In the new book New African Fashion (Prestel) author Helen Jennings "takes an encyclopedic view of looks from the continent, focusing on designers, models, and street-style photographers of the diaspora, like runway star Ajak Deng and established international player Duro Olowu," reports Vogue.com.
Olowu, who once was a practicing lawyer, is now one of the few African born designers that have made the leap into the fashion big leagues. His bold prints, superb tailoring and vibrant designs are a favorite of Solange Knowles and First Lady Michelle Obama.
"African culture has always been seen as being influential anthropologically, but never as a fashion presence in its own right," designer Duro Olowu told Vogue.com.
We agree!
Here's a list of a few African designers Oluwu believes are worth knowing and noting in the new must-read book:
1. Maki Oh
Nigerian designer Amaka Osakwe’s line of womenswear
2. Casely-Hayford
London-based menswear father-and-son duo Joe and Charlie Casely-Hayford
3. Omer Assim & Maya Antoun
A Sudanese womenswear designer and jeweler join forces.
4. Mimi Plange
A Ghanaian-born, California-raised womenswear designer in New York
5. A. Sauvage
The multitalented London menswear designer Adrien Sauvage
6. Xuly Bët
Designer Lamine Badian Kouyaté, a Malian fashion veteran in Paris
Here's a look at Olowu's Spring 2012 collection:
