The Africa Fashion Week Brazil is being organized to bridge the gap between African designers and the Africans in the Diaspora, Ronke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi has said.
Ronke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, who is the wife of the Ooni of Ife and founder of Africa Fashion Week Nigeria/ London, (AFWN) disclosed this in an interview in Lagos.
She said fashion has been the platform to show where African design and its diversity stands out in the African diaspora.
Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi said the cultural display, being a tourism boost to the nation, would take place in Brazil in May with the aim of projecting African pride.
“Our main focus is to use fashion as an instrument of cultural sustainability and social change.
“We are excited to announce that the Africa Fashion Week brand will be debuting in Brazil from May 25 to May 27 at the EXPO CENTRE NORTE-BRAZIL, SÃO PAULO/SP.
“For 12 years, our brand has consistently presented works of more than 1200 emerging and established designers to a global audience in London, one of the fashion capitals of the world.
“AFWN, being one of the fashion pillars in Africa that fills the gap and brings African and non-African designers to the limelight is moving to Brazil to extend the heritage,” she said.
The cultural ambassador to Queen Moremi Initiative added that the Brazil expo would be an encouragement and promotion for new designers who do not have the resources to present their collections.
“The event also brings together established designers, promoting interaction between generations, brand activation, industry innovation, workshops, B2B, B2C, export, import, and private meeting with investors.
“The Fashion Week in Brazil is a tool to combat structural racism that still keeps the London and African Fashion Week Nigeria circuit.
“The AFWN, which was founded in 2011, is in its 13th edition, while the 9th edition in Nigeria and the 1st Edition in Brazil in May.
“Africa fashion week Brazil is an expansion of Africa Fashion Week London and Nigeria. We have been promoting African designers in the West for 13 years.
She said the existence of AFWN is to increase the awareness and visibility of designers of African heritage, providing an accessible platform for them to access global markets.
“It is our first time of showcasing African designers in South America and our aim is to showcase about 25 designers.
“At the moment, we have designers from Nigeria, Tanzania, Cameroon, South Africa, Congo, the Caribbean, and Afro-Brazilian designers.
”His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who is the ambassador of Africa Fashion Week will be in attendance with a delegation of royals and dignitaries.
” We’ll be having important personalities as well as our partners in Brazil under the leadership of the Businesswoman, Silvana Saraiva,” she said.
Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, also cultural ambassador to Queen Moremi Ajasoro noted that almost 90 million people of Yoruba ancestry live in Brazil and were deeply involved in the African Cultural promotion.
“The residents in Brazil, having a Yoruba ancestry will be exposed to the similar cultural expo that would bring together African export and import, private investors.
“Our Adire Textile Exhibition would be positioned in a unique fashion as a non-oil export.
”Accessibility, Inclusion, Diversity, and Sustainability are the themes for Africa fashion week Brazil,” she said.
