FAH-SCHYON LAB ONE O ONE

BLOGGERS ARE INFLUENCERS

2012-01-27T21:33:00.008Z

Last week’s #talkafricafashion discussion was very interesting. Our topic was "how designers should relate to bloggers (etiquette)" and it was hosted by US blogger @Ciaafrique.

So designers, these are the things you should do!

Make your email personal and specific. Do not send out an email with cc'ed addresses. If you must, bcc your mails.

Ensure you check you have the right addressee’s name. Nothing worse than sending an email to Mary and addressing her as Jane or John as Mark (you get my drift!)...Yikes!

Respect the bloggers.

Do not call up or repeatedly email the bloggers to harras them to publish your post. It’s their choice.

Research the blogger’s site and send your request accordingly.

Here are a few tips by one blogger participant @Mister_Mobility on how to position your blog.

Make up your mind that you are not a news media.
That eliminates the need to publish every bit of news that comes your way.
Set up a section/category for PR/Media as a paid service.
Do features on items that interest you. Stay objective though. No hating.
Excellence is required. If you want to get paid, put in the work.

So remember bloggers that you are influencers!!

Thanks to all those who joined in and contributed.

So until next time, join us this Sunday around 2pm UK time for another dose of #talkafricafashion on Twitter.

Follow me @Brownschuga

Ciao

TALK AFRICA FASHION DISCUSSION ON TWITTER

2012-01-20T21:50:00.008Z

Hello blogville! Hope you all had a fab Christmas and a memorable New Year too.

So here I am with another post about a discussion I started last week on Twitter.

Our discussion was on Talk Africa Fashion hashtag #talkafricafashion and it featured contributions from designers, bloggers, publications, online store owners, marketers and PR gurus from within the fashion industry.

Our topic was “challenges that designers face”. A lot of interesting points came up during the discussion, such as financing issues to branding and marketing, to lack of knowledge of the industry including quality control, pricing, business plan writing and lack of local infrastructures and artisans.

I wanted to share with you some of the solutions/points that came out of the discussion.

We talked about the importance of mentor schemes. How valuable it was to gain firsthand experience and maintain a partnership with an experienced designer which could help the designer as they grow their brand.

We also looked at how important it was to have an impartial governing fashion council/body within the African fashion industry to financially assist and maintain some standards and regulations. The one challenge with this was how it would represent the different countries within Africa – having local bodies that report to a main one perhaps is the way forward? Who knows! We are already seeing assistance from government funds and private investors contributing to the development of fashion in Nigeria and South Africa so this could be a path to explore in building the African fashion industry.

Networking and building relationships is imperative. It does not matter which business field you are in, in fact this could be the biggest factor that moves your brand forwards. It is not what you know but who you know that counts so never forget this saying! Through your networks you can then build up a valuable collaboration/partnership which can help your brand grow.

For all those who think that fashion is in, yes it is but remember that fashion is not a picnic as someone pointed out in the discussion. It is very challenging but it can also be very rewarding. Nevertheless, you have to invest in it to profit and that is the simple truth!

Also remember that Rome was not built in a day so start small and build momentum as you go along. You cannot be everything for your brand so don’t forget to delegate as you grow. Where your skills end, get someone to assist you. Ensure you maximise all available resources at your disposal too.

Be able to think creatively. Create a signature; something unique for your brand – workmanship/craftsmanship is what makes you memorable – this leads to innovation?

Find the right avenues to reach your target market. Use social media and online blog sites and magazines that target your desired crowd. To generate sales, say no to fashion shows and yes to trade shows. Remember these shows are not cheap!

Good quality and stylish designs is the feedback we got from a potential customer. So do your homework about what your target market needs before embarking on your business journey.

Finally, throughout the discussion the point that kept cropping up was that of education. Education, education, education was the key to unlock most of the challenges that designers face. Gather knowledge about your target market and their needs, find out about how to write a business plan and raise funds for your business (most still forget that fashion = business), find out about branding, marketing, communication (press relations), positioning, quality control (detailing/finishing) etc

We all know the African fashion industry has the potential to become very big even Franca Sozzani of Vogue Italia has already recognised this potential so do whatever it takes to make your business a success!

Goodluck!

A big thank you to all those who took part in the discussion, Lisa Folawiyo of Jewel by Lisa, Asake Agoro of Asakeoge, bloggers Ciaafrique and Afrosocialite, marketing and communications gurus BiosuPR, K Connection, VAG and Olivia Asiedu-Ntow.

Catch the discussion again Sunday from 2pm UK time. The topic is "media relations: how designers should relate to bloggers and publications" #talkafricafashion!

Until the next post, bye for now.

Fah-schyonysta

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY CHRISTMAS...

2011-12-24T14:43:00.000Z

Stay fashionable!
See you in the new year!!

BRAND POSITIONING: KREYANN'

2011-12-21T14:26:00.005Z

Today I will be looking at the concept of brand positioning in the marketing of the Kreyann’ fashion label founded 10 years ago by the Cameroonian Anna Ngann Yonn an ex Esmod Paris student.

Positioning is, “The act of designing the company's offering and image so that they occupy a meaningful and distinct competitive position in the target customers’ minds” (Kotler 1997).

Positioning is not about the product but actually what the customer thinks about the product or organisation. Therefore it is about visibility and recognition of what a product represents to a buyer.

TARGET MARKET:

· Females

· Open minded

· Understands world cultures

· Understands fashion and trends

· Well travelled

· Professional

TARGET AGES:

· 20-65

BRAND POSITION:

· Kreyann’ positions itself as an exclusive high end womenswear brand in Cameroon and beyond for its high end price tag and exclusive branding techniques although it does not follow advertising rules to emphasise this.

POSITIVE:

· Exclusive

· Luxurious

· Attention to detail

· One off pieces

· Ready to wear and made to measure

· Quality fabrics

· Well decorated studio positioned in the affluent business quarters of Douala.

NEGATIVE:

· Limited stockists

· Not well known outside of Cameroon and in the Anglophone fashion world either.

SOME BRAND POSITION SUGGESTIONS:

· An online store would be an asset. It would enable those outside of Cameroon to be able to purchase pieces easily.

· Increase the number of stockists to also ensure visibility in new territories/markets.

· Increase their advertising and communication strategies to ensure that the brand has some visibility.

· Increase their partnerships and associations with the Anglophone media to ensure wide coverage and visibility for the brand.

· Create an illusion of youth culture by maybe introducing a more fresh and poppy look targeting the younger segments of their target market.

Some images from Kreyann' 10 year show K-Walk in Douala November 2001

Kreyann’ reseller:

La Boutique Extraordinaire
67, rue Charlot
75003 Paris

All images by SDR

www.kreyann.com

Until the next post!

Follow me on Twitter: @Brownschuga

WHAT DOES YOUR WEBSITE SAY ABOUT YOU?

2011-12-14T15:03:00.005Z

Hello peeps! Today I will be starting a series which will analyse the various websites of some of established and emerging African fashion brands out there.

And today, I have decided to kick start this process with a brand that needs no introduction. By this I mean it is a fashion brand that is known by most Africans and non Africans alike that are into fashion. If you say you are into African fashion especially, you must definitely be in the know/have heard of this power house.

This brand has built up a hard reputation as a brand to be reckoned with. It’s branding speaks elegance, exclusivity and elite-ness (does this word exist even?! It does now!) as seen in their product pricing (how about spending £1,696 on a dress?), their product quality, the attitude of the designer/brand (you don’t see them everywhere and they don’t just feature in any type of event/publication!) and also their point of sale. Their flagship store in Ajose Adeogun Street in Victoria Island, Lagos is a very airy and light clutter free contemporary space.

So let’s check out their website and see what it says and if it fits with the overall branding of exclusivity, elegance and elite-ness.

I go online and type their name into Google and 2 websites pop up! So here goes my analysis of the first site (.net site) based on these aspects:

· Look

· Relevancy

· Usability

· Currency

Look: On first impression, I expected a more exclusive, elegant and new image to welcome me rather than the outdated image that is presently on here. After entering the site, I was then not sure about where to click next as I was bombarded with different mish-mashed images representing different aspects of the website. Where is the exclusive brand continuity I begin to ask myself? Surely this is misleading to their clientele. (See images below)

Relevancy: Does the site have what its customers are looking for? What would a Deola Sagoe customer be looking for? Information on new collection (look book), designer bio, progress report on what the brand is doing behind the scenes/a way to keep your brand constant in the minds of your audience (blog), point of sale address (plus any stockists addresses) plus contact details for the store and the team at Deola Sagoe. What is presented? A badly presented lookbook/collection section which is clearly not easy at all to locate, too many pictures of the designer with no clear relevancy on the bio page, the address of the store which is very difficult to view (is it my browser?) because it overlaps with the images presented of the store and to top it up, no contact information for the Deaola Sagoe team! The blog is outdated with a post on “Clan” (Deola Sagoe’s daughters’ new label) written in October 4^th. Does Deola Sagoe now want to be hip and hop or exclusive and elite? I was confused why they would feature "Clan" on their blog albeit I understand the label is founded by her daughters. Anyway, moving on! So how would a would be customer get in touch? Is this information left out because they are trying to be exclusive? Plus is nothing going on at house of Deola Sagoe worth reporting to us about? Too many confusing messages sent out to customers!!

Usability: Will their customers be able to find what they need to know quickly? No! With the above in mind, I would rate the usability of this site as FAIL. All the information is presented like a maze and a business website should definitely be easy to manoeuvre and surf.

Currency: Is the information on this site up to date? The website has been stuffed with so much information that I am not sure what is new and what is old. This lack of clarity and the mixed brand messages sent out is definitely not good for the branding of Deola Sagoe. Looking at this website, one would definitely not associate the words “elegance”, “exclusivity” and “elite-ness” with this top fashion brand that commands £1,696 for a dress!

My advice to the Deola Sagoe team is to:

· Rebrand the website to ensure that it is the ONLY website representing their brand and it is easy to use and the info is easily accessible. Also ensure it is inkeeping with the overall branding/stratgey of the brand.

· Ensure that all the info provided is relevant, clear and concise.

· Ensure that the images displayed tell a story and are consistent with the overall branding of the company.

· Ensure your contact info is clearly displayed and correct to ensure that you are receiving and dealing with your customers’ queries.

First impressions are paramount on the web than in person. You know what your company offers. You know that you are a solid business with an outstanding track record. But, does your homepage communicate this to the rest of the world?

It only takes 3-7 seconds for a potential client to scan the site and get a first impression of your business. If your website is unable to impress and inform the potential client of what they need within that time frame, chances of them ever coming back are very unlikely. Your website should be parallel with the personality of your brand, displaying your top qualities.

Take a few seconds and evaluate your own web site.

The other website http://www.deolasagoedesign.com/ could not be accessed. I am wondering why there are 2 sites for this exclusive design brand?

All images from www.deolasagoe.net

Follow me on Twitter: @Brownschuga
Email me at: brownschuga@yahoo.com

Stay tuned!

WHAT ROLE DOES YOUR LOGO PLAY IN YOUR BRANDING STRATEGY?

2011-12-02T11:35:00.004Z

Good morning blogsville. Today I would like to bring to you a little (but very important) topic I have been reading on.

The post on today will focus on the importance of an appropriate logo in your branding strategy.

Your business logo is only one piece of your branding strategy. It is a symbol that can provide consumers with instant and powerful brand recognition of your business and the services or products that you offer.

Before you begin creating your logo make sure that you have developed your brand strategy. Why you ask? Your logo is like an unspoken advert for your company, it precedes your business and overall it represents what you are about.

Without a strategy behind it, a logo can put across the wrong message and in return limit your company’s growing opportunity. You want to keep your brand message consistent to help increase consumer recognition and keep the sales alive!

TIPS ON CREATING A LOGO

The mission of your logo is to portray the values and goals of your company. Make sure that these are clearly established before venturing out to find a logo designer or doing it yourself.
Be clear about the message that you want your brand to convey so that your logo can clearly reflect that message. You must have a strong association between your brand and your logo. Remember it is only one piece of your branding strategy but a very important one, so get it right!
Your logo should reflect professionalism and growth no matter how small your company is. It should be a strong balanced image with no little extras that clutter its look.
If you are designing your logo in-house to save money be sure to test your efforts with your friends, family or inner circle first before going live with the design.
Make sure that the logo you select is not dated but can be used effectively year after year. It should be distinctive and bold, making it easy to see at a glance. Keep in mind it is how consumers will recognise your company!

Confident branding and a strong branding strategy uses design to communicate a message that attracts the target audience that you want to attract - a message that creates confidence in your brand while differentiating between you and your competitors.

Does your logo fulfill this mission? What does your logo say about you?

Watch out for my next post where I will be analysing some logos in the African fashion industry.
Get in touch me at brownschuga@yahoo.com or follow my ramblings on Twitter @Brownschuga.

Stay fashionable!
Research and image source: online

MARKETING MIX ANALYSIS: MO'SAIQUE SHOES

2011-11-23T13:33:00.016Z

Hello peeps, how's the going? For those launching new businesses or keeping the existing ones going strong, I hope my posts are educational! If you need any help, please do not hesitate to get in touch! Contact info, below this post.

So today, my focus will be on analysing a great footwear brand by the name of Mo'Saique. I am still to own a pair *wink* hopefully sooner rather than later because I already have a deep love relationship with one design!

Afua Dabanka was born to Ghanian parents in Bochum, Germany and after gaining a degree in business administration followed by years of working as a banker in the City of London, decided to embark on her long term dream of owning her own footwear label, Mo’Saique was launched in 2011.

The Mo’Saique woman expects excellence rather than is surprised by it. She is a woman who values classics but still craves the captivating factor.

Mo’Saique is a fusion of cultures, Germany’s clean-cut silhouettes and Ghana’s vibrant colours and prints and more. Future expansion for the label includes women’s handbags and a capsule men’s collection.

Marketing Mix: What is it?

The term "Marketing Mix" was coined in 1953 by Neil Borden in his American Marketing Association presidential address. The marketing mix is a broad concept which includes several aspects of marketing which all inquire to obtain a similar goal of creating awareness and customer loyalty. It forms the entire promotional campaign for any brand. The marketing mix is not only an important concept, but a guideline to reference back to when implementing the price, promotion, product, and distribution. Other components of this mix includes planning, branding, packaging, display, distribution channels, personal selling, advertising, servicing, and physical handling.

Marketing Mix: the 4 P's!

Product
Price
Promotion
Place

Product: Classic, sophisticated and luxurious soft leather shoe collections beautifully presented in shoe boxes, with a touch of femme fatalism and a hint of Africa all manufactured on a very small scale (I can testify to that!!) to allow for exclusivity and in keeping with the brand’s positioning. In a market saturated with luxurious and affordable mass produced footwear, the Mo’Saique brand differentiation is evident in its branding – the decision of the designer to allow only for a small handful of women to own her shoes (certainly a great marketing technique in the brand’s favour!), the use of the name “Mo’Saique” which is strong and unforgettable, the use of the West African “Aya” fern symbol - used to symbolise endurance, perseverance and resourcefulness – the company’s true meaning, combined with the overall personable character of the designer and the added benefit of an excellent one to one customer/designer relation. These all ensure to set aside this footwear brand from the rest in the market.

