The ARISE L'AFRIQUE-À-PORTER FALL 2010/2011 show formed part of the activities of the Fédération Française de la Couture, du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode Fédération.

An historic first – never before have African designers been sought out and  invited by the French Federation to participate in Paris Fashion Week. 

The event allowed buyers, press and fashion industry insiders to get a first hand impression of African design, at a time when the fashion world continues its love affair with Africa.

The designers who were selected to show by ARISE Magazine included David Tlale, MOMO, Tiffany Amber, Jewel by Lisa and Eric Raisina are all ARISE magazine New York Fashion Week alumni. The other participating designers included South Africans Kluk CGDT, Lunar and Clive Rundle; Eyola from Nigeria and Christie Brown from Ghana.

Each designer created a capsule collection of five outfits. The result was a luxurious combination of chic well-formed designs.

Clive Rundle's collection was particularly relevant as he fused his avantgarde aesthetic with football. Mounds of black and white tulle expertly cut into cocktail and evening gowns were accessorized with what is now traditional South African football fan headgear – hard hats with animal fetishism and local club insignia.

"The ARISE L'AFRIQUE-À-PORTER FALL 2010/2011 collections were magic," said the designer on his return to South Africa. "Each designer was unique and yet, truly representative of Africa."

Folake Folarin of Tiffany Amber echoed the sentiment: "Seeing how African designers translate their creativity to appeal to the European market was an eye opening experience," she said. The Tiffany Amber collection of draped tie-dyed silk resonated with the Parisian press looking for the colours of Africa, yet cut with a sophisticated twist.

Didier Grumbach, President of the Fédération Française de la Couture, du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode was in attendance at the  ARISE L'AFRIQUE-À-PORTER FALL 2010/2011 event. He spent a considerable amount of time viewing the collections and speaking to the designers, proving the Federation's endorsement of the event. An aim of this initial showcase was to encourage the Federation to select one designer to have a standalone ARISE MAGAZINE sponsored show on schedule at the Spring/Summer 2011 shows held in Paris in September.

Ethiopian-born supermodel, Liya Kebede, who graced the inaugural issue of ARISE magazine alongside supermodels Naomi Campbell and Alek Wek; was on hand to attend the event and show her support of the designers.

"ARISE magazine continues to trail blaze unlike any other publication," says Nduka Obaigbena, THISDAY Chairman, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of ARISE magazine. "It is unrivalled in leading the movement in endorsing and promoting African fashion, culture, arts and politics by providing these various global platforms." 

ABOUT THE DESIGNERS:

CLIVE RUNDLE
Clive Rundle has become known as somewhat of an elusive South African fashion designer and constructionist over the last 20 years, renowned for his uncanny ability to embrace chaos and reconcile the unimaginable with the imaginable, the ugly with the beautiful. He is said to follow a design dreaming process that culminates in intricate structures that broach and embrace global issues - a kind of intelligence that harmoniously integrates multi-cultural diversity. A bit like architecture in motion. See www.cliverundle.co.za

KLUK CGDT
Cape Town-based Kluk CGDT is known for an uncompromising dedication to quality and finish. Designers Malcolm Kluk and Christiaan Gabriel du Toit create six collections a year which they sell through standalone stores in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Both South African natives, Kluk was educated at Central Saint Martins whereafter he joined John Galliano's studio before returning to South Africa. Known for their on-trend, sophisticated aesthetic Kluk CGDT has a loyal following throughout South Africa. They show regularly at South Africa Fashion Week and have been invited to show at Swedish, Singapore, and Russia Fashion Week. www.kluk.co.za

LUNAR
Lunar is a South African lifestyle and clothing brand founded by designer Karen Ter Morshuizen. The brand is sensitive to environmental concerns and has been working at educating the South African consumer for over a decade.
The principles of organic options, responsible business practices and the preservation of nature have always been high on the list of priorities. Consistent to the source of her inspiration, Lunar's aesthetic incorporates an abundance of natural and organic fabrics and traditional craft techniques such as knitting, naïve embroidery, felting and darning. The result is a compelling range of strong, clean lined, wearable clothes, with a hand-made twist. www.lunarlife.co.za

