Emmanuel Okoro Wins Inaugural Africa Fashion Up Prize

Emmanuel Okoro has won the top prize at the inaugural edition of Africa Fashion Up, a showcase for African designers, with his Emmy Kasbit men’s and women’s collection made using traditional West African weaving techniques.

Nigerian designer Emmanuel Okoro was one of five designers shortlisted for the event in Paris, organized by the Share Africa platform in partnership with Balenciaga, which will mentor the finalists for six months.

Emmanuel Okoro was joined by Guy Fabrice Sullivan, the Ivorian designer behind the Zaady label; Zak Koné, also from Ivory Coast, founder of evening wear brand Pelebe; Baay Sooley and Laure Tarot, the designers behind Senegalese street wear brand Bull Doff, and Natasha Jaume and Carina Louw, founders of South African women’s wear brand Erre.

In addition to attending masterclasses with members of Balenciaga’s executive committee, the finalists met buyers from Galeries Lafayette and visited the workshop of Imane Ayissi, the first sub-Saharan designer to show on the official couture calendar in Paris and patron of the event, which culminated with a fashion show at the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild.

The competition was open to designers under 40 whose brand is at least two years old, and who have produced a minimum of two ready-to-wear collections. Okoro, who won the 2018 Fashion Focus Fund prize at Lagos Fashion Week, impressed the judges with his sharp tailoring using Akwete cloth in a palette of citrus colors.

Members of the jury included Martina Tiefenthaler, chief creative officer of Balenciaga; Vanessa Moungar, chief diversity and inclusion officer at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, and Maryse Mbonyumutwa Gallagher, director and co-owner at garment manufacturer C&D Pink Mango Rwanda.

Also on the panel were Emmanuelle Courrèges, founder of the LAGO54 showroom for African designers and author of the upcoming book “Africa: The Fashion Continent,” and Marie-Jeanne Serbin-Thomas, editor in chief of Brune magazine.

Former model Valérie Ka, co-founder and artistic director of Share Africa, said:

“I found it a bit frustrating that you often see these designers show in Europe and Africa, but then nothing happens afterwards. As a model, I know their struggles. That’s why I asked the team at Balenciaga to help us, not just to put on a show, but to train them and give them the necessary tools.

We want to not only train young designers, but also help them find factories to make their clothes. What we need now is buyers.”

According to Ayissi:

“This kind of event is important for the entire Black continent. There’s a lot of talent in Africa, and sometimes Africa is ignored by the luxury sector.

It’s always better to establish a reputation at home before growing wings and taking your work elsewhere. Africa must be celebrated first and foremost by us Africans, and friends of Africa.”

In addition to Ayissi, designers like Nigeria’s Kenneth Ize and South Africa’s Thebe Magugu have become regular fixtures on the Paris Fashion Week calendar. Winner of the 2019 LVMH Prize for Young Designers, Magugu is the subject of a major installation at department store Le Bon Marché this fall.

Laurence Thouin, secretary general of Share Africa, stated:

“Unlike usual fashion weeks, this event will be part of a calendar with a real educational, aesthetic and, why not, political purpose, even if the word scares some people. It’s all about showing the world the best of Africa.”

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