African Fashion International (AFI) announces that two nights of the newly revitalised AFI Cape Town Fashion Week will take place at the iconic Salt River Film Studios. On the 23rd and 24th of March the industrial-chic space at Salt River Film Studios will transform into a creative playground for some of the continent’s most exciting fashion design talent.
AFI is no stranger to pushing creative boundaries and this year’s Cape Town Fashion Week will flaunt their unique approach to showcasing fashion in truly exceptional style. Art and fashion unite for a weeklong festival of African culture, creativity and couture.
Raw and industrial, in its previous life the Salt River Film Studios were a compound of railway blacksmiths’ workshops; expertly converted today they offer a world class studio and events facility. The blacksmiths of years gone by spent hours upon hours toiling at their workbenches and the same spirit of intense craftsmanship lives on in the designers’ ranges that AFI will show at the Cape Town Fashion Week Friday and Saturday events.
Jan Malan, seasoned show producer and newly appointed Production Director for AFI Cape Town Fashion Week, is renowned for staging fashion shows in unique spaces: “There’s something about this old gritty industrial space that excites me. The unique façade and indoor architectural style of Salt River Film Studios boasts unusually high roof beams and an extensive gantry system which is great for lighting and our complex rigging requirements. We’ve got some incredible plans and I can’t wait to see it all come together.”
The theme for this year’s Cape Town Fashion Week is #IamAfrica, AFI’s calling summed up in one concise hashtag – to celebrate and showcase exceptional African creative talent on a global stage. Honoured with the inaugural Franca Sozzani ‘Fashion 4 Development’ Award in recognition of her efforts in empowering and showcasing African designers, AFI Executive Chairman Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe is fearlessly committed to helping African fashion shine. Dr Moloi-Motsepe is adamant that Africa is central to global fashion trends: “The world naturally looks to the birthplace of humanity for creative inspiration and we’re ecstatic to be providing a platform for such incredible artists to have their work appreciated by the fashion world at large.”
Bold and vibrant, AFI’s colourfully curated line-up of designers celebrates every diverse corner of the continent. Morocco’s Salima Abdel-Wahab brings her eclectic Northern African textures to be shown alongside the afro-futuristic South African patterning of Maxhosa by Laduma. East Africa is represented by Adele Dejak whose jewellery range is inspired by her Kenyan homeland while world-renowned Adama Paris shows off all that West Africa has to offer with a collection that celebrates urban Senegal.
AFI Cape Town Fashion Week is poised to take its place alongside the most important and influential fashion showcases on the planet – a uniquely inspiring celebration of the creative passion that flows through Africa and comes to life through her people.
AFI Cape Town Fashion Week runs from the 23st to the 24th of March and applications for media accreditation are now open. Please apply for yours at www.africanfashioninternational.com
World renowned designers are expected to show at Salt River Film Studios on the 23rd and 24th.
THE AFRICAN FASHION INTERNATIONAL (AFI)
In just over a decade, AFRICAN FASHION INTERNATIONAL (AFI) has built a thriving fashion marketing, retail and development platform that celebrates the creativity and craftsmanship of our continent, shining a light on African luxury fashion aesthetics, in all their originality, heritage and style.
AFI owns, produces and plays host to Africa’s premier luxury fashion week in Cape Town and Johannesburg which are AFI Cape Town Fashion Week and AFI Joburg Fashion Week.
AFI Prive is the retail arm promoting African fashion to clients around the world, and AFI Designer Boutique takes the runway to market.
AFI’s commitment to nurturing emerging African talent is evident in AFI FAST TRACK – an incubator that equips designers to succeed in the business of fashion.
While AFI will continue to carefully monitor the water situation in the Western Cape, we are deeply committed to protecting jobs and contributing to the economy of Cape Town.