ARISE L’Afrique-À-Porter: MOMO//PHOTOS

Alas, Arise L'Afrique-A-Porter has come and gone...but weep not, for we've got some photos! The fabulous folks at MOMO sent these to us a few hours ago. As always, we're really enthralled by the sheer talent that's coming out of Africa and MOMO's certainly one of the frontrunners.

MOMO's five pieces captured the spirit of effortless sophistication and charm with doses of opulence and all things luxe. Fur took its place alongside jacquard as ultra feminine cuts remained the focal point of each piece. Hems were short, floral print, metallics, and black stole the show and the pieces were easy to slip on and wear with minimal fuss or premeditation.

MOMO's latest press release gives an insight into the composition of the pieces, including key details one might miss by simply looking at the photos as opposed to seeing them "in person": 

Fati Asibelua’s capsule collection of sophisticated dresses speaks to the elegant, refined woman who appreciates the finest quality fabrics and finishing.  Staying true to her design aesthetic of mixing African patterns with modern, contemporary shapes, the collection is an eclectic blend of traditional couture brocades and jacquards in black and navy with metallic threading and a splash of pink.  The shapes are bold in graphic drapes with sharp silhouettes.  By contrast, the finishings are delicate sheer organza linings and silk georgette bindings.  “I have always had a passion for opulent fabrics.  For this collection, I have given a modern interpretation of a traditional African print with a very luxe result,” said Asibelua.  Audience favorites for this season’s must have luxe fur trend from Momo were the plush fox fur coat with leopard spots or the mink chubby with grommets.  

There you have it. Here are more photos:

[MOMO's head designer Fati Asebuela with her designs]

We'd wear each and everyone of them in a heartbeat! 

Many thanks to the fabulous super efficient team at MOMO! Which pieces stood out for you?

XO

ARISE L’Afrique-À-Porter: The full list of designers!

[Model wears a look from Eric Raisina at Arise Promise of Africa collective last summer]

o o o

Thanks to ifashion, we now have the full list of designers showing at ARISE L'Afrique-A-Porter this Friday. We've brought you press releases from Tiffany Amber [Nigeria], Jewel by Lisa [Nigeria], and MOMO [Nigeria], and in this post, we added Kluk CGDT [South Africa], Lunar [South Africa] and Clive Rundle [South Africa] to the list. ifashion.com tells us that the following designers will also be making appearances:

David Tlale [South Africa; our guess was right!]

Eyola [Nigeria]

Eric Raisina [Madagascar] and

Christie Brown [Ghana]

So there you have it! 10 designers, 5 pieces each and 50 looks we can't wait to see! Which designer's work are you most looking forward to seeing?

XO 

ARISE L’Afrique-À-Porter: Press Release//MOMO

Happy Monday, folks :-) We have another ARISE L'Afrique-A-Porter press release to share with you from out-of-Nigeria/Africa brand, MOMO. The line-up is gearing up to be very exciting indeed!

[MOMO's creative director, Fati Asebuela]

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Press Release
For Immediate Release

Momo: African Luxe at Paris Fashion Week

Abuja, Nigeria 01 March, 2010.  After showing on the runways in New York and London, Momo takes the stage during the prestigious Paris Fashion week.  Selected as one of Africa’s brightest design talents as part of the Arise L’Afrique, Fati Asibelua, the creative force behind Momo will present her Fall 2010 / 2011 Collection in the form of an artistic fashion installation on Friday, the 5^thof March.  

Fati Asibelua is “one of Africa’s most talked about design talents,” according to Vogue UK, and has become a major force in the Nigerian fashion industry building Momo into one of the continent’s most influential and sought after fashion brands.  Worn on international runways by some of the world’s most renowned models including Alek Wek, Liya Kebede and Chanel Iman, Momo embodies elegant, timeless designs that celebrate the femininity of a woman.