Price: The Mo’Saique shoes are for women who strive for excellence, understated luxury and are seen to be more private and eccentric. The Mo’Saique shoes speak a thousand words and as such they are not budget priced! Priced between £150-£400, they are definitely more affordable and more reasonable compared to the Louboutins, Rossis, Sandersons and the Choos out there!

Promotion:

Advertising: The brand has yet to create advertising campaigns however it seems that being new on the market, the designer is content to keep their advertising based on word of mouth and the use of social and online mediums for now.
Public Relations: The brand has been featured in various online sites such as Stylenews.co.uk, hauteliving.com, Styleme-up.com, shadders.net, umnomag.com, arise.net etc and partnered with Adiree luxury production label at the 2011 Africa Fashion Week New York show.
Personal Selling: A befitting one day pop up boutique on the 2nd of November 2011 in London’s trendy East End area. The space was transformed into a showroom, filled with beautiful shoes displayed in a gallery setting with an area dedicated for fittings and purchasing. Also on the night was music, drinks, canapés and to top it up mini cupcakes filled up the hungry buyers!
Sales Promotion: This was available on the night of the pop up and only available on some designs with up to 50% off!! Certain shoe sizes were totally sold out!

Place: The consumer can easily purchase the shoes from their clean cut, easy to manoeuvre website http://www.mo-saique.com/. Eventually having worldwide stockists should be on their marketing list to grow the brand’s image and make it more accessible thus gaining/entering new markets.

Some images of/associated to the brand below.

The "Aya" Fern symbol from West Africa found on Mo'Saique shoes

My ultimate to die for Mo'Saique shoes!

So there goes my post! The Mo'Saique brand is so far the only start up brand I have come across who truly knows/understands their target market and what their needs are and is creating one off pieces to meet/satisfy these needs.

All images/research from online and via brand website http://www.mo-saique.com/.

I am available at brownschuga@yahoo.com or follow my ramblings on Twitter @Brownschuga.

Stay Fah-schyonable!

FASHION BRAND ANALYSIS: MUSTAFA HASSANALI

2011-11-01T12:38:00.008Z

Good morning fashionable peeps! Hoping you are all good!

The next label to be featured on the blog today will be Mustafa Hassanali.

My main aim for focusing on the branding and marketing side of the African fashion and beauty labels is to 1) Gain an understanding and increase my knowledge on this field. 2) Create a reference point for all these new brands cropping up every day within the industry thereby giving them tips on how to brand their business as well as show existing ones what their competitors are doing to enable them to also focus on developing a strong branding and marketing strategy which should grow their brand.

I only ask of you 3 things! Please read, share and comment (or drop me feedbacks at brownschuga@yahoo.com ).

Brand Bio:
Founded in 2005, Mustafa Hassanali Couture?* is renowned for its elegance, style, flamboyancy, glamour and glitz that has made it one of the most sought after labels in Tanzania and Eastern Africa.

Most of the pieces are made from Khanga, Kitenge, Bazein as well as other fabrics including chiffon, lace, silk and organza.

The Mustafa Hassanali designs reflect the deeply embedded cultural heritage of Tanzanian society along with avant-garde, hip and contemporary styles.

*Note: unsure if the label name should be Mustafa Hassanali or Mustafa Hassanali Couture? The outward perception of a brand is paramount and this is heavily influenced by its branding strategy. The MH** team need to decide what the brand name should be and ensure it appears correctly whenever the brand is mentioned or talked about in any medium (see below notes on brand identity).

Designer Bio:
Mustapha’s love for fashion was incited at the age of 6 when he became fascinated by stitching, an insight made possible by his mother. He would initially use the remaining remnants of his mother’s fabrics to recreate his own unique pieces and then at a later age, he acquired a doll and went on to create fashion pieces for the doll.

He is a qualified medical doctor who whilst at medical school juggled these two opposite sides of himself so soundly that he gained his doctor’s license and has gone on to emboss his name on the African fashion cornerstone.

Brand Personality:
“Flamboyant Chic”

Brand Target Market:
Independent women aged say 20-65 are the ones who love my clothing. They love to feel feminine and gorgeous; my clothing makes them feel a million dollars. (Mustapha Hassanali).

Brand Image:
Traditional – Fusion of Eastern African fabrics
Feminine – Fluidity
Flamboyant – Vibrant/Colourful shades

How does Mustafa Hassanali add Value?
The MH brand was given a mega boost when world renowned supermodel Naomi Campbell wore one of their dresses for her Fashion for Relief event held in Tanzania in 2009.

From the lack of information available reporting on this association, it very well seems that the Mustafa Hassanali PR camp failed to capitalise on this unique opportunity to get interests and coverage from major worldwide publications.

PR should be used to keep the association and communication of your brand to your target market. Celebrity association like this will not only make your regular clients to continue to believe more in your brand but will also drive potential clients to become regulars. This will therefore increase sales volume which is very important for the positive growth of a business.

This was definitely a big opportunity for the Mustafa Hassanali brand to gain new territories by entering the minds of fashionable leading ladies who constantly grace red carpets and magazine front covers all over the world.

If Naomi Campbell is able to wear a Mustafa Hassanali dress so could Sarah Jessica Parker, the queen of fashion trendsetting! Imagine a Mustafa Hassanali dress on a scene of Sex and the City! Major product placement for the brand, major recognition, major boost and overall major sales! For any brand development, this is paramount.

The main headquarters being situated at Kilimani Road, Dar Es Salaam, seems to be an affluent area with offices, private resorts and even embassies. This rather exclusive address adds value to the brand as the Mustafa Hassanali clients in Tanzania are wives and affiliates of top government officials and wealthy Tanzanians/Eastern Africans.

Nonetheless, the Mustafa Hassanali label needs major re branding to ensure that every aspect of the label fits well with the overall image of high end luxury that it is appearing to be in their design pieces.

Competitive Advantage:
Brands create competitive advantage by perceiving or discovering new and better ways to compete in an industry and bringing them to the market. In the fashion industry, brands rely heavily on using their image to differentiate themselves from their competition.

Differentiation Strategy:

How is MH differentiating itself from its competitors?
The idea of fusing East African fabrics with mainstream fabrics gives the MH brand a certain degree of separation however with other Eastern African designers on the rise such as Chichia London; this differentiation will become questionable and will not create a real differentiation from its competitors.

What is also evident in MH pieces is the touch of Asian influence. Mustapha then needs to now strengthen this influence to ensure that the MH pieces are recognisable wherever they are seen. He also loves to accentuate and show off the female body in his fluid dresses so again a real focus on his cut and the parts of the female body he loves to accentuate in his dresses should give MH some differentiation from its competitors.

Celebrity Endorsement
So far Naomi Campbell has been the only mainstream celebrity to be seen in Mustafa Hassanali.

There is still a lot of work that needs to be done here in terms of rigorous advertising and promotion of the label to bring it at a level where some targets in mainstream society who are seen to be influential are “papped” or seen in an MH piece. Should the label need to add value to its branding, this is definitely one way to go.

Advertising and promotion
Advertising can be defined as a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products or services with the desired result being to drive consumer behaviour. In 2010 alone, more than USD 500,000,000 was spent on advertising worldwide. How much this relates to Africa and indeed the African fashion industry is questionable.

Various traditional media include mass media such as newspaper, magazines, television, radio, outdoor advertising (bill boards) and direct marketing. New media refers to online and text messages.

What Methods of Advertising and Promotion does MH employ?
The MH brand have been heavily relying on social mediums sites (Twitter, Facebook) which is understandably the most cost effective and direct marketing strategy of the moment. They have been featured in some blogs (Shadders, FashionFad, Afromix) and online magazines (Ladybrille, Bella Naija, Haute Fashion Africa) – most of these being very popular instruments within the African entertainment and fashion industry.

Nevertheless, almost all the online postings on the MH brand were mostly picture coverages of participation at fashion events with some extracts of the bio copied directly from the website. Whilst this is okay, it does not really provide an in-depth insight into the MH label itself. There is no information about the future direction of the label, no plans or strategies for growth, nothing!

The MH team have not yet realised the viral potential of the World Wide Web it seems and are not doing enough to add value to the brand and market it to target consumers outside of Tanzania. There is still an element of “emerging” from this label which for a label that has been around for 6 years, it should be more ahead on its marketing and branding strategies than what it is at present.

Jewel by Lisa is a great example of a label that is determined to stand and be noticed amongst the many fashion labels in Africa and winning the designer of the year award at Africa Fashion Week 2011 proves the status of the brand as well as gives us a glimpse into the future of the fashion house. The MH team could do with researching the JBL brand as a case example for their growth purposes.

What other means of advertising and promotion could they employ?
What seems to be lacking within the African fashion and beauty market is their emphasis on advertising and promotion. Whilst some brands are making the effort to look for alternative ways to reach their target markets and expose themselves, most are still doing nothing and/or are relying heavily on word of mouth or only social networking sites.

The latter is where the MH brand is. The team need to do a lot more in terms of developing and implementing their advertising and promotion strategies. They need to understand the importance of PR and use every opportunity that comes their way to the advancement of the label.

The team has to go back to their drawing board and firstly; build up an image for their brand so it becomes easy for them to advertise and market that image. Secondly; they need to ensure 100% promotion of the brand to gain major recognition outside Tanzania.

The tools they could then use to advertise the brand for now are:-

Online media: The viral nature of the World Wide Web means it is a very essential and cost effective medium to promote a new brand and enter a new demographic or targeted segment of the consumer chain. The label has just taken part in the Fashion for Business event in Angola and this could be the gateway to showcasing the collection from that event by sending a press release and at the same time getting the head designer, Mustapha, to talk about the label and its future plans. Since as the label is widely interested in social issues in Tanzania, this is a chance for them to use the media to shout about their CSR projects and make known their contribution to their society. Online mediums to target are: Bella Naija, Haute Fashion Africa, Shadders, African Fashion Guide, Ladybrille, One Nigeria Boy etc.
Fashion Publications: fashion magazines inform target readers about products, services and new brands in the market. It is a cost effective way for a new brand to enter the minds of target consumers in other territories and boost sales and brand recognition.The label has just been featured on a poll in the New African Woman magazine which is now a bi monthly and since as it has a huge African following, they could target the magazine for a solo feature on the label and its head designer. Another magazine would be FAB, FabAfriq, South African publications such as Elle, Cosmopolitan. Nigerian (the biggest African consumer market) magazines such as Genevieve, True Love, etc
Product placements – is when a product or brand is embedded in entertainment and media. Nigeria being the biggest consumer market in Africa is the ideal place to implement a branding/marketing strategy. What MH could do here is provide some dresses for some leading actresses in the Nollywood arena since as this is Africa's biggest export in film production. Stephanie Okereke, Ini Edo, Mona Lisa Chinda, Uche Jumbo are leading ladies the brand could consider.
Celebrity branding – is a type of advertising focuses upon using celebrity power, fame and popularity to gain recognition for their products. The brand specifically pays the celebrity to be seen in their product. In this case, the right celebrity has to be vetted to ensure that they are in keeping with the primary focus of the brand. I would suggest Nonhle Thema, the South African presenter who is very popular within the South, East and Western Africa, Kate Mensah, past winner of Face of Africa or they could take it a step further and raise the profile of the brand by going for internationally renowned models such as Alek Wek or Ubah Hassan who has fronted Ralph Lauren campaigns.

By increasing its advertising and promotion mediums, the MH brand should definitely become more visible and become more of a recognised brand in the target consumer’s mind. It can also enable the MH brand to enter new market territories which will eventually boost sales.

Distribution:
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. It is the organisation or a set of organisations (go-betweens) involved in the process of making a product available for use by a consumer.

From my research, it seems there are no distributors as yet for the MH brand.

This lack of retailers hinders sales and hinders brand visibility. The target consumer is not aware of the brand nor of their products and therefore cannot translate this recognition into sales which then means the brand cannot achieve growth within the consumer market.

This has got to be a top priority for the brand to get resellers in strategic territories. East (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda), South (South Africa, Zimbabwe), West (Ghana, Nigeria), Middle East, Asia, Europe and US.

Website:
There is a need to stress that the importance of a functional website to any business is paramount. It is the first point of contact between your brand and potential customers. It advises (about brand), connects (contacts), displays (products – collections) and informs (events/press) the public about your associations.

The label’s website is overall very poor. It does not represent the quality of the fashionable pieces they create nor does it help to promote the high end appeal of the brand.

The pictures on the homepage should be removed, instead, they need to hire a top model and recreate a high end photo shoot that will truly mirror the image of the brand. The “about us” page needs to focus more on the brand itself and not on the designer and what shows he has participated in. The “media page” should focus more on providing the public with magazine features to add appeal to the brand’s image.

The website needs re-branding. It needs a structure, the information presented needs to be relevant and be consistent with the brand’s image.

A new look website that is clean and carefully designed to ensure that the surfing experience is enjoyable and easy for their clients is highly needed.

Where can the MH brand go from here?
These are my ideas for re-branding which is essentially needed before the brand can move forward.

Branding:-

Identity: the outward expression of a brand includes name, trademark, communications and visual appearance. This reflects how the owner of the brand wants the consumer to perceive the brand. Effective brand names build a connection between the brand personality as it is perceived by the target audience and the actual product/service. The brand identity needs to focus on authentic qualities – real characteristics of the value and brand promise being provided and sustained by organisational and production characteristics.
Create a brand image: this is a symbolic construct created within the minds of people, consisting of all the information and expectations associated with a product, service or the company providing them. This is more psychological and is developed over time through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme, and is authenticated through the consumers’ direct experience.
Create a brand personality: the way that a brand speaks and behaves. It is nothing but the personification of a brand and is the result of all the consumer’s experiences with the brand. It develops brand equity, it sets the brand’s attitude and it is a key input into the look and feel of any communication or marketing activity by the brand. This personality will become unique and long lasting.
Create a brand experience for their target market: this is the brand’s actions perceived by their target market. It is what happens each time a consumer is exposed to a company’s efforts to communicate or fulfill its brand promise. It can also be thought of as the total sum of all the consumer’s interactions with the brand. The 4 key areas that create brand experience are: Products, Environment (physical surroundings, in MH’s case their headquarters in Kilimani Road if they conduct sales here), Information (what is communicated and how? What impression does it leave to the consumer?), Behaviour (personal interaction between the consumer and the person who represents the brand). Brand communication must be consistent, both in form and content. And all personnels should be trained to behave consistently towards the customer in every interaction. This consistency must be maintained over time, or customers will become confused or feel uncomfortable.
Brand management: this seeks to make the product or services relevant to the target consumer. It includes developing a promise, making that promise and maintaining it. It means defining the brand, positioning the brand and delivering the brand. It makes customers committed to your business. A strong brand differentiates its products from the competitors and it gives a quality image to the business.

Overall, there is a lot of work that the Mustafa Hassanali team have to do in relation to rebranding the label to ensure that every aspect of the brand fits one image - the image that they want to portray of the label and the promise and experience that they want their clients to have when they come in contact with the label.

