- . Takes Nigerian adire fabrics to South America
As part of the efforts to promote African culture through Nigeria’s adire fabrics, Queen Aderonke, a queen of the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has concluded arrangements to hold the first edition of Africa Fashion Week Brazil.
Queen Aderonke who is a leading voice in the promotion of the African textile and garment industry, partners with businesswoman Silvana Saraiva, who is the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and CEO of FeaFro Institute in Brazil, to host the maiden Afro-Brazilian fashion festival in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
The founder of Africa Fashion Week London, Africa Fashion Week Nigeria and CEO of Adire Oodua Textile Training Hub, Vice Chairman House of Oduduwa Foundation, and the co-founder of Africa Fashion Week Brazil in a statement said her mission is to preserve, share and protect African textile legacies.
According to the Queen, designers from Ghana, London, Paris, and Nigeria will have the opportunity of showcasing the richness of African culture through fashion in Brazil.
She said that the first-of-its-kind Africa Fashion Week Brazil will commence on May 25, 2023, in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
She explained that the event would be an opportunity for the convergence of African and Afro-Brazilian designers to promote trade and investment in the creative industry in Africa and South America, adding that the event will feature industry innovation workshops, and B2B and B2C export and import channels.
Heading the delegation of Nigerian designers according to the Queen is Ejiro Amos Tafiri, a creative powerhouse and one of the most sustainable fast-growing brands in Africa.
Her words: “Our very own adire fabric is going to take center stage at the Africa Fashion Week Brazil with brands like adire teems, Wuraola4lar, Fashion by Ashani, Pillz n Poizn showcasing the richness of the Ooni of Ife’s Adire Oodua Textiles.
“Africa Fashion Week Brazil is part of Africa Fashion Week London and Nigeria. The event which opens on the 25th of May celebrating Africa day is going to bring together African and Afro-Brazilian designers with the aim of promoting trade and investment in the creative industry.
“The event will feature industry innovation workshops, B2B and B2C export and import channels.”
Meanwhile, Ooni Ogunwusi, who has been the Ambassador Plenipotentiary of the Africa Fashion Week brand for nearly a decade expressed delight over this new feather being added to the African Fashion Week brand’s cap as Nigeria and Brazil are the most populous black nations in the world.
The royal father said events of this nature will expose Nigerian designers to a brand new audience as Brazilians are in love with everything that has to do with the Yoruba culture.
It will be recalled that Queen Aderonke has showcased over 2,000 African brands to a global audience since she started her Africa Fashion Week London in 2011.
Among notable designers billed for the event are Blingshiki, Wuraola4lar, Pillz n Poizn, Adire Teems, Chiefo, Fresh by Dotun,Fashion by Ashani, Blingshiki on the Nigerian contingent. Mary Martin from London, Gary Pie from Ghana, Abi Creations from Paris while the duo of Meninos Rei and KUAVI leads other Afro-Brazilian designers to the event.
The Ooni who doubles as Co-chairman National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, NCTRN, in the company of his two oloris Queen Aderonke and Queen Mariam had earlier this year taken his PanAfrican Cultural, Unity, and Business Initiatives to Brazil where he was hosted by the country’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
