Angola - Jurema Ferraz

Botswana - Tiwelo Ramasedi

Egypt - Donia Hammed

Ghana - Awurama Simpson

Mauritius - Dalysha Doorga

Nigeria - Ngozi Odalonu

South Africa - Nicole Flint

Tanzania - Hellen Dausen

Zambia - Alice Musukwa

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Communications and Broadcasting Major, Fifi Soumah, 22, beat 31 other contestants to win the Miss Africa USA 2010 beauty pageant in Maryland. She is a Guinean Muslim and also winner of the Miss Guinea USA crown. Soumah’s victory comes at a time when the country is debating an issue that relates to Muslims all over the United States; the Ground zero mosque. African Vibes sat with the Beauty Queen to discuss her win, her thoughts on ground zero mosque and her inspiration.

Fifi Soumah crowned by Past Queen Teizue Gayflor next to Miss Cameroon USA 2009, Danielle Fochive

Congratulations on your win. It is no easy feat to compete against 300 applicants to be selected as one of 32 delegates and to make it all the way to the top as the winner of a very competitive pageant as the Miss Africa USA. What do you think made you stand out during this competition?

Miss Africa USA 2010 Delegates awaiting the announcement of the new Queen.

I must admit that all 32 delegates who made it to the finals were very beautiful and talented. It was the little things that made me stand out, such as my stage presence, eye contact, smile, involving my entire audience in everything I said or did on stage, and my confidence. I stayed focused the entire journey of the competition. It was a fun journey with the ladies…we had many laughs.

What was it like right before you were announced the winner?

Wow…I had a lot of different emotions going on inside of me. I was however, mostly nervous, yet expecting, while trying to stay calm and confident.

You did impress the judges. Now that you have risen to the top and earned the crown, what will you like to accomplish with your new role?

Fifi Soumah and Miss Africa USA Founder, Lady Kate Njeuma

I will like to continue my platform of raising awareness of the ills of practices of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which cause several adverse effects to the health of a growing young female who is a victim of such practices. I hope to continue pushing for change and for the eradication of such practices in Guinea and other parts of the world. I will also be actively carrying out activities to educate especially the girl child in underserved communities in Guinea. My activities will range from supplying school supplies and a comfortable learning environment. I will also work with the non-profit organizations here in the US and in Guinea serving the community.  I will be traveling to Guinea to work on my projects on the ground.  I also plan bridge the gap between Africa and the US by encouraging and organizing trips to Africa and promoting cultural exchange.   While I remain a fulltime student, I will be every involved in serving my community.

As a young woman rising to the top, how do you think you can empower other women?

African Women of today are fast becoming a part of the African society, and not just passive listeners and women who solely take instructions and are pushed around. While they remain respectful, they are strong, beautiful, smart and very talented. Who would have ever thought many years ago that an African country will one day have a woman as President? I see today’s African woman as one who does not wait to see change, but is part of making the change.

As a 22 year old, my stories may not be many, but as a strong African woman living in America from Guinea, my stories are vast. I have faced many challenges in life but never once did I give up. I always set my goals and work towards accomplishing them each time. I ask that every woman should give herself a purpose in life, be a voice in your community, stay true and dedicated and never fall short of what you believe, even when others tell you that you can’t…because you can!

Your win as Miss Africa USA 2010 comes around a time when the United States is engaged in a heavy debate about building a Mosque close to where September 11^th attacks happened. There are those who say it is an insensitive move and others who argue that it is the constitutional right of the Muslims to build a Mosque there. As a Muslim, what are your thoughts on this debate?

As a Muslim and a good citizen I agree with the construction of the Mosque at ground zero. The United States of America is built on freedom and this includes religious freedom therefore all citizens have the right to practice their religion. We all need to be sensitive towards the families of the victims of 9/11, it was a huge loss  for the United States of America and also for all religions.  This sensitivity shouldn’t be used to go against our constitution. Terrorists are not Muslims because in Islam no one has the right to kill innocent people, so all Muslims shouldn’t have to suffer because of the actions of terrorists. Not letting this project happen in America will give victory to the terrorists.

4 THINGS YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT BEAUTY QUEEN FIFI SOUMAH

Her Inspiration: My Mother inspires me. She has taught me so much and provided me with the tools to navigate through life. She believes in me and supports my projects and dreams. Her never ending promise of love for me continuous to flow. She is everything I want to be. Mama, you are my number one fan!

Her Favorite Books: The “Qu’ran” because to me God is first in everything. My second favorite book is By Agatha Christie “And then there were none” and the third is about my vampire lover Edward (laugh)”Twilight” by Stephanie Meyer.

Her Favorite Guinean Dish: My favorite Guinean dish is “konkweh”, which is made out of smoked fish cooked with palm oil. Yummy!!!

What she loves about Guinea: The food and hospitality of the Guinean people.

What she will change about Guinea: I will give a voice to the younger generation and the women. I believe we stand to have a better Guinea and Africa as a whole with new ideas from the youths as legislators and with our mothers taking their managerial skills from the homes into other sectors of the country.

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Vlisco takes colour to a higher level, bringing it to life with the new ‘Reflet de Lumière’ fabric collection. The collection elucidates the disparity between silhouettes and movement with a colourful blurring effect. The designs create a surreal sense of structural forms, an illusion of architectural dimensions. This sensation is enhanced by the visual effect of morphing created by the interaction between shadows and the aura of coloured lights, merging to produce a graphical collection of unique fabrics.

