MBFW Africa 2013 kicks off with best of African fashion

Highlights include Taibo Bacar (Winner of the 2012 Designers of the Year – AFI Africa Fashion Awards) from Mozambique; Mille Collines from Rwanda; Mina Evans and Duaba Serwa from Ghana; Sheria Ngowi and Mustafa Hassanali from Tanzania; David Tlale, Marianne Fassler and Thula Sindi from South Africa; and Nkwo from Nigeria. This exceptional line-up is a testament to AFI’s commitment to excellence in presenting the best in creative innovation and commercial success.

AFI Executive Chairperson, Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe says, “MBFW Africa is the pinnacle of African fashion: the platform is the gateway between African designers and the global fashion community to engage and promote our local industry.

"African designers have shown themselves to be world-class in their creativity and aesthetic, and MBFW Africa strives to heighten accessibility to new markets through regional and international exposure, creating a global desire for African-designed fashion. ”

AFI is also proud to announce its partnership with the City of Tshwane, which is the host city for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa 2013. “The City of Tshwane, the ‘African capital of excellence’, is the centre of international trade and dialogue and is perfectly aligned to support the African fashion industry.

Tshwane is steeped in a rich cultural heritage and is proud to partner with AFI in celebrating the cultural diversity and commercial growth potential of the continent,” says Councilor Kgosientso Ramokgopa, Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane.

During Fashion Week, AFI will also be presenting a retail element: the Africa Fashion Trade Expo (AFTE). The AFTE offers designers to engage in business-to-business networking with the media and buyers as well as business-to-consumer sales directly to the public. The finale show of AFI Fastrack, AFI’s development initiative, will be held on 26 October 2013, in Johannesburg.

African Fashion International