By focusing on the all the aspects I have listed above, the brand should thereafter enlist the services of a good PR agent to communicate their brand to the consumer market.

Below are some of the images from the "Rosa Nera" collection previewed at the Fashion Business Angola show in Luanda this year.

Mustapha Hassanali (designer/owner) with Naomi Campbell at the Fashion for Relief show in Tanzania in 2009

So, there goes my second analysis. One last thing I would like to mention to all fashion designers and beauty label owners is, please, please, please, TALK about your brand!! The African fashion and beauty industry being on the developping side is still lacking in availability of relevant information for analytical purposes. The main source of information is online so please TALK, TALK, TALK some more about the growth of your brand and its future.

**MH = Mustafa Hassanali

All images from Facebook and by Simon Deiner (SDR)

Website: http://www.mustafahassanali.net/

Follow me on twitter: @Brownschuga

Until the next post!

Fahschyonysta!

MARKETING PENETRATION IDEAS

2011-10-19T16:48:00.003+01:00

Good day peeps, hope the day has been great!

If you have not heard it before, let me tell you that fashion is such a fickle industry!! A good knowledge of marketing goes a long way. You don't need to go as far as taking courses like the ones described on this marketing degree site to succeed in the marketplace, but you need to have a solid understanding of the basics of marketing. A brand can be the best thing since slice bread in one day and out the next and so goes the talent and reputation of the team behind the brand. Just look at John Galliano and that should tell you something!

How can a fashion brand survive long enough then to establish growth within the market?

In this post I will be looking at some marketing strategies that can enable a womenswear brand for example to have some growth within the African fashion industry.

Firstly, let’s start with the marketing mix – Product, Place, Price, and Promotion. I am also going to look at how people can affect your market penetration.

Product:
Mainstream fashion is dominated by seasonal changes and so fashion styles can be incredibly short-lived due to the ever changing trends in fashion. In the African fashion industry however, our seasonal occurrence is very different from the mainstream and thus it is very difficult for our fashion brands to totally capitalise on the fashion trends like their mainstream counterparts.

To develop a brand and achieve market penetration it is essential therefore that the team behind the brand is consistently able to create its own future trends and be original in the look that they are trying to achieve/create. The major issue within the African fashion market right now is the lack of originality and creativity. The fashion industry may regurgitate what has been done before, that is true, but what makes it new is the approach, the creativity and the reasoning behind the creation.

The company must ensure that its target clients’ needs are met, the values and primary objectives of the company is also being demonstrated throughout.

If the target consumers are teenagers, then the team must know that African teenagers from wealthy families as well as those living abroad are highly attuned to the ever changing fashion trends more than ever before. They also have a highly disposable income and are heavily influenced by the celebrities and popular culture. So, they will need to develop products that are comparable in quality to those found abroad and their marketing techniques must be up to par as well.

Price:
To achieve market penetration it is necessary that the brand’s pricing structure is consistent with the quality of its products. For example, you should not produce a dress without lining, without any evidence of any major pattern/cut/thought put into the dress; as they call it in Cameroon “cut am nail am” and then charge £100 for it and expect someone to pay for it. This is absurd! Let your pricing be realistic and in keeping with your target market. Let your pricing be in keeping with the cost of production. Cheap fabric + cheap labour = cheap asking price in my opinion.

Know who your customers are and keep your asking price to what they can afford.

How can you know about your target markets’ affordability? Market research! Do not just talk to your circle of friends, venture out of it to get a general picture for your pricing strategy.

Place:
Naturally, a brand’s place = location is a key marketing element.

Today, shopping experience is a leisure activity. You must intend to facilitate customers’ brand expectations and ideally even try to surpass them. A little creativity should be injected into how the fashion items are displayed in a shop for example.

For those brands who can afford a physical space, a prime location should be a must. It must be accessible, convenient, with ample parking around, good road, it must also provide an “experience” for its target customers as well as contain the right socio-economic demographic mix.

Target spaces include high streets in affluent areas – Lekki, Victoria Island (Nigeria), Bonapriso, Akwa, (Cameroon), malls (Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Uganda) etc

For those brands that cannot afford a physical space, an online presence is a must. You cannot expect to grow a brand without a functional website. So therefore, building an online presence that consistently reproduces your brand, products and service levels as if it were a physical store is a major priority and boost.

The shop front, window area, interior decoration, lighting, layout, signage, sales literature, and staff behaviour and appearance all play a major role in attracting the right consumer, enticing them into the store and encouraging them to browse through the items, ask questions and make a purchase.

The overall aim is to recreate a consistent brand experience for your customers and prospects. Consistency breeds expectation, familiarity and confidence in a brand. African shoppers now demand and expect a consistent brand experience so please ensure this is at the top of your priority list.

What could you do to make shopping at your establishment an experience?

Run regular out of hours champagne (or wine) and canapés fashion events which are invitation only. This builds on the luxury/indulgence experience which is associated with premium fashion retailing.
Offer a “loyalty lounge/corner” with beautifully upholstered sofas and complimentary refreshments and even discounts for multi buys, which can act as a meeting point or refuge from the high street for loyal customers and tempt them to purchase multi items.
Sip and learn events – this can act as a great way to advise your customers about the production steps of the items you make for example. What types of fabrics are used, why certain stitches are used on the pieces and how it affects or improves durability, what they could do to ensure that they get the most out of the items they purchase from you (washing/wearing tips). This improves the customer/brand relationship.

Promotion:
To ensure you penetrate the market and develop your brand will require for you to develop key promotional strategies which may include the following:-

Public Relations: PR
A good PR agency with a proven track record and knowledge about the African fashion market is essential however you will need to pay a hefty sum as their services won’t be cheap. You could also use a not so experienced (emerging) PR consultant or agency that are aware of what they need to do and have the knowledge too.

A good PR agency/consultant will have the knowledge and direct relationships with trade, editors and fashion writers/critics who influence the industry and consumer behaviour.

Together you need to:

Agree on the messages that reflect the brand.
Agree on how to communicate these messages out to the consumer and channel partners.
Look at suitable media channels that you want to target and their target audience.

In the UK market for example, targeting magazines with large black readership such as New African Woman, FAB Magazine, Black Hair and Beauty, Pride Magazine, is a must. Also magazines such as Marie Claire (SA), Glamour (SA) and Elle (SA) are advisable. Also, nothing should stop you from venturing your brand outside of your comfort zones – ie, contacting mainstream magazines for a feature/cover.

PR is an excellent tool for building a brand, raising awareness and it can be critically important in crisis limitation should a brand run into trouble for example.

Advertising:
A coherent advertising strategy that is consistent with the brand’s message and desired objective is needed alongside a solid PR strategy too.

What are needed are the segmentation of the target audience and an identification of the products, media and message for delivery and measurement. You will also need suitable advertising agencies and media buyers that can develop inspiring, engaging and informative campaigns that attract the target markets and attain results.

African fashion brands need to start developing integrated campaigns that repeatedly reinforce the brand’s messages via the different mediums available. I would like to see a Jewel by Lisa or Imane Ayissi, Mustapha Hassanali ad campaigns around London or Paris and even Douala and Accra! These brands are heavy weights within the African fashion market and need to uphold this image which they have created for themselves.

Sales Promotion:
Developing a sales promotion strategy will be another key element of your brand building/market penetration strategy. This strategy might include the development and launch of new product lines for customers to try and retailers to stock and promote.

Other sales promotions might include competitions, one day sales and free gifts. The company could also provide point-of-sale materials and special promotions for its retailers’ network, for example.

Packaging:
Packaging is also part of the brand experience. It offers an excellent opportunity to further differentiate the brand and product lines from those of the brand’s competitors.

The packaging can communicate facts about the quality of production or reinforce brand messages about indulgence and luxury. Materials such as soft wrapping paper, ribbons, and small decoration balls could be used to give the presentation that added umph.

The company logo or name, website or contact info should always be seen on the packaging in my opinion as this is a great and free way to advertise your brand to the public.

As ecological issues are ever-more on the consumers’ minds, it might be that the company uses recycled materials to produce the packaging, and publishes its “green” credentials as well as other marketing and sales materials.

People:
Probably one of the most critical factors in achieving brand recognition and success is the people you employ and choose to work with. Developing excellent working relationships with third party suppliers and service providers is vital in making or destroying your business. Your brands reputation might often be in the hands of an individual or company outside of your own organisation.

Be keen to develop and grow your brand because how your company recruits, trains, supports, pays, incentivises and disciplines staff will all be critically important to your company’s ultimate success or failure.

The company’s frontline staffs are the face and living embodiment of the brand. How they interact with the customers, their product knowledge, and speed of service, attitude and demeanour will be almost as important as how well the products perform. Ultimately the customers are buying more than just a product; they are buying a brand experience, a life style statement, a luxury, indulgence or fantasy. Therefore ensure you are investing the right amount of time in developing your staffs and if the customer service I see in Cameroon represents those in most African stores or boutiques then a lot has to be invested in customer relation training. Also ensure your staff feel valued and do reward them for their loyalty and hard work.

To ensure that everyone within the company and all the channel partners are completely aligned with your brand promises and how they deliver them consistently will require that the company invests in a coherent, continuous internal marketing and communications strategy.

Stay fashionable!
Fah-schyonysta
(various online research. Pic from online)

FASHION BRAND ANALYSIS: JEWEL BY LISA

2011-10-12T14:51:00.004+01:00

Hello peeps, hope you are having a fabulous week thus far. Today I would like to bring to you my first fashion brand analysis. I hope it is insightful and I also hope that this blog can become a reference point to all those fashion brands cropping up everyday in the African fashion industry. A lot has to be done on the branding and marketing of these labels and first and foremost they need to be considered as a business in order for these designers to invest the time and money in developping a branding and marketing strategy for growth purpose.

Please read and I do appreciate feedbacks! Brownschuga@yahoo.com

The brand I am going to look at today is Jewel by Lisa. This brand has not been going for that long but within this period it has managed to penetrate and position itself into the minds of fashionistas in Nigeria, South Africa, UK, US, in short - worldwide!!

Brand Bio:
Created in 2005, Jewel by Lisa is a luxury fashion brand with a strong clientele that creates lifelong treasures encouraging its clients to wear over and over again.

Their goal is to cater to the Nigerian market, creating desirable, one-of-a kind luxury pieces while establishing itself as an international label.

It remains one of the true brands that people respect for re-inventing Ankara textiles into covetable pieces.

Designer Bio:
In 2005 Lisa Folawiyo a law graduate from the University of Lagos, Nigeria; with no formal fashion education and her team of expert craftsmen stormed onto the Nigerian fashion scene with Jewel by Lisa.

Brand Personality:
“International Chic”

Brand Target:
The woman who wears Jewel by Lisa can be described as “a stylish, confident, city chic woman with a wardrobe filled with desirable eclectic pieces picked up from her travels; her youthful exuberance speaks effortless and unrehearsed style. She also understands fashion. (According to Lisa Folawiyo).

Brand Image:
One of a kind pieces - luxury
Intricate workmanship – quality
Handcrafted - luxury

How does Jewel by Lisa add Value?
By associating itself with many renowned international urban and mainstream stars as mentioned below. With the buying public striving hard to emulate what their adored celebrities are wearing or buying, it is evident that celebrity endorsement certainly adds value to a brand. However, the brand has to carefully vet the celebrities who are seen in their items so as to not lower the brand reputation.

Taking part in the debut Arise Africa Fashion Week in South Africa, New York Fashion Week as well as an exhibition at Paris Fashion Week, also adds value to the brand as the target demographic for the magazine and shows are women who are interested in high end fashion (and usually have the income to go with it!).

The main headquarters being situated at Ribadu Street, Lagos, which seems to be an affluent area with offices, swanky restaurants and private hospitals, adds value to the brand as the rather exclusive nature of the area sits perfectly with the branding of the label as one which is exclusive but yet affordable and attainable.

Competitive Advantage:
Brands create competitive advantage by perceiving or discovering new and better ways to compete in an industry and bringing them to the market. Thus a brand’s relative position within an industry is given by its choice of competitive advantage (cost leadership vs. differentiation) and its choice of competitive scope. Competitive scope distinguishes between brands targeting broad industry segments and those focusing on a narrow segment.

Fashion brands rely heavily on using their image to differentiate themselves from their competition.

Differentiation Strategy:
How is JBL thus using its brand’s image to differ itself from its competitors?

In the African fashion market, what is truly lacking with most of the brands is the perceived uniqueness existing in mainstream that allows one label to differ itself from another.

For the haute couture connoisseurs, it is very easy for example for them to tell a Chanel fashion piece from a Prada piece.

Why?

In my opinion, the amount of years these labels have been in existence has enabled them to totally carve a niche for themselves in the market. Chanel was founded in 1922 and has been going strong since with Karl Lagerfeld at the helm appointed since 1983. Prada on the other hand too was founded in 1913 with Miuccia Prada as the head designer since 1978. The continuity of both brands’ image has been kept through and the brand philosophy continues to run through the way the business is developped.

In the African fashion market, the brand differentiation is debatable however some of the existing brands are taking notice and are looking for ways to bring out this differentiation. It is now easy to tell a Christie Brown piece from an Eki Orleans for example.

JBL have also followed suit in creating a unique selling point for their brand. The team have taken to producing their own fabric which definitely gives the brand perceived uniqueness and creates a competitive advantage within the industry.

Product design:
The quality and upmarket fabrics used in creating Jewel by Lisa pieces puts emphasis on the brand’s desire to set itself apart from the rest and become a luxury yet affordable brand.

Within six years Lisa has perfected the art of turning Ankara into a coveted luxury wear through the embellishment of the fabric with sequins, Swarovski crystals, and beads.

This labour intensive production (it apparently takes up to 120 hours to make one JBL piece!) and only use of high quality embellishments demonstrates the label’s continuous strife to not compromise itself but to uphold the quality and luxury attributed to the brand.

Celebrity Endorsement:
A favourite of celebrities including E! News correspondent Catt Sadler, Beyoncé, Kelis, Eve, Solange Knowles, Tasha Smith, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Kendall Jenner and Nneka. Also top fashion models including Freha Beja Erichsen, Liya Kebede, Alek Wek, and Oluchi have also been seen wearing Jewel by Lisa’s pieces.

Advertising and promotion:
The main tool used to inform the public about the existence of a product or service is by advertising and promotion. In 2010 alone, more than USD 500,000,000 was spent on advertising worldwide. However, I wonder how much this figure relates to Africa and especially the African fashion industry.

As such, advertising can therefore be defined as a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products or services with the desired result being to drive consumer behaviour.

Various traditional media include mass media such as newspaper, magazines, television, radio, outdoor advertising (bill boards) and direct marketing. New media refers to online and text messages.

What Methods of Advertising and Promotion does JBL employ?
The advertising method widely used to put the JBL brand image out there has been through the use of online mediums such as the social mediums (Twitter, Facebook) – the most cost effective and direct marketing strategy of the moment, blogs (One Nigerian Boy, Africa Style Daily, Style House Files) and online magazines (Ladybrille, Bella Naija, Haute Fashion Africa) – all these are very popular instruments within the Nigerian (African) entertainment and fashion industry.

