VIDEO: African Designers Gateway To London Fashion Week By Fashions Finest

It is not a mystery that the development and popularity of African fashion is growing at an extensively massive rate. However, the pr and business ethics behind most African designers is far below the growth of which the popularity of print wear.

African designers would need to be visible at every justified opportunity given in order to achieve the branding some of their European and American counterparts are receiving.

In the past week, we had the opportunity to capture runway fashion at Fashions Finest LFW S/S 2014 off-schedule show. Newly introduced to their event was the African fashion designer segment. With the high costs and limited connections African designers face in order to exhibit at London Fashion Week, this platform might just be the turning point.

This is not to say African fashion designers have no shot or opportunity at getting on the main on-schedule London Fashion Week table, but if the maths is done correctly, it may not be all too benefit. Most guests and visitors of the on-schedule LFW show already have a fixed idea of what they are seeking and are engaged in design trends that most African designers don’t follow or even know about. To take something totally foreign in terms of pr, popularity, brand, and design-wise to an audience that might witness your designs as a costume show is literally a small outcome for a high-priced show.

Buyers in such crowds already know their markets and are most likely going to neglect their outfits despite how hard they clap. Also, guests and clients are seeking something that they know will be the next big hit and might therefore overlook your clothes. This is not to say do not attempt to break the mold, but one should question how, where, and when to break the mold and the most efficient strategy.

Although I am not so excited about the models in the Fashions Finest show, the show captures African fashion during the LFW period, courtesy of Africa Fashion Week London. With buyers from all around the world visiting London during this time, should the Fashions Finest pr and promotion continue to grow, which it would, you can be sure your designs will get exposed to the rightly concerned press and buyers/stockists that share an interest in African fashion.

Plans for LFW A/W 2014 are already on the way. This might just be the right time to get in touch with the Fashions Finest team at FashionsFinest.com.