Africa Fashion Week(end) London 2012

Yesterday (04.08.2012) I managed to pry myself away from watching the epic Olympics (Team GB/Nigeria!!)  long enough to go down to Spitalfields Market in East London to attend Africa Fashion Week London 2012.

This was more of an Africa Fashion Weekend London 2012, because as far I was aware, it only took place over 03 and 04 August 2012.

Over the two days there was to be a show case of about 45 designers as well as stalls where people could buy clothes and accessories.

I only got to see one fashion show, by House of Farrah*. Here are a few pics from the show (these were taken on my phone):

The House of Farrah had a beautiful collection, but to be honest I was expecting garments/accessories made from African Fabric, or that it would have African influence.

Beautiful clothes and accessories were featured amongst several stalls, but two in particular caught my eye:

Ella and Gabby* - their hand beaded garments really got my attention; unfortunately I did not take pictures (boo!)

Ankara Clothing* - they sell & custom design dresses  and accessories; they also sell African Fabrics. I managed to take a few pics of their stall:

Ankara Clothing had really gorgeous bags – I just had to buy something, maybe two:

Gold patterrn has been imprinted on the fabric;
if we eventually get more sun in the UK, the gold will glitter nicely!

The other side of the bag

A purse made from the same fabric

The normal price of the bag (according to their website) is £35, and the purse is £15. However at AFWL the bag was selling for £25 and the purse £10. Even then, I managed to pay £25 for both the bag and purse.....not bad!

While my time at Spitalfields was brief , overall, having Africa Fashion Week London is a genius idea; I hope that it will continue to grow to more than just a weekend. I got to see African fabrics and African influence translated into beautiful designs. Remember people, African Fabric is not just a trend sported by Solange and Gwen Stefani......it's been here, is here and will always be here!

By the way, here’s a quick OOTD pic:

Jumper - H&M
Leggings - New Look
Studded Flats, Earrings - Topshop
Bag - Zara
Watch - V&A Museum

As you can see I was dressed very casual, but when it comes to exhibitions, I’d rather go for casual and comfort than fashion and discomfort!

Now back to  watching the Olympics!

*To find out more about these businesses, simply click on their names; they're hyper linked x

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