It is no doubt that the JBL camp have more than clocked on the importance of and the viral nature of the world wide web in keeping their brand constant in the minds of their target market and in reaching and making contacts with new territories and markets. As Lisa commented, Jewel by Lisa’s goal is to cater to the Nigerian market whilst establishing itself as an international brand. Being ‘seen’ within the popular Nigerian blogs for example enables JBL to be on the right path to meeting its primary goal.

Using these mediums as well as creating its own branded short films such as “Life as a Jewelete”, featuring in high quality fashion events such as New York and Paris Fashion Weeks, appearing in African publications such as Arise, Fab, True Love, ThisDay Style, Genevieve, Marie Claire(SA), Glamour (SA) coupled with features in a North American publication “IN New York magazine” and New York Post (when you talk fashion, you talk New York!), featuring on the new BBC online's "African Dream" series as well as appearing in the very popular Studio 53 showcased across Africa and the world over enables JBL to fulfil its primary goal of amassing a following within the Nigerian market while at the same time slowly establishing itself as a luxury international brand.

What other means of advertising and promotion could they employ?
What seems to be lacking again within the African fashion and beauty market is the lack of branded adverts and product placements. Whilst some brands are making the effort to look for alternative ways to reach their target markets and expose themselves, most are still doing nothing and/or are relying heavily on word of mouth or only social networking sites. Whilst this is great, it is definitely not the only way to go.

Some suggestions which could be suitable for JBL’s image are as per below.

Television advertising (branded short videos are shown on tv). If JBL is not already doing so maybe this could be their biggest form of promotion for the brand. If they started airing in Nigeria and then slowly moving the advert to other strategic parts of Africa such as South Africa, Ghana, North Africa and then slowly to the Middle East and then Europe (UK, France, Netherlands, Italy – areas with large African populations).
Infomercials – a long format television commercial typically 5 minutes or longer could be used to promote a new collection for example. The main objective in this would be to create an impulse purchase, so that the consumer sees the presentation and then can immediately buy the product through the company website maybe. This could also work well during a JBL sale.
Product placements – when a product or brand is embedded in entertainment and media. What JBL could do here is target some of the leading Nollywood actresses with a great reputation such as Omotola Jalade Ekeinde or Genevieve Nnaiji and dress them up (or provide some outfits) in big budget films for example Ije and Mirror Boy. JBL could also have the stars wear their accessories or have the film set decorated with some JBL soft furnishings such as their scented candles for example.
Billboard & Mobile Board advertising – many mainstream brands are using these to ensure they target as many people as they can. JBL could also use billboards located in an area(s) that covers their target market in Nigeria to advertise their brand. They could also use appropriate intercity buses to plug especially their J Label products which targets the poppy crowd.
Celebrity branding – this type of advertising focuses upon using celebrity power, fame and popularity to gain recognition for their products. The brand specifically pays the celebrity to be seen in their product(s). In this case, the right celebrity has to be vetted to ensure that they are in keeping with the primary focus of the brand. Using rising Nollywood stars, Genevieve Nnaiji or Stephanie Okereke could be ideal. For an international star, using Solange Knowles, Kim Kardashian or maybe Julia Restoin Roitfeld, could catapult the brand to another level!

At this brand's stage, the team now need to ensure that there is a greater focus on the advertising and promotion of the brand. By increasing its advertising and promotion mediums, Jewel by Lisa will definitely reap the benefits and differentiate itself from its competitors however I fully understand that funding/financial investment within African fashion brands remains one of the biggest obstacles.

Nevertheless, like with any business start up it is essential that the business owner projects its total running costs within a certain period and raises that amount or has a way to raise that amount before releasing the business to the public. Most African fashion brands throw the brand out there without having a real business focus or a realistic business plan.

Making funds available, finding investors who can inject more finance into the brand to enable them grow the brand should also be on the top of JBL's marketing list.

Distribution:
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. It is the organisation or a set of organisations (go-betweens) involved in the process of making a product available for use by a consumer.

The other three big P’s being product, pricing and promotion (to be discussed at a latter post).

Distribution is a very important component of Logistics and Supply chain management. It refers to the distribution of a good from one business onto another. It is defined as a chain of intermediaries; each passing the product down the chain to the next organisation before it finally reaches the end user or consumer. Each of the elements in these chains will have their own specific needs, which the producer must take into account, along with those of the important end user.

What is JBL’s Marketing and Distribution Channels?
The brand seems to have gone with the typical pattern of “Selective distribution” suitable especially with fashion products. This is where suitable retailers are selected to stock their product as well as items from other competitors.

Resellers currently stocking Jewel by Lisa products are:-

Curve – high end multi clothing boutique located in Los Angeles. It also stocks labels including DVF and Jennifer Lopez has been seen shopping there.
Zainab – thought to be the best kept secret in Los Angeles according to Vogue.com. Stocks clothing and accessories by African designers including Azzedine Alaia.
African Mosaique – located in Jo’burg and founded by former Ethiopian model Anne Getaneh.
Eves Apple – an online retailer that also stock DVF, Halston etc
My Asho – an online store that stocks a wide range of clothing and accessories by African designers.
Temple Muse – located on the affluent Victoria Island in Lagos. A rather exclusive store that stocks other high end African and mainstream fashion labels.

For a brand that has been in existence for only 6 years, it is evident that Jewel by Lisa’s marketing channels are enabling the brand to slowly move into different market territories, creating a presence within that market, connecting with fashion followers and slowly building up a reputation and market share within that fashion market.

Website:
The importance of a functional website to any business is paramount. It serves as a first point of contact between your brand and potential customers. It advises (about brand), connects (contacts), displays (products – collections) and informs (events/press).

The label’s new look website depicting their autumn/winter 2011 collection completely befits its target image. Millen Magese, the Tanzanian model who is currently the face of the brand is also a perfect fit however her popularity within the target consumers’ minds isn’t as high as models such as Alek Wek, Oluchi and Liya Kebede.
The website is clean and carefully designed to ensure that the surfing experience is enjoyable and easy. Well done team JBL!!

Product Expansion:
J Label:
The J Label is a strong combination of urban cool, afro-pop, and cutting edge beautifully crafted clothes. It is affordable luxury at its best, according to Lisa.

J Label line is inspired by colour, print, pattern, lines and shapes all to bring about a fusion of African and Western fashion, which the typical JBL’s woman can relate to.

The label has realised the potential of also catering to another segment of their target market. Urban cool, afro pop, affordable fashion relates to the younger tier of the market ages 18-25.

Fabrics:
Recently, the label has widened its business opportunities by producing its own fabrics ranging from Velvet, Crepe Silk, Satin, Chiffon, Shantung and Linen.

Accessories:
JBL has also ventured into making jewelled accessories such as belts, necklaces, and clutches as well as soft furnishings including scented candles.

Some pictures from the new collection fronted by Millen as below.

Their Arise press coverages.

So, there goes my analysis of the JBL brand. They are doing a lot of things right and with a greater focus on developping advertising and promotion campaigns/strategies, the sky is not even their limit! Their product expansion also shows great initiative of not focusing only on one market segment.

Overall, I am well impressed, well done team JBL!

Please do not forget to leave your feedback below or email me at brownschuga@yahoo.com

Follow me on twitter @brownschuga.

(All pictures from JBL website http://www.jewelbylisa.com.ng/)

Stay fashonionable

Fahschyonysta!

BRAND POSITIONING

2011-10-05T13:07:00.002+01:00

Today, I will be looking at the concept of Brand Positioning in marketing your business.

Positioning is, “The act of designing the company's offering and image so that they occupy a meaningful and distinct competitive position in the target customers’ minds” (Kotler 1997).

Positioning is not about the product but actually what the customer thinks about the product or organisation. Therefore it is about visibility and recognition of what a product represents to a buyer.

The case study today will be...

PRIMARK

Target crowd:

• Males

• Females

• Children

Ages:

• Teens

• To middle aged

Position:

• Positions itself as the cheapest fashion clothing brand in the UK and does not follow advertising rules to emphasise this.

Positive:

• Easily affordable fashion

• Wide range of fashion pieces

• Easy to reach stores

Negative:

• Does not have a meaningful position in customers’ minds as being fashion forward.

• Big gap in quality

• Simply ‘cheap’

Some Branding suggestions:

• Create an illusion of youth culture by being fresh and forward with the newest fashions.

• Create ethical lines which could help remove the mass production image it has.

• Online store would be an asset for their teenage followers. It would position them as the most accessible online store with the newest fashion.

So that is it from me today. Next stop onto an African fashion brand.
Stay Fashionable!
Fahschyonysta

(online research)

HOW TO CREATE A WINNING FASHION BRAND

2011-09-22T16:28:00.005+01:00

Welcome to Fah-schyon Lab 101! So, I have gone off and done some quick research for you. My post today will go back to the drawing board and focus on some advice about creating a winning fashion brand.

There are so many designers out there within the African fashion scene whom I believe did not even think about what they were getting into and as such are not giving us the best that they can.

Many mainstream fashion houses started small, some are leading in market areas that is completely different to where they began the business. Look at where Louis Vuitton started, by creating lightweight and airtight trunks!

Below are some ideas from my research. If you feel, I have not mentioned anything whilst reading, please d not hesitate to email me at brownschuga@yahoo.com.

Step 1: Craft your image

Creating a brand perception requires intrusion. You are trying to position yourself with a buying market whose buying patterns can be very difficult. Your brand must be powerful and unique enough to force them to pay attention.

It all starts with a name so please ensure you give it a good thinking over. With enough frequency of the message, any name can become memorable. Obscure brand names are unique from their competition and often become among the most memorable.

Your logo is just as important as your name. The logo is the first visceral connection the consumer makes with the brand. It triggers the brand perception. The first measure of a logo is that it answers questions: Who are you? What do you do? What's in it for me?

There are other practical considerations in logo design:

It must reproduce well in various sizes and media.
It should reflect the sensibilities of the target audience.
Its intention and message should be perfectly clear.
It should be easily and uniquely recognisable.

At its best, a logo should convey an emotional connection as well as personality. The cleverness in a conceptual logo should get a reaction--an "aha!" --while conveying what you do and capturing the personality of your brand.

Step 2: Get Known

Branding happens in the minds of consumers. The promises behind the brand create its appeal, but getting the word out is still what brings in the customers.

Traditional media exposure - advertising, promotion, trade shows, direct marketing, events etc

Social media is a great platform for the budding entrepreneur. Here are some fundamental guidelines for building your brand online effectively using Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs and other social media outlets:

Listen, don't just talk. The days of saying anything that comes to mind or reporting what you're having for dinner are over. Hear the conversation first, then participate.
Ask, don't tell. The goal is developing an exchange. Force your opinion and you'll end conversations before they begin.
Be real, and have a story. Behave in the character of the brand. Give the character depth and be genuine.
Be interesting, and give. Add to the conversation by offering up whatever knowledge you have.
Be interested, and respond. Hear a person's need, then share expertise in a personal way that has no motivation other than to help.
Have a payoff, and say thank you. Reward your followers with something special and exclusive. Appreciate them for following your brand and letting you into their world.

Step 3: Know What the Customer Wants

In launching a business with limited funding, the potential for successfully establishing a brand is far too often based on the zeal of the entrepreneur's belief in the disruptiveness of the unique business idea rather than market intelligence.

To increase your brand's chances for success, you need to know five things:

How strong is the perception of your brand, and what would make it stronger?
What is the true level of consumer satisfaction for competitor brands?
Will your brand introduce emotional connections with consumers who do not currently exist in the market segment?
What percent of the market will consider change because of the disruptiveness of your product?
How much awareness can you gain for the brand.

The answers to those five questions will determine your chances for successfully branding your product. There are various methods for conducting consumer research, like focus groups and e-mail surveys, that determine what would make a consumer recommend your brand to a friend. If cost is a crippling concern, you must at least go out into the market, observe consumer behavior over a relevant period of time and keep tallies of each type of consumer behavior.

To succeed, you need to know what is the true perception of your brand, how many people hate it, how many it appeals to strongly enough that they would advocate for it and how that acceptance stacks up against the competition. The most successful companies pick a competitive position from which they know their brands can win.

To recap, things to consider whilst attempting to create a winning fashion brand are:

Attempt to equip yourself with as much knowledge as possible within the fashion field.
Ensure you have thought about and know your branding, marketing and selling streams.
Your fashion brand name is intact and your logo is hand in hand with your branding.
Don’t ever compromise on quality. Please avoid using cheap fabrics and accessories. It could cost your brand greatly.
It is good to be arrogant and cocky but ensure you are humble at all times.
Don’t be afraid to take risks but ensure they are calculated risks and you can cope with the outcome.
Know what your customer's needs are and meet them.

So that is it from moi today!
Stay fashionable
Fah-schyonysta
Twitter: @Brownschuga

(source: online)

FAH-SCHYON LAB 101 LAUNCHES!

2011-09-20T10:10:00.002+01:00

Hello fellow fashion lovers! I hope I have not been M.I.A for too long ;-)

For your information, my blog Fah-schyon going forward will be known as Fah-schyon Lab 101.

My initial aim for starting this blog was to solely focus on bringing to the forefront as well as advising my readers of the new names/happenings within fashion and beauty from Africa.

However, due to the rising number of other blogs that focus on this same aspect I have decided to take a different route which I believe will set my blog apart as well as "open some eyes" to enable some development/enlightenment within the African fashion and beauty sphere.

What I have noticed and read during these past years is that many people feel that purchasing some fabrics and picking up the latest fashion magazines and taking them to their tailors to sew makes them a fashion designer.

What seems to be lacking is a real desire to equip themselves by piling on the knowledge of what running a fashion business and being a fashion designer is all about. Fashion is not just about style or throwing things together to achieve a look, it is a business which should you choose to get into, is better if you are well equipped beforehand.

To run a fashion business, it is essential you gain some knowledge about the field either through studying a fashion degree or through an apprenticeship programme with an established fashion organisation or brand.

Fah-schyon Lab 101 will therefore be a fashion critic blog focusing on dissecting and laying bare the African fashion and beauty labels/brands and fashion events/shows that are out there or springing up within the scene. I intend to look at the marketing and branding structure as well as/or contrast them with other mainstream brand(s) which I believe is their competition.

I aim to also focus on the marketing and branding processes of some of the mainstream luxury and high street brands in order to generate some ideas for brand growth for the African designers.

Please feel free to comment or drop me an email at: brownschuga@yahoo.com

See you soon and stay Fashionable!
Fah-schyonysta

ANOTHER SAGOE BITES THE FASHION DUST!

2011-08-10T15:38:00.001+01:00

The apple never seems to fall further from its tree and that is why it is easy to see why Teni, Aba and Tiwa Sagoe; daughters of legendary African fashion designer and icon Deola, are venturing into the same trade circle as their mummy.

CLAN is their label name and will be unveiled on August 13th at the Deola Sagoe flagship store in Victoria Island, Nigeria. Their collection including Ankara bustiers and tops reflects a young and carefree spirit and is designed with the younger fashionistas in mind.

