Who Wore What: Michelle Obama in ASOS Africa A/W 2010

The folks at ASOS and SOKO Kenya must be doing backflips. Moments ago, we spotted Mrs. O in her second ASOS Africa piece from their A/W 2010 collection. We featured this jacket November last year and the price has since reduced considerably. Get yours now for $41.73 (down from $137.91). We can't even begin to describe how excited we are.

- SLiq

Photo: LA Times

Collage by Shop Liquorice

*Update* It just occurred to us Mrs. O is also wearing this Fall 2010 Duro Olowu scarf:

Duromania much? :-) [Photo courtesy of Style]

Who Wore What: Michelle Obama in Duro Olowu & ASOS Africa

Since we've been gone, Michelle Obama has had three notable Africa-related moments, two of which have brought her Duro Olowu count to 8 pieces (5 of which she has worn in 2011 alone). We spotted the first look from Duro Olowu's Spring '11 collection on the set of iCarly (above). Her silk knit shirt is currently available in Net-a-Porter's ongoing sale for $392 (down from $980). See a clip of her appearance on iCarly below:

Next up, Michelle Obama arrived in South Africa (she'll also visit Botswana on this trip) wearing Duro Olowu again, this time a piece from his Fall 2010 collection. Naturally, there had been much speculation about whether or not Michelle Obama would support African designers on this trip, and she turns to a tried and tested favourite to end the speculation.

Today, Michelle Obama supported made-in-Kenya label, ASOS Africa, wearing a piece from their Spring 2011 (available here for a little over $60) collection. Regular readers may recall that SOKO Kenya is responsible for the sourcing and production of the ASOS Africa collection, so we can't imagine how wonderful this must be for them. What makes this especially remarkable for us is that we always harp on about how there are many ways to support Africa and Africans, and Michelle Obama shows us that if we can't go high-end, we can certainly go high street. A wonderful testament to Michelle's versatility, and Africa's.

Of course, now we really can't wait to see what she'll wear next. Perhaps one or two more Duro Olowu looks? Suno NY, maybe? A local South African designer? Time will tell.

Shop Duro Olowu online:

Couture Lab

Barneys

Net-a-Porter

- SLiq

Photos:

Mrs. O

Huffington Post

Collages by Shop Liquorice

Love: ASOS Africa

[ASOS Africa F/W 2010, available here]

We first brought news of ASOS's foray into Africa to you way back in February and we've kept tabs on it since then. Now, we all know the high street can be quite "free for all" and it shouldn't come as a surprise that multiple appropriations of Africa have reared their heads in recent times. What we love about ASOS Africa, however, is that it's fashion with a conscience in collaboration with SOKO Kenya, a Kenya-based company responsible for sourcing fabrics and production. Take a look at the inner workings of SOKO Kenya in this short video to see what we mean. Support the Made in Africa movement and support brands that make a real difference (especially if they make cool beaded jackets like the one above).

XO

Africa In The News: ASOS to launch ASOS Africa Feb. 21

Last weekend, we were brainstorming new posts [even though we have a backlog of a hundred thousand posts we haven't published yet!] when we found out about a new initiative from online retailer ASOS called ASOS Africa. In connection with SOKO Kenya, ASOS is set to release ASOS Africa  under its new Green Room initiative ["a new online marketplace which brings together and highlights brands that promote people and the planet"]. According to the Green Room blog, the ASOS Africa collection will be produced "in collaboration with artisans and small communities in Kenya and Tanzania."  We've seen a sneak peek of what to expect - there's a mixture of kanga print [which seems to be catching on quite nicely, thanks to brands like Chichia London and Suno], wax print, and some accessories. Here's the full press release...

[click to enlarge or read it here]

...and here are some pieces from the first collection:

They really are very lovely wardrobe staples! However, since they're pretty affordable and accessible, they could very well prove to be a challenge for higher priced out-of-Africa and Africa-inspired brands with similar pieces. That said, ASOS must be commended for bridging the gap between the demand for African print pieces and the less-than-stellar supply structure that sometimes exists.

Excited about ASOS Africa? Why? Why not?

[Blazer - 70 GBP; Shorts - 40 GBP]

See more pieces here and follow the Green Room blog here to stay connected.

XO