNY team was very happy to find out that the magazine is planning a second one for the spring. Editor Franca Sozzani revealed the news to Styleite.com that the next edition will drop in May or June and that this time coverage will go beyond African fashion.“It will be about the presidents, it will be about the people, but in a very positive way. I don’t want to say in a glamorous way, but I wanted to show the best side, but only the good side,” Sozzani said. “There are a lot of talents, a lot of talented people in art, in music, in cinema and everywhere. So I really wanted to push that side.” No other details have been set as the issue is still in the initial stages, but tell us: Are you looking forward to the new issue? We are!

B Michael of the brand b Michael America is known for his classy, sophisticated, and timeless designs. With a career studded with celebrity clients, b, as he prefers to be addressed, has dressed African-American Hollywood royalty for years. For him, it’s not just about designing for the big names or the fame it brings, but about dressing powerful women who have a purpose and an agenda. The recent death of Whitney Houston deeply saddened him, and in honor of her, during his show on Wednesday he paid tribute to her, showcasing the silhouettes b created for her as “I Will Always Love You” played in the background.

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In retrospect of NYWF 2012, the African designers who attended the event planned their attack and nailed it this week. Choosing the venue for a show is crucial, because it is the “perfect punctuation for a collections’ style statement” (huffingtonpost.com). For example, Mimi Plange chose a venue that was as luxurious as her pieces in the line, a private residence in The Setai on Fifth. Twins Idyl and Ayaan Mohallim had a line full of bright, feminine dresses, and they were perfectly at home at  the Top of the Garden. The number of African designers grew from a trickle to a flood this year at New York Fashion Week, and the designers are representative of a new generation who are mapping their way through the fashion industry.

Tanzanian new and upcoming designer Francisca Francis Shirima is one who always adds an African flair to her works. Growing up with fashion in mind because her mother was a tailor and her father was always interested in style, Shirima always wanted to be a designer. Her style includes all that embodies the modern African woman: she is strong, bold, full of life and full of character. Shirima participated in the Swahili Fashion Week mid last year, which she called a “training ground” for herself. She got a lot of ideas from the shows and has 10 new designs that she can see herself selling in the near future.  Perhaps we’ll see Shirima and her designs on display at AFWNY sometime in the coming years!