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[Contestant wears a design by MOMO at the recent MNET Face of Africa finale]

XO

PRESS RELEASE: JEWEL BY LISA TO SHOW AT PARIS FASHION WEEK

[A model in a dress from Jewel By Lisa's Spring 2010 collection]

Just the other day we were speculating as to whether or not Jewel By Lisa  would be one of the 10 brands showing at Arise L'Afrique-A-Porter. Great news! We speculated in the right direction! Here's a press release we've just received from the fabulous design house:

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For Immediate Release

26th February 2010

Coveted African-inspired luxury label, Jewel by Lisa is set to showcase a new and exciting capsule collection of five looks at the Arise L’afrique á Porter A/W 2010/11 Press Presentation in Paris, France on the 5^th of March 2010. The press and cocktail event will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris and will form part of the activities of the Fédération Française de la Couture, du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode Fédération. For the collection, the label has fused the global print Ankara with other luxury fabrics of choice and has created a collection that speaks sophisticated cool. Jewel by Lisa continues to set the pace for African inspired design led fashion.  2010 is set to be a thrilling year for the design label as it will begin stocking at a prestigious luxury boutique in Los Angeles, California. In 2009 the label began creating its own luxury fabrics: Inspired by colour, print, and pattern, lines and shapes are merged to create a juxtaposition of retro and modern. Furthermore, the label is set to launch the super luxe label, Jewel by Lisa Privé, as well as the diffusion label jbylisa. 

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Uhm, Jewel by Lisa? Los Angeles? GET OUT OF HERE!!!! Seriously though, JBL has created quite the brand and following and if there's anyone whose clothes have a worldwide appeal, it's definitely Jewel by Lisa. JBL is destined for continued success and many more firsts and this is such a proud moment for us :-) ABSOLUTELY excited for her and her team!

 Read our previous Jewel by Lisa posts here.

XO

ARISE L’Afrique-À-Porter: Who else is showing?

[A model wears a piece from Clive Rundle's Summer 2008/9 Collection at SA Fashion Week]

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We already know Tiffany Amber's set to showcase her work at Arise L'Afrique-A-Porter at Paris Fashion Week next month, but who else will be joining her? Thanks to this TimesLive article, we can answer that question in part:

- A total of 10 designers will be showing at the event

- They were informed about a week ago [eek!]

- They'll each be required to create 5 outfits

- The designers include Tiffany Amber [Nigeria], Kluk CGDT [South Africa], Lunar [South Africa], Clive Rundle [South Africa] and 6 others whose names we'll bring to you as soon as we have them.

Any guesses? David Tlale? Jewel By Lisa? Ituen Basi? We wait and see.

XO

PRESS RELEASE: TIFFANY AMBER TO SHOW AT PARIS FASHION WEEK

[Tiffany Amber at the recent Mnet Face of Africa Finale in Lagos, Nigeria]

This just in! We mentioned earlier this year that the Arise Magazine team would be taking the show to Paris [we even put up a photo of Folake Folarin-Coker of Tiffany Amber to accompany the post - prophetic much? Ha!]...and now, here's the inside scoop. Many thanks to Tiffany Amber's PR team for this:

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For Immediate Release

22^nd February 2010 

With Love from Lagos: Tiffany Amber to show at ARISE L’Afrique- À-Porter Fall 2010/2011

Event in Paris

ARISE Africa Designer of the Year 2009/2010 Tiffany Amber will be showcasing a new collection during the Prêt-à-Porter Fall 2010/2011 Paris Fashion Week. Tiffany Amber is part of a collective of African designers who will participate in the ARISE L’Afrique-À-Porter Fall 2010/2011 press presentation and cocktail event.

This is an exciting new chapter for renowned Nigerian fashion label, Tiffany Amber which is headed by designer and creative director, Folake Folarin-Coker. Since inception in 1998, Tiffany Amber has established a firm place as one of the most respected and commercially successful fashion labels in Africa.

While details on the collection are under wraps, it will be a capsule collection featuring five looks.

The ARISE L’Afrique- À-Porter Fall 2010/2011 event will take place on the 5^th of March 2010 in Paris, France and will form part of the activities of the Fédération Française de la Couture, du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode Fédération. It will be listed in the Winter-Fall 2010/2011 guide as sent out by the Fédération. The purpose of this event is to introduce designers from Africa to the media, buyers and the Fédération.

In 2009, Tiffany Amber became the first African designer to ever show twice at New York Fashion Week. Both New York Fashion Week collections were extremely well received and lauded by publications including Women’s Wear Daily, the New York Post, style.com and essence.com 2010 is another exciting year for Tiffany Amber. The label created a couture dress for the Face of Africa 2010 finale held in February 2010. In addition to participating in Paris Fashion Week, the label will be launching its highly anticipated diffusion line, TAN later in the year.

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