African Vibes Magazine » I Wear African

Nigerian Jewelry Designer Monalisa Okojie will showcase her new coral collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway

AVReporter — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 06:32:01 +0000

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

Share This:

DRC Designer Kahindo Mateene to show her socially responsible collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Designer Kahindo Mateene is the...
Designer Arthlene Legair to reveal her Africa influenced collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Self taught Designer, Arthlene Legair and Designer of the Legair...
Cameroonian Designers Maryanne Mokoko and Stephanie Mouapi to showcase their new Romance collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Cameroonian designers Maryanne E. Mokoko and Stephanie T. Mouapi will...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Ivorian Designer Christiane King will show her vibrant fall/winter collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway

AVReporter — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 06:28:07 +0000

Christiane King was born in the Cote d’Ivoire (French for the Ivory Coast) where she spent most of her childhood and college years. After earning a Bachelors Degree in International Trade in the City of Abidjan and interning at the country’s top oil refinery, she realized her passion lied somewhere else.

Today, Christiane’s collections feature designs that are strongly influenced by her life experiences. Her signature layered and textured look result from the combination of her traditional heritage with the Western cultures she’s been exposed to. Her garments celebrate the arts and crafts from her Ivorian culture, but also maintain very modern styles and silhouettes.

Her Designs have been worn by Celebrities such as Teri Hatcher, Lisa Raye, Jessica Sutta and others.

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

“I will be showing my Fall-Winter collection. This collection was drawn from my appreciation of nature and of artisanship from my native country of Cote d’Ivoire. The use of double face satin organza, silk chiffon and crepe fabrics all added to the romantic feel I intended to create. Inspired by elements such as roses, calla lilies and nature’s many wonders, I was able to create layers, textures and volume in an organic way on silhouettes that are flattering to the woman’s body. I strived to achieve a reconnection between art and nature while keeping my love for color very present in my Fall-Winter collection.” – Christiane King

Website: http://www.christianeking.com/

Pieces from Previous Collections

Share This:

DRC Designer Kahindo Mateene to show her socially responsible collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Designer Kahindo Mateene is the...
Designer Arthlene Legair to reveal her Africa influenced collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Self taught Designer, Arthlene Legair and Designer of the Legair...
Young Ghanaian Designer, Sheila Denanyoh to bring fun and flirty looks to the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Sheila Denanyoh is a young self taught fashion designer that...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Ethiopian Designer Mekdes Tefera Taye will bring colorful Red Carpet Looks to the ‘I Wear African’ Runway

AVReporter — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:20:52 +0000

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.

She has participated in more then 30 different fashion shows and has shown her collections to raise awareness for different humanitarian causes including child orphans of HIV, Ethiopian Women Association, International peace day and more. She designed garments for Miss Ethiopia world (2007/2009) and the Miss tourism Ethiopia 2008 top 20 contestants. She also participated in the Arise African Fashion Week 2009 in south Africa and the Pan Africa Festival 2009 in Algeria.

Most recently she worked as the costume designer for Ethiopia’s biggest movie The Return of Grace which involved designing 1061 items of clothing. The movie is expected to premiere in the coning year.

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

Share This:

Young Ghanaian Designer, Sheila Denanyoh to bring fun and flirty looks to the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Sheila Denanyoh is a young self taught fashion designer that...
Designer Arthlene Legair to reveal her Africa influenced collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Self taught Designer, Arthlene Legair and Designer of the Legair...
DRC Designer Kahindo Mateene to show her socially responsible collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Designer Kahindo Mateene is the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Young Ghanaian Designer, Sheila Denanyoh to bring fun and flirty looks to the ‘I Wear African’ Runway

AVReporter — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 02:22:00 +0000

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

Pieces from Previous Collections

Share This:

Ethiopian Designer Mekdes Tefera Taye will bring colorful Red Carpet Looks to the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Ethiopian Designer, Mekdes Tefera Taye designed her first collection and...
Designer Arthlene Legair to reveal her Africa influenced collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Self taught Designer, Arthlene Legair and Designer of the Legair...
Ivorian Designer Christiane King will show her vibrant fall/winter collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Christiane King was born in the Cote d’Ivoire (French for...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

DRC Designer Kahindo Mateene to show her socially responsible collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway

AVReporter — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 20:35:52 +0000

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/

Pieces from Previous Collections

Share This:

Designer Arthlene Legair to reveal her Africa influenced collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Self taught Designer, Arthlene Legair and Designer of the Legair...
Cameroonian Designers Maryanne Mokoko and Stephanie Mouapi to showcase their new Romance collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Cameroonian designers Maryanne E. Mokoko and Stephanie T. Mouapi will...
CNE TV Interviews African Vibes Magazine Editor In Chief, Amabel Niba African Vibes Magazine’s Editor in Chief, Amabel Niba discussed the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Cameroonian Designers Maryanne Mokoko and Stephanie Mouapi to showcase their new Romance collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway

AVReporter — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:05:32 +0000

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

Pieces from Previous Collections

Share This:

Designer Arthlene Legair to reveal her Africa influenced collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway Self taught Designer, Arthlene Legair and Designer of the Legair...
African Vibes 4th Anniversary Event On April 24th 2010, African Vibes Magazine is rolling out...
CNE TV Interviews African Vibes Magazine Editor In Chief, Amabel Niba African Vibes Magazine’s Editor in Chief, Amabel Niba discussed the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Designer Arthlene Legair to reveal her Africa influenced collection on the ‘I Wear African’ Runway

AVReporter — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:24:46 +0000

Self taught Designer, Arthlene Legair and Designer of the Legair Brand will be showing her Africa inspired collection on the “I Wear African” Runway in Hollywood on April 24th 2010. Legair was born in the Caribbean Island of Dominica West Indies and has over 30 years of experience in the fashion industry. She is also the CEO of LeGair Brand Ltd, her own label which is based in Columbus Ohio. She creates formal, couture, prom, and business attire for Teens and Adults as well as one of a kind accessories.

She was the wardrobe designer for A Walk on Water Production Company. Her design is on the cover and also featured in the movie, “The Best Leading Daddy”.

Legair’s clothing has been in the ICC Christmas play, at the Mother Daughter fashion show, The C.O tour of Columbus, Nellie’s Catwalk 4 Kids, Miss Black Ohio Modeling Inc, Hair meets Fashion and “I Am Fashion” shows.

One of her designs, a peacock feathered gown with over 550 hand sewn feathers, was featured in Issue 14 of the African Vibes Magazine.

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

“I love African fabrics; they are so rich and vibrant. I plan to incorporate modern styles with African fabrics into my collection. I am ecstatic to be a part of the “I Wear African” campaign; it has encouraged me create a full line of contemporary African elegant designs which I will present at the show.”

Website: http://www.legairbrand.com