The African fashion lovers will be watching to see how this brand unfolds!

Fahschyonysta!

HARPERS BAZAAR'S FASHION HOT PICKS

2011-08-10T14:44:00.001+01:00

International media Harper's Bazaar recently did an online feature of their hottest out of Africa fashion items with picks from designers including Tiffany Amber (jumpsuit in attached picture, which is one of my favs too), Christie Brown, Coccolily (love the lace crop top) etc.

Find out more here.

Fahschyonysta!

POP UP FASHIONMARKET DAZZLES IN BRICK LANE

2011-07-12T21:08:00.002+01:00

Following a traffic stopping launch of its Pop Up FashionMarket, BEFFTA Award nominated PR & marketing firm, Votre Avant Garde (VAG) is planning a second instalment.

Set in London’s edgy Brick Lane, the company’s new venture, which took place on Sunday 3^rd July, was organised in association with glossy magazine, FAB.

"We wanted to create a fun way of taking the latest catwalk chic to people’s closets,” explained VAG’s Marketing Officer, Isabel Bezeng.

The bazaar featured unique creations from Asakeoge, Kamondi Couture, Ayikai Couture, Yaa Ataa Bags and textile connoisseur, Yaa Ohenewa.

Style lovers enjoyed a colourful and vibrant atmosphere as they bagged exquisite Africhic at amazing prices and sampled delights from event sponsor, Lolita’s Cupcakes. Lucky fashionistas also won free copies of FAB magazines.

But for many, the highlight of the day was an impromptu street catwalk show. We spoke to 2 guests at the event and here is what they had to say.

“This is the best way to do it! I have travelled around Africa and this really captures its essence,” raved passerby Daniel, of the spectacle, which, he noted, was the first of its kind on Brick Lane.

For shopper, Christina Swanepoel, the catwalk was a unique display of African beauty.
“Having the models on the road was a very clever way of bringing African beauty to the observer's eye! I also loved the background drumming, which certainly attracted the attention of tourists. Their awe and appreciation were palpable,” she explained.

Swanepoel also appreciated the store’s relaxed ambience.

Here are some picsture from the show.

Ayikai Couture

Yaa Ataa bags

The designer behind Asakeoge label chatting to BEFFTA TV

Designer of Yaa Ataa bags talking to a customer

Fun times!

Djembe drummer!

Piece by Asakeoge

Piece by Kamondi Couture

Street picture

Happy shopper!

Lolita's Cupcakes here!

Lolita's Cupcakes gone!!

Votre Avant Garde’s next pop up event is scheduled for Sunday 31^st July 2011 as per above flyer.
Designers or cosmetic product vendors interested in hiring a selling space can contact Cynthia on: 07834 321 373 or email votreavantgarde@gmail.com.

Stay Fashion - ABLE!
Fahschyonysta!!

V IS FOR VALUE AT THE POP UP FASHIONMARKET IN BRICK LANE!

2011-06-13T10:12:00.002+01:00

Hello readers!! It's been a long while and I know! So sorry for this but alot is going on behind the scenes. Don't fret though I will endeavour to keep bringing you my posts.

Today, I wanted to bring to your attention a new fashion event in collabo with FAB magazine which is about to pop up in London's fashionable Brick Lane.

The Pop Up FashionMarket is a trendy bazaar connecting emerging fashion designers and creative businesses with new markets. It will feature creations from fashion and accessories designers, artists and beauty product sellers.

Created by the critically acclaimed Events, PR and Marketing company Votre Avant Garde (VAG), the Pop Up market is an off-shoot from their annual CamerCouture Fashion Showcase.

With thousands of regular visitors, Brick Lane is a pulsating fashion hub which bears a bright open-minded and multicultural stamp. There’s no better place to venture into new markets, test business ideas and reach marketing objectives.

Confirmed fashion labels include the creative master himself Amechi Ihenacho, Asakeoge Couture, Rouge by Rachelle, Yaa Ataa Bags, Rococo Chichi, Moko, hair line Souri are among participants for the one day event.

Date: Sunday July 3rd 2011
Time: 10am to 6pm.

For more info about the event, please contact Cynthia at votreavantgarde@gmail.com

Come down and shop, mingle and have fun!
See you there.

Fahschyonysta!

HAPPY EASTER!

2011-04-24T15:45:00.000+01:00

Remember the spirit and commemorate as such.
Have a fabulous time!
Stay Fashion-ABLE!
Fahschyonysta!

GOODBYE GALLIANO FROM EPONYMOUS LABEL

2011-04-15T14:14:00.001+01:00

John Galliano has been sacked from his eponymous label, following a decision made by the company's board. The fashion house will hand the designer's responsibilities to its in-house creative team. Christian Dior SA currently owns 91 per cent of John Galliano, although there are as yet no plans to sell the brand - according to reports by WWD.

Although this is mainstream news, I feel this will have a huge impact on all fashion in general. It's a big shame as Mr Galliano is such an immense talent. What will the JG brand be without him? How will they move forward and how will they continue on what he has built up?

I wonder where he will spring up next but I doubt this will greatly impacthis career. I hope he can learn from this mistake and move on from this.

(courtesy of Vogue)
Stay fashion-ABLE!
Fah-schyonysta

THE FASHIONABLE CUPCAKE COMPANY!

2011-04-01T12:06:00.002+01:00

Hey blog world, been MIA for a while and it's due to my hectic schedule at the moment. I would love to still be blogging so please bear with me and my sporadic posts!

Anyhow, I wanted to blog about something that is totally unconventional to the purpose of this blog nevertheless I think it a fashionable edible artefact and as such deem it appropriate to let you all know about it.

What am I referring to I hear you ask? Well let's just say that there is a new company in London town specialising in making cupcakes that look more like an artefact than a cake!

Wanna know more about this company?

Launched in 2010 and fronted by two sisters, Lollita’s cupcakes company provides freshly baked and exquisitely decorated cupcakes to suit every occasion. Driven by their creative passion, this venture was borne out of a means of releasing some artistic creativity as well as re-introducing some fashionable glamour into cake decorating!

With their inspiration ranging from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to a love of colour, fashion, glamour, photography and their African Heritage, there's is no doubt that Lolita’s Cupcakes is proving to be London’s newest and hottest bakery experience!

For more information and to order, contact:
Email: lolitasventures@gmail.com
Facebook: Lolitas Cupcakes
Blog: http://www.lolitas-cupcakes.blogspot.com/

Photo credits:
Models: Madeleine Glatz, Toyin Ogudipe
MUA: Dimple Patel (check her out on Facebook)
Photographers: Angel Sylvester, Caroline Karanja & Liote

Why not treat someone special in your life to something so fashionably glamourous and edible?!

Stay fashion-ABLE
Fahschyonysta!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

2010-12-24T11:03:00.000Z

Hope you have a wonderful festive period with your family, friends and acquaintances!

See you in 2011!!
Stay blest and fash-schyonable!

CAMERCOUTURE PRESENTS: EKI ORLEANS

2010-10-01T20:53:00.001+01:00

Hazel Aggrey-Orleans is the German-born, Nigerian-raised and London-dwelling creator behind this unique label.

Drawing her inspiration from the colour and the buzz of Lagos city’s chaotic streets, the self-taught designer’s first experiment with African and Indian fabrics produced a stunning scarf collection.

Her creativity has evolved to dazzle fans at Brighton Fashion Week and beyond. Critics at Bella Naija and Style House have adored her coveted blends of silk and vibrant prints.

In a just under 2 weeks time, Hazel will participate at the second annual CamerCouture Fashion Showcase a funky style hub organised by Votre Avant Garde (VAG) a marketing and PR company producing bespoke events for corporate and private clients.

The show is a platform for emerging as well as established African designers to connect with international fashion marketers, buyers and enthusiasts. The shows are out of the box spectacles that portray the richness, glamour and class of African vogue and culture.

Set in London's triendiest spots, the annual CamerCouture shows are glitzy and media packed with representatives from the BBC to Sky News!

For this years' show, they have gone international to include participating designers from all over Africa rather than just Cameroon and their theme is "African Decadence" to portray the opulence and grandeur that Africa is.

October 16th is the date, Shoreditch Studios is the venue and the time is 6pm.

Check out some of Hazel's pieces and you can also catch her at the show.

This event is a not to be missed. The confirmed guests include Sebastien Bassong and Benoit Assou Ekotto of Spurs FC, Ozwald Boateng's marketing manager, Sky News, the BBC, and much more!

Ticket prices are:
£35 for standard, £45 for second row and £65 for front row (SOLD OUT).
Get your tickets by visiting www.camercouture.com

Catch their promo video here:

Make sure YOU are there and don't forget your cameras and autograph booklet!
For more information on the Eki Orleans label, please visit their website here: http://www.ekiorleans.com/

Stay Fashion-ABLE!
Fah-schyonysta!

CAMERCOUTURE UNVEILS: COTE MINOU

2010-09-19T12:28:00.000+01:00

A venture of award-winning friends, Maryanne E Mokoko and Stephanie T Mouapi, Côté Minou (CM) weaves a modern twist into traditional African couture. Inspired by rhythm, geometry and culture, the pair designs elegant chic for all occasions.

Winners of the Annual African Designers and Models Competition (USA), Mokoko and Mouapi have appeared on Fox TV, Voice of America and graced the pages of prestigious magazines including Canoe, Haute and Uzuri.

The girls will be featuring their newest collection at the upcoming CamerCouture Fashion Showcase scheduled for the 16th of October. This will be their first ever fashion show outside of the USA and the girls are particulary excited about visiting London and taking part at this exclusive annual fashion event.

Check out some of their fabbulous pieces below.

If trendy, modern African chic is your thing then catch this duo at the upcoming CamerCouture Fashion Showcase, Saturday 16th October at the Shoreditch Studios, 29B New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EY.

Tickets cost, £50 for standard, £60 for second row and £75 for front row if you want VIP treatment and if you would like to rub shoulders with fashion editors, High Commissioners, premier league and national team footballers and more at their exclusive VIP gallery lounge ;-)

Tickets are sold on Ticketweb via their website www.camercouture.com

Get yours NOW as none will be sold at the door.

See you there!

Stay Fashion-ABLE!

Fah-schyonysta!

LAMB SPRING SUMMER 2011 COLLECTION

2010-09-19T11:13:00.003+01:00

We all know that Africa is en Vogue and there is no denial that the African fashion scene is rising and rising. Over the last year, there have been lots of celebrities spotted in African chic and countless mainstream designers have spoken about going back to Africa for insipiration for their fashion collections.

Gwen Stefani caused a stir when she was papped last week in an African inspired dress. It turns out that the designer behind the L.A.M.B clothing label was wearing a piece from their Spring Summer 2011 African inspired collection. The L.A.M.B label is a personification of Gwen Stefani's style, personality and music.

Below are some pieces off the collection. Enjoy!

Stay Fashion-ABLE!
Fahschyonysta!

AFRICA EN VOGUE

2010-09-14T17:00:00.000+01:00

Vogue Magazine's fabulous Fashion's Night Out kicked off last Wednesday September 8th and if shopping, partying, celeb spotting and people watching is your thing then I sure hope you checked it out!

From Stella McCartney to Diane Von Furstenberg at Studio 54 to Manolo Blahnick's World of Manolo launch at Liberty's, there was something for everyone!

Matthew Williamson, the ever innovative and avantgarde designer once more looked into Africa for his inspiration and this time he teamed up with the MoMo chain to bring a unique Moroccan experience to his shop.

Catch the video here

Happy watching!
Stay Fashion-ABLE!
Fahschyonysta!

CAMERCOUTURE UNVEILS: KOSIBAH

2010-09-12T17:48:00.001+01:00

The CamerCouture Fashion Showcase organised by Votre Avant Garde (VAG) is fast approaching and this year they have gone international to include designers who are not from Cameroon. They are the celebrating Africa's opulence by theming the show "African Decadent" to portray Africa’s unsurpassed beauty, its cultural richness and the way these aspects shine through fashion and art.

The show will continue to unveil established as well as emerging African creators to an international audience who are otherwise oblivious of their stylistic originality.

As Africa's fashion scene fast develops and is firmly appreciated by leaders in mainstream fashion such as Vogue, New York, Paris and London Fashion Weeks, ASOS, Saks on Fifth Avenue etc so does shows such as CamerCouture who are out to breach that gap between emerging talents and the public who hunger to know more of this fashion scene.

In the coming few days, I will showcase some of the works of the designers taking part in the upcoming show to give you all a taster of what is to come on that day. If you were at the 2009 show, be warned that you will arrive to a transformed venue! Expect lush, sexy tones of red, black and gold. From the moment you arrive, through to the catwalk show and performances, it is organised to be a one hundred percent classy experience!

There will be celebrities, fashion buyers, politicians and entrepreneurs among their diverse crowd of guests. Apart from a fabulous evening out, the show also presents an excellent networking opportunity so make sure to get yourself down there!

Today, the designer I will be focusing on will be: Yemi Osunkoya the designer behind the Kosibah label.

Nigerian high society weddings, Diana Ross’ costumes and Jerry Hall’s gravity defying gowns, ignited Yemi Osunkoya’s passion for fashion. Following a degree in Textile Design at Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, he headed for London’s Paris Academy of Fashion from which he graduated with top marks in men’s and women’s wear.

Undaunted by the 1991 economic recession, the half Beninese creator, set up Kosibah Creations, now Kosibah. He has since adorned the bodies of A-list celebrities including actress, Indra Ové, Kelly Rowland, Alesha Dixon, politician,Diane Abbott and several royal families in Nigeria and Ghana.

Check out some of his pieces below.

All pictures from Yemi Osunkoya

Join his facebook group here

His website here

Tickets for the show are:

£50 for standar

£60 for second row

£75 for first row

Prices include drinks reception, food and catwalk show charges. VIP guests will have the advantage of a “first look” at the catwalk and a one-on-one with designers. They will also enjoy an exclusive gallery lounge experience with champagne, waiters and the services of a dedicated VAG VIP wellbeing officer.

Tickets can be purchased by going to www.camercouture.com/shows.

This is an event not to be missed!

Stay Fashion-ABLE!

Fahschyonysta!

CAMERCOUTURE UNVEILS AFRICAN DECADENCE

2010-09-05T20:07:00.001+01:00

It is nearly that time of the year again where Votre Avant Garde (VAG), the organisers behind the annual CamerCouture Fashion Showcase bring you their spectacular event termed "African Decadence" showcasing an array of stunning fashion pieces.

Launching last year as a portal for only promoting Cameroonian designers, this year they have gone international to include designers from an African background.

The show will feature Yemi Osunkoya of the Kosibah label, Nigeria's top high society bridal dress maker as well as Alain Martial Tapolo (Martial Tapolo), Olafemi Bela and Deena Dee of Deenola label and Maryanne Mokoko and Stephanie Mouapi of Cote Minou. Debra Debs will serenade the crowd with some acoustic tracks and an auction will follow to raise funds for their charity, The Rhema Grace Orphanage in Ombe, Cameroon.