DAVID TLALE
Winner of the ARISE Fashion Award for Best Designer 2009, South African designer David Tlale made his catwalk debut in 2003, the year he won the Elle New Talent Award and The Sunday Times Designer of the Year Award. In September 2009 he showed at New York Fashion Week as part of the ARISE Promise of Africa Collective. Working from his Johannesburg studio he creates glamorous ready-to-wear for a loyal South African celebrity following who appreciate his uncompromising and unpredictable use of fabric, colour and texture. He is honoured to act as an ambassador for the Change-4-Ever campaign which aims to alleviate poverty in Southern Africa. www.davidtlale.com

MOMO
Since 2000 Momo has become a major force in the Nigerian fashion industry. Momo has shown on runways from New York to London and worn by some of the world's most renowned models including Alek Wek, Liya Kebede, Chanel Iman and Karlie Kloss. Fati Asibelua's signature design aesthetic of mixing traditional African patterns with modern shapes, creates a dynamic blend of African culture with alluring, contemporary style. Asibelu studied fashion at the Institute Marangoni in London and completed a Masters in Fashion Styling at Institute Marangoni, Milan. Momo has three standalone stores in Abuja, offering ready-to-wear for the fashion conscious, custom made exclusive designs, shoes, accessories, fabrics and a home collection of beautiful candles. http://momogroup.org

EYOLA
British/Nigerian designer Aloye Adede launched her London-based label Eyola in 2008 after graduating with a Masters Degree in Fashion Communication and Styling from the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED). Eyola takes inspiration from the opulent style of the Victorian era with a contemporary twist. Each collection takes the form of Octettes which comprise of eight individually crafted and distinct designs each with their own personality. The number eight is relevant primarily as the figure ‘8' reflects the hourglass shape created by the Victorian corset. Each design is limited to a run of eight in a particular fabric or colour. www.eyola.com

JEWEL BY LISA
Launched in 2005 Jewel by Lisa, by Nigerian designer Lisa Fulawiyo, has a distinctly modern edge. Mixing-up the highest quality Ankara with taffeta, linens, chiffon, lace, and silk, garments are hand-embellished with beads, sequins and Swarovski crystals in a painstaking, long process – a fully embellished, unique, JBL garment takes on average 120 hours to make. In 2008 Jewel by Lisa featured in the THISDAY Africa Rising Festival in London, and was chosen for the catwalk show at the M-Net Face of Africa model search competition and showed as part of the ARISE Promise of Africa Collection at New York Fashion Week, September 2009. The label has been featured in several publications throughout Nigeria and abroad. www.jewelbylisa.com.ng

TIFFANY AMBER
Co-honoree of the ARISE Fashion Award for Best Designer 2009, Tiffany Amber, by Nigerian designer Folake Folarin- Coker, returns to New York Fashion Week following her participation in the THISDAY/ARISE Africa Collective in February 2009. After earning a law degree in Europe, Folarin-Coker returned to Nigeria in 1998 where she did a career-about-turn, leaving the energy-industry to give her full attention to fashion. Her brand, synonymous with beautiful fabrication, classic shapes and intricate beading is lauded throughout Nigeria, where she has four standalone stores. Tiffany Amber extends to jewellery, leather goods and accessories. www.tiffanyamberng.com

ERIC RAISINA
Madagascan-born Eric Raisina is essentially a designer of three continents: Asia, Europe and Africa. This combination makes his fashion unique and universal. He completed a Masters in Textile and Fashion Design at the Institut Français de la Mode in Paris, before working on shows with Kenzo, Jean Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix and Christian Dior. Attracted by the local craft, he settled in Cambodia in the late 90s, where he began working with artisans to create his famous "silk fur". He continues to experiment with weaving and dyeing techniques. His creations are available in Paris, Johannesburg, Cambodia and Madagascar. www.ericraisina.com

CHRISTIE BROWN
Ghanian designer Aisha Obuobi's label, Christie Brown, gained cross-continent  acclaim in 2009, winning the ARISE Emerging Designer of the Year at  Africa Fashion Week, held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her collection of traditional African fabrics cut with a modern sophisticated edge impressed the judges. According to Obuobi, Christie Brown aims to infuse a modern and distinct twist to the use of traditional African print, allowing women to experience the culturally rich and opulent side of Africa without compromising personal style, lifestyle or culture. www.christiebrowngh.com

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