On Sunday, December 2, Fashion Week Studio Inc. International launched its first African showcase, Pan African Luxury, at Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town.
Pan African Luxury is a collection of some of Africa’s top designers to be presented in NYC, Paris and Milan in 2024, showcasing African designers as luxury while developing brands alongside international designers.
Amélie Pimont, Fashion Week Studio director who is based in Los Angeles, directed the fashion show in Cape Town, which was attended by the likes of Nathanaëlle Hottois Galetlole, founder and owner of Fashion Week Studio Inc., whose mission it is to get African designers to showcase on global platforms.
“We have 3 upcoming shows to prepare for 2024, starting in Paris, Milan and New York and through the Pan African Luxury group launch, we hope to pave the way for more African designers to showcase their work to the world,” said Galetlole.
The designers who participated in the showcase include Belle Togs by Keke Moeca, a seasoned fashion designer based in Gauteng; Molebatsi, a Xhosa and Tswana cultures-inspired brand owned by South Africa’s designer couple fashion designer Jessica Jane and film producer/ actor Wandile Molebatsi; Christopher Emef, a contemporary menswear brand owned by Christopher Emefiele, a British Nigerian fashion designer, born in the UK of Nigerian descent; and, Sarayya, a clothing line by Safiètou Seck, a fashion designer from Dakar, Senegal.
Belle Togs showcased their “Dinaledi” collection, which debuted at Paris Fashion Week in September 2023.
“Dinaledi SS24 is a range that’s inspired by the winding journey of creativity and reaching for the stars. The African night sky shines bright.
“There is beauty in the coexistence of brightness and darkness that gives birth to hope. That little spark that always evokes positivity.
“This show is curated to not only give hope to the hopeless, but to ignite that flame in you to reach for the Dinaledi (stars) in the same way we at Belle Togs always have,” said Moeca.
Molebatsi combined two of their best collections, Noluthando and Rakgadi, which consist of stunning Shweshwe prints pieces with a Scottish twist.
All the designers will showcase at three major global fashion shows in 2024.