Like last year, CamerCouture 2010 will be held at the Shoreditch Studios (29B New Yard Inn, London EC2A 3EY) but guests will arrive to a transformed venue. Expect lush and sexy tones of red, black and go ld. From the moment guests arrive through to the catwalk show and performance acts, it will be a one hundred percent classy experience, promised the show coordinator Soraya Sone.

Tickets cost:
Standard: £50
Second Row: £60
Front Row: £75

Prices include drinks reception, food and catwalk show charges. VIP guests will have the advantage of a "first look" at the catwalk. They will also enjoy an exclusive gallery lounge experience with champagne, waiters and the services of a dedicated VAG VIP wellbeing officer.

Oh wowwww, you definitely do not want to miss this!
Tickets will be sold via their website www.camercouture.com

For more info, contact:
Cynthia Anduhtabe @ 07834 321 373 / camercouture@yahoo.com
Isabel Bezeng @ 07733 735 515 / ibezeng@gmail.com
Ngum Ngafor @ 07944 043 954 / ngum.ngafor@googlemail.com

See you there and spread the word!
Fahschyonysta!

MICHELLE OBAMA

2010-08-19T09:27:00.000+01:00

How glamourous and sexy is this lady? Very very fashionable!!
(Pic from Mrs O blog)

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT: THERESA BURGER

2010-08-18T12:48:00.000+01:00

Theresa Burger is a jewellery designer that spends most of her time in Cape Town, South Africa and Dublin, Ireland. She is very passionate about design and she has a degree in jewellery design and manufacture.

Below are some of the pieces from her new collection she termed "Africa Rich"

Check her out here

Stay Fashion-ABLE!
Fah-schyonysta!

MICHELLE OBAMA WEARS AFRICAN!

2010-08-10T15:17:00.003+01:00

Michelle Obama, the first lady of the US was papped on Friday wearing this batik dress by our very own London designer of Nigerian descent; Bunmi Olaye during her trip in Spain.

The label Bunmi Koko was launched last year by Bunmi Olaye and her partner and so far so good for the designer who has managed to accumulate a celebrity following now including the first lady and her muse, Melanie Brown (former spice girl).

Reported interest from high street giants Harrods could escalate this brand further to an even higher status due to its niche clientele.

With a feature on Vogue online, the future is certainly bright for this young entrepreneur!
Go here for more on the feature.
Her website: www.bunmikoko.com

Stay Fashion-ABLE!
Fahschyonysta!

CLUTCH CULTURE

2010-08-09T13:12:00.005+01:00

Oh what a discovery I just made today on another fashion blog! I hereby bring you Clutch Culture the lovechild of diverse colours and rich prints that come together to create a very unique collection of clutch purses designed and hand-made by Mo Handahu.

According to this lady, fabrics have no boundaries when it comes to texture, colour and print, which gives her a platform to experiment and find harmonious ways to match different fabrics. This, and a desperate need of self expression through this timeless accessory has birthed the Clutch Culture brand.

The name Clutch Culture comes from a desire to create an integrated attitude within women. A collective mindset that encompasses an appreciation for the colours and prints that the world has to offer; ergo, a culture.

These versatile clutches can cross over from day to evening wear. Clutch Culture is for fashion savvy women who are unapologetic about their awareness of self and have surrendered themselves to originality. The collections will encourage women to renew their sense of exploration and wander back into the world of colour.

Clutch Culture is an embodiment of beautiful batiks, gorgeous printed cottons, West African wax prints and a plethora of other materials. All clutches are handmade and each individual style has only a limited amount of clutches to allow for exclusivity.

Enjoy being a woman and re-define your style with Clutch Culture - Never be apologetic for your sense of self and style!

Check out these fab beauties!

Would you like to get your hands on these?? Well, don't fret as you can purchase online via her site here.

Happy shopping!

Stay Fashion-ABLE!

Fah-schyonysta!

THE COLOUR OF BEAUTY

2010-07-30T11:58:00.001+01:00

Yesterday, I was sent a link to an online video by a friend and I have to say that it got me thinking. It didn’t show me anything I didn’t already know but it was thought provoking and it just made me a bit uneasy.

It depicted the journey of a young black Canadian model Renee Thompson who went around casting for jobs. She moved from Toronto to NYC to try to increase her chances of getting into the NY Fashion Week and of being booked for jobs but was still frustrated that her “white” counterparts with the same drive and motivation as herself were given more opportunities than she did.

In the industry, black models are seen to be too shapely because of our derrière and our curvy hips. Those who are “lucky” enough to look (straight noses, thinner lips, softer features, no butt, no hips) like white girls dipped in chocolate have a higher chance of making it in the industry than those with the more “African” features.

According to the industry, “black” does not sell and fashion is a business driven by money after all. Those who have the ready cash to spend are supposedly “white” people and the designers know who keep their business afloat; older white people with colonial mindset who spend absurd amount of money buying these designers items and who do not want their brand to be promoted by black or Asian models. Therefore, this is why they prefer using the white models!

But how can this be I keep asking myself. Don’t black people buy things? I use Garnier cleansing lotion, Bourjois makeup, perfumes, shoes, bags, clothes etc etc that are available in the market and why should I not see a face like mine being used to front their ad campaigns? Black people (black girls especially) are the vainest girls on this earth in my opinion! Do they not know how much black girls can spend just to look good? From their hair (let me not even go there), to their makeup, their nails, to their clothes, shoes, bags etc, they will spend even when they can’t afford it!! So why is this industry completely ignoring our spending power and sidelining us? Especially in these years with the growth in media and IT, black people are acquiring more and more wealth. There are a lot of successful black entrepreneurs now with the ready cash to spend so why do they think we are incapable?

Okay, so maybe we do not need to look into the “white” market to validate our spending power as they do not want to believe we are capable of buying, fine! I remember the commotion Tommy Hilfiger caused when he blatantly refused to acknowledge the fact that we were the ones keeping his label alive. When we boycotted, he felt it and he learnt.

Maybe we need to look into the “black” market and create our own industry that truly and unashamedly reflects us. I looked at Sean Coombes’ popular Sean John label which is doing fantastically well internationally. I decided to do a little research to see which colour models they have used in their campaigns and the majority was black. I looked at Nelly’s Apple Bottom Jeans campaigns and it features light skinned black models. The emerging fashion market in Africa seems filled with black models but I am unsure if given the choice the designers would prefer a white model? Fashion is a business after all driven by money as they say, so I am unsure yet again.

I decided to go back in time and looked at fashion back in the days, there existed a time where black models (very few of them then) where highly regarded by the big international fashion brokers. Katouche Niane the French Guinean model found dead in 2008 in Paris was once the muse of Yves Saint Laurent. Iman back in the 80’s was a YSL muse for a collection inspired by Africa and Naomi Campbell followed suit a few years ago. Yves Saint Laurent was the first major designer to use black models in his catwalk shows, not sure if his Algerian heritage had anything to do with it.

Back in the days, black models also fronted major ad campaigns for these big brands. Waris Dirie fronted the Allure by Chanel perfume campaign in the 80’s followed by Yasmin Warsame and then another black model in the 2000’s. Brandi Quinones fronted a Chanel campaign back in the 90’s while Liya Kebede was in D&G and Lanvin ads. Back in 1966 Donyale Luna an Andy Warhol muse apparently became the first ever black model on a Vogue cover for British Vogue.

Given the progress that seemed evident in this “look” industry, what happened in these last years I ask myself? We are far more diversified, more people are wealthy and have disposable cash and a lot of people travel around and they see other cultures and other people and many of the major designers cite inspiration from Africa but why is this not being reflected in the representation? Will there ever be a time where the black and Asian models are given the same opportunities as their white counterparts? According to one model agent, models are cast depending on the client’s target market. So for example if she gets a call from a client from Mexico, they will want Latina models rather than black or white. According to this agent it is not about the colour of their skin but their features.

Do all black models have to look like white girls dipped in chocolate then to succeed in the modelling industry?

Watch the video here

Stay Fashion-ABLE
Fah-schyonysta!

GET THE LOOK

2010-07-19T15:03:00.004+01:00

The Africa Fashion Week in Jo’burg SA has come and gone but there was one lasting impression that has kept on reverberating in my head – it is none other than this hot glam look by Thula Sindi.

I am very much in love with this look especially because my skinny’s are my best friend at the moment. You can dress it up or dress it down and it still makes you look incredibly sexy.

I decided to scour the net and see how I can put this look together. I opted to use skinny jeans instead of the fitted trousers but feel free to choose what you think suits you best!

See below for my way of how to “steal” this catwalk look.
Feel free to leave other options!

I opted for this black skinny jeans rather than a fitted pair of trousers.
£45.00 from Oasis

I scoured the net for a nice peplum top and I stumbled upon this Stella McCartney frilled peplum. Oh I wish it had short sleeves!
£575.00 from Brown stores.

This floral cut out stretch belt is ideal.
£6.00 from New Look stores

This Mango peep toe platform to give your look the final boost!

£27.00 from ASOS online.

And that's it!

Total cost £653.00. Not cheap but worth it!

Stay Fashion-ABLE!

Fahschyonysta!

THE AFRICA FASHION AWARDS

2010-07-07T10:04:00.010+01:00

The Africa Fashion Week came to an end on Saturday but the African fashion industry in South Africa was still buzzing excitedly over the first ever Africa Fashion Awards which took place last Monday, 5th July at the Sandton Convention Centre in Jo'burg.

The event was booming and in it were the movers and shakers creating a wave in the African fashion industry, doing their best to promote the beauty and creativity of the black continent. Some were honoured and some were just pleased to be able to be there to rub shoulders and witness the forward thinking Dr Precios Moloi-Motsepe's grand ideas come to light.

According to the Bella Naija website, the winners on the night were as follows:-

Designer of the Year (Africa): Black Coffee
Designer of the Year (International): Duro Olowu
Emerging Designer of the Year (Africa) - Ituen Basi
Emerging Designer of the Year (International) – Bunmi Koko
Retailer of the Year: Africhic.com
Top Makeup Artist: Pat McGrath
Stylist of the Year: Edward Enniful (Ghana)
Accessories Designer of the Year: Albertus Swanepoel
Menswear Designer of the Year (Africa): Stiaan Louw
Menswear Designer of the Year (International): Ozwald Boateng
Male Style Influencer: Michael Jackson
Miriam Makeba Female Style Influencer: Grace Jones
Outstanding Contribution in Photography: Koto Bofolo
Outstanding Contribution for Hair Direction: Saadique Ryklief
Model of the Year: Sessilee Lopez
Most Outstanding Fashion Contribution: Marianne Fassler
Lifetime Achievement Award: Yves Saint Laurant, Azzedine Alaïa and Joseph Joseph Ettedgui
Outstanding Contribution to Fashion Communication: BellaNaija.com

Enjoy the pictures below!

THE VENUE

THE AWARDS

THE PEOPLE

It truly seems like a fun filled night of fashion!

It is always good to see such events in Africa by Africans. My only wish is that it will someday include more participants from countries all around Africa than Nigeria & Ghana!

All photos by Simon Deiner.

Stay Fashion-ABLE!

Fahschyonysta!

AFRICA FASHION WEEK 2010 PART 3

2010-07-05T11:50:00.024+01:00

The Africa Fashion Week came to a close on Saturday after bringing together on the African platform a diverse and multi coloured display of talents and creativity from around the continent.

It was a celebration of inspiration, of flair and obviously of fashion trends.

Today, I'll bring you some designers who caught my eye. In South Africa, 2 male designers who in my opinion keep pushing the boundaries are David Tlale and Thula Sindi. I very much look up to these designers and see that African fashion is truly evolving rapidly. Thula’s pieces were fluid and feminine with cuts to enhance shapes and sizes and some key pieces were also very red carpet glamour. The colours were uplifting and bold and easy to play with in terms of accessorising or clashing.

Aisha Obuobi, the designer behind the Christie Brown label has demonstrated time after time how outstanding and innovative she is. For a young designer she has quickly placed herself on a different platform from the rest of the newcomers and her pieces are definitely unforgettable and can be worn straight from the catwalk! For this collection, she has played with fusing Ankara prints with standard fabrics to create pieces that are wearable day or night.

Koketso Chiepe was another designer who caught my eye. I loved her playful take on female sensuality.

Designers to watch: Mataano & Gloria Wavamunno.

Catch the pictures below.

THULA SINDI

Thula Sindi designs for elegant and mature women. All his garments commemorate femininity and transports womanhood to its origins of tenderness, softness and grace.

He is passionate about his loyal clientele, Thula Sindi is committed to designing garments which both enable and encourage women to express their personal style.

Though his label is relatively new, it has in a short time it managed to secure a distinctive and timeless identity in the fashion trade.

CONTACT:

thulasindi@gmail.com

STOCKISTS:

The Wardrobe11, 4th avenue, Parkhurst, JHB+ 27 (0)11 880 9008

Fizz ClothingShop 43, Vincent Park Centre, Vincent, East London+ 27 (0)43 726 1113

CHRISTIE BROWN

Christie Brown is a Ghanaian based luxury women’s clothing/fashion brand whose aim is to satisfy the urge “of that modern woman who seeks a true taste of Africa”.

Christie Brown clothing is made from carefully selected African print, from all over the continent combined with silks, chiffon, denim or jersey. Our aim is to infuse a modern and distinct twist into the use of traditional African print, making it acceptable the world over; to allow women the world over to experience the culturally rich and opulent side of Africa without having to compromise their personal style, way of life or culture.

Christie Brown was founded in March 2008 and has since gone on to win the several global awards; The Emerging Designer of the Year Award for the year 2009 at the inaugural Arise Africa Fashion Week in Johannesburg, South Africa. Christie Brown was also the only Ghanaian designer chosen to showcase in the Arise L’Afrique- a- Porter, in Paris as part of Paris Fashion Week in March this year. At the just ended Africa Economic Forum hosted by Columbia University, Christie Brown was invited to sit on the panel for “African Fashion Going Global”; a discourse on making African Fashion a recognisable global industry.

Their product line consists of women’s dresses, skirts, blouses, shorts, pants and jackets. The company is still growing and we are looking to add to the product line.With many magazine features to boast of(Arise(UK), Canoe 53 Sails, Black Hair(UK), Destiny(SA), Sawubona (In flight magazine for SAA) , Aisha Obuobi, founder of the label was listed as one of the women set to make headlines in 2010 in a feature published in the international edition of Glamour magazine.

The founder of the brand; Aisha Obuobi, graduated from the University of Ghana, Legon, majoring in Psychology. With no formal fashion training, her inspiration to create the label came from her paternal grandmother, Christie Brown. After only a couple of years in the industry, the label is creating a strong presence for itself. It reflects the personality of the founder’s inspiration; it’s chic, stylish and full of that newly emerging sentiment of the new African who plays on the global center-stage.

CONTACT:

info@christiebrowngh.com

julie@christiebrowngh.com

+233 244 418 477

+278 255 311 60

KOKETSO CHIEPE

Since its inception in 2001 Koketso has stayed true to her celebration of a colourful and fun-loving fashion aesthetic. The emphasis is comfort while creatively accentuating the positives and disguising the negatives. "We just want to make clothes that women want to wear and covet."

