The Best From The Beat Of Africa

Sprouting from the collaboration between ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and  Altaroma, the fashion conscious in Rome, Italy moved to the Beat of Africa in a showcase of the Spring/Summer 2015 collections presented by four outstanding designers. For the 4th year, ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and Altaroma collaborate with the aim to stimulate production and promote ethical consumption.

 Ethical Fashion is a project focusing on social responsibility, a joint effort between Altaroma and the International Trade Centre, the technical cooperation agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.

Jubilant prints in controlled silhouettes, joyous embellishment to sporty shapes – the Beat of Africa resounded from the catwalk at last week’s Altaroma

In order of the loudest beat…

Stella Jean

Stella Jean  continues her genius hook-ups with tempting prints that overwhelm. I had to pull the dramatic gasp on seeing that first look. The bus print skirt and top in colored bamboo sticks prints is so adorable and flattering!

While sourcing fabrics from Burkina Faso , Kenya, Mali and Haiti to create a jewelry collection using hand-painted recycled metal drums, she expresses her excitement in introducing African prints and embellishment to Asia, stating that “Diversity is richness”.

Jewel by Lisa

I always look forward to Jewel by Lisa’s collections. Even while sticking to her hand-beaded-embellishments-on-Ankara signature, she always just has a way of  creating pieces that are tasteful, exclusive, modern and eventually find their way to your heart and then, your wardrobe  lust list.  Thanks to the teaser on her Instagram, I might have missed this bit.

Lisa Folawiyo, was the only Nigerian designer that showed and was this year’s “special guest”. That is such a big deal!

Mina Evans

Mina Evans  had me somewhere between her mix of  fabric-patterns and wearable styles… A bit of prints, a slice of pink and a touch of African in all the right doses. 

Duaba Serwa

Sometimes, I’m all about bold-quirky prints or simple-yet- interesting palettes. That may explain why I couldn’t get excited over any piece from Ghanaian designer , Duaba Serwas‘s collection. Though I could pick out a piece or two for my wardrobe, the choice of some prints just didn’t sit right .

Simone Cipriani, the master force behind the Beat of Africa project received wild applause – but chose to concentrate on the future. 

For 2015, we have to take on the issue of the internet,” said Cipriani. “We now have a lot of brick-and-mortar partners. Now we have to sell online.

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