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All your senses will celebrate the colourful new fabric collection ‘Sparkling Grace’ by Vlisco. Go up the stairs and feel the sensation of melodious pulsations leading to a spectacle of bright colours. The designs coordinate the rhythm of movement. Clear graphic lines give a feeling of the beat while numerous floral designs make up the melody, blossoming into a range of vibrant fabrics. ‘Sparkling Grace’ pays homage to elegance and femininity, magnifying both your inner and outer beauty. So take the stage and shine like a star.

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NEHITA is a vision of Nigerian designer Monalisa Okojie, who’s passion for beauty led her to change careers from Law to Jewelry Design.

Okojie’s collections embrace design trends from all over the world by using appealing and colorful precious stones and various colors of gold. Her designs express elegant luxuries and appeal to the sophisticated clients with close attention to conflict free diamonds when used.

What we can expect at the “I Wear African” Runway Show

“I will be showing my new Coral Collection which is the jewelry of choice for the summer. They are very colorful, elegant and timeless. My inspiration for this collection came from my continuous appreciation for my Ishan heritage. where coral beads are used in dressing up the brides and the mothers on their daughter’s wedding day.” – Monalisa Okojie

Website: http://www.nehita.com

Pieces from Previous Collections

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Ethiopian Designer, Mekdes Tefera Taye designed her first collection and held her first show at the age of  14 when she became interested in fashion design.  She then continued developing designs from sting materials including her famous wedding dress designs made of pop corn as well as other materials like mesh and hand crafted cotton textiles.

What we can expect at the “I Wear African” Runway Show

“I will be showing celebrity clothing, cocktail dresses, evening gowns that are colorful and simple”

Website:

Pieces from Previous Collections

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Sheila Denanyoh is a young self taught fashion designer that resides in Westerville, Ohio. She’s originally from Ghana and currently a senior at the Kent State University studying Interior Design. Denanyoh loves the arts and has had a passion for designing since she was 9 years old. She founded Ill-la-la Designs in 2008 and has since used this outlet of expression to help bring change to Africa through the Looks for Books Foundation. Denanyoh’s Ill-la-la Designs has been in shows at universities throughout the state of Ohio. She also participated in the Green and Gorgeous Fashion show in D.C and provided wardrobe for the contestants of the Miss Liberia Ohio Pageant.

What we can expect at the “I Wear African” Runway Show

“I will be showing pieces from my latest collection called ‘Tubgedje’ which means ‘Lady’ in the Ewe language spoken in Ghana. The clothes in this time inspired collection reflect a girl’s maturity into a woman while still maintaining the essence of being a girl. It’s partly fun and flirty and partly reserved and unspoken.” – Sheila Denanyoh

Website: http://www.illlaladesigns.com

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Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Designer Kahindo Mateene is the Founder of clothing brand, Modahnik where she fuses her African heritage using colorful African print fabrics with her Western influenced design sensibilities.  Her goal is to create beautiful clothes of the highest quality and act as a poverty reduction tool by creating sustainable employment opportunities to underprivileged women in African communities.

Mateene has a degree in International Business and a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the highly acclaimed Fashion Design Program at the Illinois Institute of Art. Since graduating in 2004, she has relentlessly pursued her goal of creating an exciting clothing line within a sustainable business model in both the US and Africa. Mateene’s first collection was launched during the 2009 Fashion Focus Chicago week.

What we can expect at the “I Wear African” Runway Show

“Modahnik will be showcasing the 2010 Fall Collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway. This collection is influenced by the Modahnik customer and that alternative she seeks out when reaching for the Little Black Dress in her closet. The use of silk alongside African influenced wax print fabrics, ruching and asymmetrical ruffles in flattering sexy ladylike shapes are just some of the feminine frills you will find in the collection.” – Kahindo Mateene

Website: http://www.modahnik.com/

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Cameroonian designers Maryanne E. Mokoko and Stephanie T. Mouapi will be showcasing their modern pieces on the “I Wear African” Runway at the African Vibes Magazine 4th Anniversary Event for their Côté Minou label which was created in the Summer of 2006.

Côté Minou was one of the 6 Designers to showcase at the “I Wear African” campaign launch in 2009. It has been featured in numerous fashion and African related events such as Force Afrik’s African Dance Explosion II, The Howard University’s Homecoming, HU-ASA and Spring Fest Fashion Show, BCBG Productions GQ Party II, Dartmouth’s Evolution of Black Fashion Show,St. Scholastica’s African Heritage Festival, Penn State’s Touch of Africa Show, SUNY Binghamton’s Threads of the Motherland, University of Maryland Fight Against Malaria Fashion Show, The DC Fashion Week, The Maryland Fashion Week, The YMCA Benefit Fashion Show, and The Genesis Ent. Native-Trad Party at Love NightClub in Washington, DC.

In the course of their Journey to changing the way we see the African Cloth, Côté Minou has been featured in the 2007 Uzuri Young Designer Series, named the 2008 Africa Pearls Inc. Trendsetter Award Recipient, was winner of the 2009 Annual African Designers and Models Competition and made it to the 2010 Dulce Camer’s Top 100 List. The Journey continues as they strive to represent Africa the best way they know how and that is through Fashion. The label was recently showcased as featured designer for Munaluchi Bridal on The CW Network (WPIX) Morning show.’

What we can expect at the “I Wear African” Runway Show

“This spring  2010, expect flirty and vibrant colors highlighted with tons of edgy designs. The collection entitled The Romance is surrounded with a mix of volume plus geometry that will down right break your heart.”

Website: http://www.mycoteminou.com

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