This is evident in her line of clothing and accessories that retail in the USA, the UK, Spain and Japan. Koketso's clothing has graced the third cycle of America’s Next top Model, and numerous editorials from Italian Vogue, Elle and Cosmopolitan to name but a few. This is in addition to having dressed many celebrities. "

CONTACT:

info@koketso.com

+27 (0) 71 703 0595

STOCKISTS:

Anthropologie (Soho), NYC, USA

TopShop (consignment store), London, UK

LoveBabyJoy (Koketso flagship boutique)

LaForet Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan

Edge, Sapporo, Japan

JQ designer collections, Cape Town, South Africa

GLORIA WAVAMUNNO

Gloria Wavamunno is a privately owned company that was established January 2009 in Uganda, Kampala by Gloria Wavamunno. She has been in love with fashion since she can remember and draws inspiration from all that inspires her globally in fashion and culturally, also from her country’s culture as well as from Africa. GW had its continental debut at Africa Fashion Week 2009 in South Africa, which led to a GW dress, worn by top model Oluchi, being on the cover of Arise Magazine, July Issue 2009.

Based in Kampala, Uganda, the company is in the process of expanding within Africa as well as internationally. The company's style focus is on the use of African fabrics that are transformed into unique individual modern pieces of clothing; one could say stylish African wear. Experimenting with the versatile use that African fabrics have to offer, from embellishment, to mixing it with other textured, types of fabrics, and in future also experimenting with putting African patterns on a vast range of different types of materials e.g. silks, chiffons, velvets etc

CONTACT:

Tel: +256 (0) 70 14888 44

Email: gw.africadesigns@hotmail.co.uk

MATAANO

Twin sisters Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim share a story that is anything but ordinary. Born in the U.S. and raised in Somalia, they fled the country at the age of nine to escape civil war. Ayaan and Idyl spent their school years in Washington, DC, and went on to graduate from Boston University and the University of Michigan, respectively. Their next step was to reconvene in New York City, where they embarked on a mission to stand out from the rest in the crowd in fashion and design.

Experiencing the industry from the ground up, through careful study and practice, they gradually crafted their talent, weaving their varied cultural influences into each meticulously designed piece in their studio. In 2008, the Mohallim sisters took a bold step together, launching their brand, Mataano (translated as “twins” in Somali), and developing a platform from which to express their vision and bring forth their creations to the marketplace.

CONTACT:

Info@mataano.com

+ 1 718.399.2079

STOCKISTS:

Online store: http://www.mataano.com/store

MICHELLE NEW YORK376 Atlantic Avenue, BROOKLYN, NY 11217

TRUE BOUTIQUE278 Mott StreetNew York, NY 10012-3479

And that's it folks!

Photos by Simon Deiner

Bios from http://www.africanfashioninternational.com/africaFashionWeek/

Don't forget to catch the African Fashion Awards today at Sandton Convention Centre. If you are in SA, try and get a ticket!!

Stay Fashion-ABLE!

Fahschyonysta

AFRICA FASHION WEEK 2010 PART 2

2010-07-02T14:38:00.016+01:00

And the Africa Fashion Week continues in Jo'burg with more great pieces on display. I am a day late on reporting but don't fret as I'll endeavour to bring to you all the key pieces!

Yesterday, I promised you David Tlale and I can't say how enormously proud of him I am. This guy has got IT and there is no doubt that he is one of the very best African designers of our generation.

When you look at his pieces, you clearly see someone passionate, creative, artistic, an innovator who sets and pushes his own boundaries. By looking at his pieces you see that he is unafraid to express himself and he clearly knows how to think outside the box without committing to any restraints within his art or background. He has a flair for fashion and I’d call his work a masterpiece. An outstanding masterpiece of creativity and confidence.

For his spring summer 2010 collection, David has added a bit of edginess to his girlie look with bold colours and lots of ruffles.

Bunmi Koko another designer on display who although is fresh on the fashion scene has the potential to attain great heights. With a famous ex spice girl as a muse, why wouldn't she?!

What caught my eye on LaQuan Smith's pieces were the playfulness yet sensuality of his designs.

Check out the pictures below...enjoy!

DAVID TLALE

David Tlale is a home grown label that stands out from the crowds, thanks to a design elegance that challenges the clichéd and predictable. Couture that embodies beauty without pretence and shuns harshness for poise, answering the call today’s men and women for design that is young, bold, and elegant. David Tlale is undoubtedly one of Johannesburg’s most interesting clothing labels.

Dynamic in its response to local and global trends and influences, David Tlale prioritizes style coupled to expert use of fabrics. Garments of impeccable quality are born guaranteed from craftsmanship of exquisite materials, conceived from meticulous stylistic research.

David Tlale's commitment to its environment is mirrored in its vision for business and community empowerment. The immediate plan is to on local acclaim to become a top couture house in South Africa before taking on a (waiting) global market. The label has been well received since its inception on 2002 and is building a brand has a strong sense of style and individuality as its signature.

CONTACT AND STUDIO:

Sanesh

M:+ 27 (0)76 980 9463

T: + 27 (0)11 214 2700

E: saneshm@davidtlale.com

W: http://www.davidtlale.com/

BUNMI KOKO

Bunmi Koko, the luxury lifestyle brand of choice, a fusion of fashion and art, and the union of Nigerian and Scottish heritage; was founded in March 2009. The name 'Bunmi Koko' is inspired by the designer's first name, "Bunmi" (meaning 'God gave me' in Yoruba, a Nigerian dialect) and the affectionate nickname given by her partner, "Koko" (meaning 'my other half' in Efik, another Nigerian dialect). Hence, Bunmi Koko meaning "God gave me my other half".

Bunmi Koko specialises in couture womenswear and ready-to-wear fashion with contemporary elegance and sophisticated edginess, whilst having a sister side to the company in artistic illustration services. This mix of art and fashion is key to the brands philosophy and all products and services aim to have the company slogan ingrained in them; 'Luxuria, Art, Elegans' (luxury, art, elegance).

The brands unique design approach has resulted in innovative, structured designs which to date has resulted in being one of three companies shortlisted as a ‘2010 Finalist for The Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise - Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year', proposal from Marie Claire-South Africa, as the designer of the month May/June 2010, features in; 'Look', 'Glamour.com', 'In - Style', 'Pride - Designer of the month (April 2010)' , 'Star', 'Black Hair' and 'The Sun'; a full feature in one of Africa's number one fashion and entertainment websites - 'Bella Naija', a commission from Mel B to design a couture dress for the 2010 Brit Awards, which she wore to receive the prestigious 'The BRITs Hits 30' Award - "Best Performance of the Past 30 years" and as to present the award for "Best International Male" to Jay Z and caught the attention of numerous celebrities including Michelle Obama, Sadie Frost and Alex Curran, Alesha Dixon and Kate Middleton.

To date the brand has produced three full collections, The 'Intro' Collection, 2009; The Geisha Reform Collection, February 2010; and the Matriarchy Collection.

For all press inquiries please contact our PR representatives.
Natalie Whorms

The Outside Organisation

Butler House

177-178 Tottenham Court Road

London, EnglandW1T 7NY
Tel : +44 (0) 207 436 3633

Fax: +44 (0) 207 436 3632

Email: info@outside-org.co.uk

Website:http://www.outside-org.co.uk/

LAQUAN SMITH

At the age of only 21, Laquan Smith (LQS) has a passion for fashion that in seven years has only gotten stronger. After a battle with cancer, Laquan was able to regroup and refocus on his passion. In 2007, after graduating from high school, Laquan began working as an intern at prominent magazine Blackbook. Yet, realising his fashion thirst was not quenched Laquan soon began exploring his design talents.

Experience and ambition have opened doors for laquan allowing him to work with some of the industry’s top models and photographers. As an array of celebrities line up for his creative services Laquan has designed custom pieces for artists including lady Gaga, Rihanna, Beyonce, Alexa Chung, Coutrney Love, Amber Rose, Sessilee Lopez, and Jaslene Gonzalez (ANTM), fashion personality Andre J, and the list goes on.

Laquan Smith’s New York Fashion Week debut was a huge success when it was held on February 15, 2010 at the Society of Illustrators. The audience for the LaQuan Smith ‘Water Goddess’ Fashion Show was 75 exclusive attendees including top fashion press, buyers and celebrities. Notable attendees included Vogue Editor at Large, Andre Leon Talley, Vogue Style Director, Alexandra Kotur, Janice Combs, Misa Hylton, Semi=Precious Weapons, and Londell McMillan. LaQuan has received a tremendous amount of press for this work from New York Times, NY Daily News, Daily Candy, and many more.

The Laquan Smith woman is the personification of modernity, sensuality, and liberation in feminity. These characteristics are the inspiration for each one of his collections. Laquan states ‘Women have always been inspired me to create. When it comes to women I understand their essence and my designs allow her to make history”.

Contact:

The Fashion Art GalleryDirector

Kelly L Mills

Mobile: +1 917 379 2459

Email: info@faag.us

Stockists:

Workshop in NY, 107 East 59th Street, Between Park and Madison, NY 10022

Laquan Smith Online – http://www.laquansmith.com/

Fashion Art Gallery online – http://www.faag.us/.

Tel: +1 917 379 2459

Email: info@faag.us

All photographs from Simon Deiner.

Designer bios from http://www.africanfashioninternational.com/

See you later!

Stay Fashion-ABLE!

Fahschyonysta

AFRICA FASHION WEEK 2010 PART 1

2010-07-01T16:53:00.015+01:00

All eyes are currently fixated on South Africa as we know but it is not just about the 2010 Fifa World Cup footbal tournament, it is also about fashion, yes fashion!

The Africa Fashion Week kicked off in style at the Sandton Convention Center in Jo’burg yesterday and so far the collections have been diverse, from the fabrics on display to the inspiration and imagery of the designers. They are full of character, funky edged and unique.

Deola opened yesterday’s show with a very sexy collection and on display was a mixture of fabrics including lace, strong and sultry silhouettes with emphasis on the shoulders as well as pleats in different forms and styles and layers. Most pieces were amazing and some were ok but all in all, kudos to Ms Sagoe for leading the pack.

Also on show was Sakina M’sa, Xuly Bet, Soucha who all carried a very dark theme with their use of black fabric, sporting and playful images.

My favourite collection so far is Ituen Basi, her fusion of different Ankara prints, her wearable and very trendy and current styles makes her pieces elegant and fabulous. The colours are very uplifting! For your spring summer 2010 look, I say go Ituen Basi!!

ITUEN BASI

The Ituen Basi brand is a celebration of individuality and feminism, a stylish combination of timeless elegance with a contemporary twist. Ituen has forged a subtle yet distinct signature inspired by couturiers of old as well as her many years of experience in the fashion industry. The brand is synonymous with the tradition of the finest quality infused with unquestionable creativity. Her spectacular presentation is often seen as the result of fusing experiences.

Ituen Basi completed a BA Theatre Arts degree at the University of Ife in Nigeria where she also designed and tailored costumes and garments for stage productions and beauty pageants. Following her time at university, Ituen deepened her knowledge and formalized her experience in the fashion industry by studying at the acclaimed London College of Fashion Ituen’s education and experience have helped her develop a blend of exceptional skills in design development, pattern engineering and bespoke tailoring. Her unique approach produces exceptional but wearable art pieces which are contemporary expressions of enduring sophistication. Her message remains consistent across each exclusive collection–“its in the detail”.

Apart from designing and producing garments under her label, Ituen also runs a garment manufacturing unit which produces ‘small runs’ for independent designers, micro fashion businesses based both in Nigeria and the UK.

CONTACT:

ituen@ituenbasi.com

ask@ituenbasi.com

http://www.ituenbasi.com/

STOCKISTS:

Quintessence, Falomo Shopping Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria

Terra Kulture, Plot 1376, Tiamiyu Savage, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria

SOUCHA

An artist at heart with a passion and true talent in haute couture fashion, Soucha has left Tunis his home country at a young age to pursue his lifelong dream of educating himself and studying in the best European fashion design schools. In 1987 he joined the Italian school of haute couture, graduated and went on interning for some of the biggest apparel and fashion houses in Rome. Gaining necessary practical experience and understanding the different aspects of building a fashion house.

Soucha then went on venturing in the capital of entertainment in the Arab world and moved to Egypt. His capital was his talent and will to succeed; he successfully proved himself and gained the reputation of being creatively different than what was available in the market.

Today Soucha Fashion has achieved regional reputation and obtained numerous awards for talent and trend originality. He continues his path of success and business growth.

CONTACT:

Tel: +2 3 749-0872

Mobile: + 2 (0)10 191-3230 / 016 111-6561

Tito Fashion assistant cel: +2 010 584-4032

Fax: +2 3 749-0872

souchafashiondesigner@gmail.com

soucha@soucha-hc.com

http://www.soucha-hc.com/

STOCKISTS:

106 –first floor, Nile City Building, Cairo, Egypt

316-3rd floor, Grand hyatt, Cairo, Egypt

All pictures by Simon Deiner

Designer information from http://www.africanfashioninternational.com/

More on the show later with David Tlale on my top list!
Stay Fashion-ABLE!
Fahschyonysta!

CELEBS IN AFRICAN PRINT

2010-06-25T11:18:00.004+01:00

Lydia Hearst, heiress to the Hearst Publishing Corp in Deola Sagoe

Solange Knowles, Music Artist

Alicia Keys & Beyoncé Knowles, Music Artists

Fatima Robinson - Choreographer Extraordinaire

Maya Lake, owner Boxing Kitten with Estelle, Music Artist

Loving the frenzy African fashion is currently causing!

Pics from the internet.

Stay Fashionable!

Fahschyonysta!

FASHION CAMP - NIGERIA

2010-06-03T09:21:00.002+01:00

Introducing Fashion Camp (FC), the brainchild of Nigerian UK based uber stylist and fashionista Arieta Mujay. FC was borne as a result of the lack of African fashion mentors and mentoring programmes in the fashion industry in Africa. According to Ariety, fashion is an art form that evolves and young talents need to be nurtured and encouraged as a result.

The first of its kind in Lagos, FC aims to help 13-18 year old teenagers (older crowds welcomed!) with an interest in fashion, to learn and understand the ins and outs of the fashion industry. It therefore aims to impart a first hand account of what it is really like to work in the fashion industry and to share knowledge on the prerequisite steps one has to take to achieve one’s goals in the fashion world.

With the help of Biki John, another UK based Nigerian stylist and fashion writer and a collaboration with Deola Sagoe, the week long fashion seminars will include classes on photography, styling, the art of design, fashion PR, blogging etc alongside visuals and graphics. Through this, FC hopes to paint a precise picture that shows both how African and contemporary fashion have evolved and what lies ahead for the future.

Guests speakers at daily seminars / lectures will include Deaola Sagoe, Uche (Bella Naija Founder), Amy Jako, Veronica Ebie (This Day) and a surprise guest star.

