Fashion From Around The World: African Designers Debut Collection in London

We may still have a few weeks to go before the frenzy of the international fashion weeks kicks off, but that doesn't mean that the fashion world is sitting still until then. Across the pond, Africa Fashion Week is in full force, but rather than on its home continent, collections are being exhibited in London.

Africa Fashion Week features looks from 60 designers hailing from countries all over the African Continent, including Ghana, Morocco, South Africa, Congo, Botswana, Kenya, among others. But African nations weren't the only ones featured: British and Caribbean designers also made an appearance. The looks on the runway conveyed the essence of African fashion today: the fusion of old and new. Traditional prints in bright colors mixed with contemporary styles and trends.

For many African designers, the road to Africa Fashion Week isn't an easy one. Ronke Ademiluyi, who founded the event three years ago, told that many promising designers suffer from lack of support back at home and don't have the resources to break into mainstream fashion week. Africa Fashion Week gives these designers an opportunity to exhibit their designs on an international stage. Ademiluyi hopes to create a supply platform that will provide designers with a new direction to take after Africa Fashion Week to help their brands take off by giving them an outlet to distribute through.

Photo: Courtesy of CNN