The dates for FC are the 2nd to 8th August 2010. Registration fees are 70,000 Naira per person and the venue is:
Deola Sagoe Flagship store
Ajose Adeogun
Victoria Island
Lagos

For more information, please contact Arieta directly at: Arietafashionista@gmail.com or Biki at: biki@bikijohn.com.

Fashion Camp - Nurturing the budding fashionista!

Go check it out if you are in Lagos!
Stay fashion-ABLE!
Fahschyonysta!

VICTORIA BECKHAM COLLECTION

2010-04-28T11:13:00.008+01:00

Okay, so I am going to blog outside my blog criteria today but I just had to show you these.
I am not a follower or enthusiast of the "VB" brand but you got to admire Victoria Beckham! For someone with such little talent she has managed to achieve stuff that even people who are amazingly talented have yet to or even dream to achieve.

From being one fifth of the world's biggest girlband pop group to now being a cutting edge fashion designer with no prior fashion qualifications or skill. Still, brand Beckham is definitely on the rise and rise.

Her fashion collections made predominantly of dresses (a mixture of red carpet, very long and day wear, very short) centres largely on her own private fashion style. With fitted, asymmetrical and very strong and bold shoulder designs as well as drapes both at the front and back.

What I would love to know is, is she a hands on designer herself? Does she decide on fabric choice? Does she draw the designs or at least tell an artist exactly how she wants a particular design to look and they draw it or is she just the brand ambassador loaning her name to a talented fashion student in the background? Hmmm, would we ever know?

Either way, I guess Victoria herself couldn't care less of the sceptics and the haters like me, lol! Her dresses are a must have and nearly every celebrity in Hollywood owns a VB dress including the queen of style herself SJP.

Check out ther AW10 collection below.
These are my favourite!

So Victoria!!

What do you guys think?

Leave your comments below.

For more information, visit http://www.victoriabeckham.com/

Stay Fashion-ABLE!

Fahschyonysta!

BHF STYLE CATALOGUE

2010-04-19T22:22:00.007+01:00

BHF Magazine are launching a new fashion concept - a 6 issue style catalogue.

Their 52 paged style catalogue will carry a wide selection of designs from African creators which will permit them to promote these designers to a bigger audience and act as a first point of contact for sales.

According to Geoffrey Olisa the creative head behind this venture, this style catalogue aims to fill the gap that currently exists within the market - the hunger for the "Afric chic" trend.

The catalogue will be crisp, visually beautiful depicting elegant and one off pieces shot by the BHF team.

To grap a copy or for more information email, info@bhfstyle.com

http://www.bhfstyle.com/

Stay Fashion-ABLE

Fahschyonysta!

AFRICA'S FASHIONABLE FIRST LADIES PART 2

2010-04-17T19:16:00.009+01:00

Name: Chantal Biya
Country: Cameroon
Husband: Paul Biya

Bio: Chantal Vigouroux was born in 1971 in Dimako in the East Province of Cameroon to Miss Doumé pageant winner Rosette Ndongo Mengolo and French expatriate Georges Vigoroux (some say the father is Lebanese). She spent her adolescent years in Yaoundé and in 1994 at barely 23 got married to H.E. Paul Biya nearly 40 years her senior.
Chantal Biya has established several charitable organisations, among them are African Synergy, which pursues various HIV/AIDS initiatives, and the Chantal Biya Foundation (Fondation Chantal Biya). She hosted the original First Ladies Summit in Yaoundé during the 1996 Organisation of African Unity summit. Her “Jeunesse Active pour Chantal Biya” is an organ of her husband's Cameroon People's Democratic Movement.
Last year, she was amongst the 14 African first ladies who attended a 2 day summit in LA to meet top experts to discuss how to develop and improve locally-run programs that benefit mothers and children throughout the African continent.
Since coming into the public eye, Chantal Biya has been renowned for her style as much as her charity work.

Her Style: Chantal Biya sets her own trends and is her own fashion dictator and this risqué style has made her to face ridicule amongst some of her public as well as the media. Her style is a melange of African and Western attires encompassing the all in one look (shoes and handbags to match colour of costume). In the past, she has mentioned Dior and Chanel as her favourite European labels as well as occasionally carrying her Hermes Birkin bag, while her traditional outfits are custom made, designed and sewn by tailors. Her choice of colours are bold and loud, flamboyant and over the top with costume accessories to match.

Her Makeup: Chantal Biya’s love of colour can be seen in all that she is. From her clothes to her handbags to her shoes to her makeup it is all colour colour colour! From her dark accentuated eye brows to her red cheeks, multicoloured eye shadows and bright lipsticks, it is evident that more is less in her books.

Her Hair: Which African first lady do you know with a hairstyle of their own? Hands up Chantal Biya whose huge bouffant mullet extensions dubbed the “banane” (or banana) has become her most talked about feature.

The indomnitable lioness, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Loathe her or like her, there is no denying that Chantal Biya has a unique fashion style never before seen amongst the first ladies within Africa, remarked even so by the American socialite Paris Hilton.

Flamboyant and extravagant, yes, bold and colourful, yes, over the top and outlandish, yes, but this is what has made Chantal noticeable and the most talked about African first lady of this times. From New York to Milan, London to Paris, her press relations whether good or bad is phenomenal!

What are your views?

All images courtesy of Google.

I hope to bring you more of Africa's fashionable first ladies so stay tuned!

To read part 1, click here

Stay Fashion-ABLE

Fahschyonysta

COUTURE BY ELIMONN

2010-04-16T19:27:00.009+01:00

The African wax fabric is gaining more and more popularity, from New York to Paris, Douala to Niamey it is splashed across the important catwalks around the globe.

African fashion is definitely in a very good place and it has allowed more than a handful of would be designers who were very inspired by the flamboyance and vibrancy of the wax prints to take their passion further onto the international and local markets.

One such designer label is Elimonn whose pure aim is to make you feel good about yourself by bringing out the natural beauty you already have in creating designs that complement your figure, shape and size through the combination of African and Western designs into an affordable elegance.

The Elimonn client is one who loves to stand out from the crowd by appreciation their bold colour combinations and textures that are both sculptural and flattering. Their clientele is definitely one who is very fashion forward but who never sacrifice substance for style.

At Elimonn, fashion is something which defines the mystic sense that lies beneath the woven thread and they are always in pursuit of excellence through designing.

Check out their recent collection below.

Love this kimono dress!

If you want more, check out their website at http://www.elimonn.com/

Happy shopping!

Stay Fashion-ABLE

Fahschyonysta!

CAMER COUTURE ARE HIRING!

2010-04-14T09:41:00.003+01:00

Are you a Carrie Bradshaw in the making? Own more shoes and handbags than Imelda Marcus? Would you know your Deola Sagoe from your Martial Tapolo?
Wanna make your mark in the African fashion revolution? Now’s your chance!

Votre Avant Garde, the hip new company behind the Camer Couture fashion event, is seeking 2 London-based style savvy interns with backgrounds in journalism, marketing and/ PR to join their exciting team.

So, if you are:-
· Mad about fashion
· Bright and bubbly
· Creative and energetic
· Dedicated and motivated
· Bilingual (ability to speak and write French and English an advantage)

Contact them NOW!

Send them your CV as well as a short and sweet bio about yourself (no more than 250 words) and tell them why you would like to be part of their fabulous project by Wednesday 28th April 2010.

Please send all entries to: info@camercouture.com

See more on them at: www.camercouture.com
Join their Facebook fan page: CamerCouture

Does this sound like something you would like to get involved in?
Well get up and send them your CV and bio!
Stay Fashion-ABLE!
Fahschyonysta!

AFRICA'S FASHIONABLE FIRST LADIES PART 1

2010-04-08T14:18:00.012+01:00

Name: Princess Lalla Salma
Country: Morocco
Husband: King Mohammed VI

Bio: Princess Lalla Salma was born Salma Bennani in 1978 at Fez in Morocco. Her mother died when she was 3 years old and she was brought up by her maternal grandmother.
She completed her education in Rabat and upon completion got a job as an information services engineer at the ONA Group, controlled by the Moroccan Royal family.
Princess Lalla Salma, now known as the Princess Consort married King Mohammed in March 2001 and they now have two children, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and Princess Lalla Khadija.
Unlike her predecessors, Princess Lalla Salma has taken an active role in public life including hosting a number of foreign dignitaries and royalties as well as taking an interest in representing and supporting development work on cancer, HIV-AIDS and female empowerment.
In the last six years, Princess Lalla Salma has made her mark as a gracious and dignified member of the Royal family, showing herself as one with a world class taste in fashion and with the capability and confidence in representing her country on the world stage.

Her Style: Princess Lalla Salma’s style is a fusion of Western elegant and formal pieces from designers such as Chanel, Dior, JP Gauthier, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Prada as well as traditional Moroccan Kaftans. Her choice of colours lingers on the pastel shades and the nudes with occasional over the top colourful and bold kaftans. Her jewellery made from famous labels such as Cartier, Chaumet, Piaget and Van Cleef and Arpels can be bold and elaborate and small and simple costume pieces.

Her Makeup: Princess Lalla Salma tends to steer on the nude shades again adding more colour around her eyes to create definition. Her lipstick range from nude to a darker plum shade.

Her Hair: Princess Lalla Salma keeps her naturally curly red hair to a minimal. It is either swept back or straightened and left flowing on her shoulders.

Very Diana-like here!

With husband King Mohammed VI and the Crown Prince Moulay Hassan

So readers, what do you think?

If you could discern a person's character just from their pictures, I would say she is humble, kind, caring, sweet and very elegant. All the attributes for a first lady.

I hope to bring you more of Africa's fashionable first ladies so stay tuned!

All pics courtesy of google images.

Stay Fasion-ABLE!

Fahschyonysta!

JEZREEL DESIGNS

2010-04-05T16:13:00.009+01:00

Abiola Ogunleye is the creator of Jezreel Designs, launched in 2008 and with aim of showcasing the very best Africa has to offer by infusing contemporary designs in women’s fashion with traditional African fabrics and handcrafted in Africa.

All fabrics used in their collections are currently sourced from local Nigerian markets and producers while all other components are also sourced from local suppliers. Every piece in their collection is also handmade by local Nigerian craftsmen using traditional methods.

They are a brand who know and understand the importance of making a fashion statement especially when you walk into a room. More importantly, they want their clients to do so with class achieving that with a Jezreel product.

Each of their range of products are only available in limited numbers ensuring that you will be the belle of the ball at every occasion!

Their collection currently include belts, bags, bangles and tee shirts unveiled at the Fusion fashion event in Abuja this year.

View some items below.

For more infor, please visit their website http://www.jezreeldesigns.com/

Or join their Facebook group page: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1748869&id=514444748#!/group.php?gid=30472382268&ref=ts

Stay Fashion-ABLE!

Fahschyonysta!

AFRICA ON THE INTERNATIONAL FASHION RADAR!

2010-03-31T11:32:00.007+01:00

Africa is definitely on the international fashion radar. Everywhere you look, either you see a fashion show with reknowned African fashion designers participating or you see well known fashion publications with images of batik prints or even A list celebrities wearing batik prints!!
Okay, so we are not complaining because this is all good!

I found some images while surfing and wanted to share.

Images from Teen Vogue

Images from the newly launched "ASOS Africa Collection"

Stay Fashion-ABLE!

Fahschyonysta!

DUBLIN AFRICA FASHION WEEKEND

2010-03-30T16:46:00.005+01:00

Founded by Stha Ngwenya, the Africa fashion weekend held in Dublin this weekend is a premium fashion event bringing you some of Africa's top designers.

The event is to celebrate Africa through fashion and art. It is also an opportunity for the designers to showcase their latest designs to a new audience consisting of fashion buyers, fashion journalists, stylists, editors etc Most importantly it is a platform that creates network to encourage African fashion industry growth.

Get your tickets by calling the number on the flyer and go see an enjoyable spectacle!
Visit their website here for more info: http://www.africafashionweekenddublin.com/
Stay Fashion-ABLE!
Fahschyonysta!

CHRISTIANE KING, A HIDDEN GEM

2010-03-07T13:33:00.010Z

Christiane King was born in Ivory Coast where she spent her childhood and college years. After earning her Bachelor’s Degree in International Trade in Abidjan and interning at a top oil refinery, she realised that her passion lied somewhere else.

She then started a career in acting and soon enough the opportunity to leave Ivory Coast presented itself and she moved to Paris thereafter relocating to Los Angeles.

Experiencing both French and American cultures has allowed her to broaden her fashion sense. 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 culture she has been exposed to.

According to Christiane, the woman’s body is her biggest inspiration and she uses her garments to celebrate the arts and crafts of her Ivorian culture while also maintaining very modern styles and silhouettes.

Christiane launched her first Women’s wear collection in autumn 2006 and is growing bolder since then. Today Christiane King’s edgy, flirty and fun designs are gaining popularity amongst the Hollywood starlets such as Olivia Munn, lead actress on the TV show “Greek”, Katerina Graham from the hit TV series “The Vampire Diaries”, Katie Gill from “CSI Miami” and “The Mentalist”, Jessica Sutta from the Pussycat Dolls, actress and model LisaRaye etc. She was also a contestant on Project Runway season 7.

See her autmn/winter 2010 collection below..

Would you like to get your hands on some of her stuff? Well you can shop right here

I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one or two things myself. I definitely love the boldness and flirtiness of some of her designs.

All pictures and literature from http://www.christianeking.com/

By the way, if you didn't know just to inform you that the Arise l'Afrique-a-porter took place in Paris click here to see the collection presented by David Tlale from South Africa. What a talent!

Stay Fashion-ABLE!

Fahschyonysta!

WELCOME TO THEIR LABB!

2010-01-24T15:09:00.005Z

“Fashion, is like a science. You always want to push the limits, find something new, but it is always based on the existing. Not everyone who works in a lab wears a white jacket..." “WELCOME TO OUR LABB!”

LABB Magazine is a quarterly ‘coffee table’ glossy which has been created to provide a platform for upcoming talent. LABB is aimed at designers, photographers and artists from all backgrounds.

This glossy will feature a fabulous array of vibrant colours and fresh up-to-date fashion. It will delve deep to make the spreads come to life on the page and it will feature easy to read, minimum written editorials and outstanding fashion spreads. It is poised to become the most visually pleasing fashion bible to have ever existed!

Every issue is going to be based on a theme and as a unique way of describing the subtext of the issue, each will carry an individual issue name alongside. As a High Fashion magazine, it will break all the boundaries and challenge the norm seen in High Fashion today. It will open your eyes, free your mind and make the unthinkable become thinkable.

LABB’s unique chemistry between its tight creative team who work around the clock to deliver something extrodinary is what makes LABB different. Coming from a diverse mix of backgrounds, the LABB team have strong ethics of where they come from and where they would like to go.

Some images from the first spread below...enjoy!

Editor in Chief:
George Eko

Creative Director:
OscarAlexander Lunberg

Art Director:
Dave Piper

Features Editor:
Ozzy Shah

www.labbmagazine.com

info@labbmagazine.com

Watch out for the launch party at London Fashion Week. Issue one in all major outlets very soon.

Stay tuned for more...

Stay fashion-ABLE!

Fahschyonysta