African Fashion in the T- dot O and the Skinny Bi*sh

So it has been about two weeks since I arrived in Toronto and I have finally had the opportunity to meet with a fashion blogger. I met with the lovely Brenda, writer of 'Can Never be a Skinny Bi*sh.' We spent a great evening where we ate, we chatted, and I soaked up the insights and experiences of a girl 'in the fashion know' in TO.

After my meeting with Brenda there are a few things that really are apparent...what I now know for sure is that the internet truly has made the world a smaller place! As we discussed our favourite African-inspired designers there were so many commonalities in the brands that we liked from around the globe. Although I am never surprised about the reach of established brands in the marketplace, it was surprising that there was an awareness of the smaller UK brands. Based on Brenda's experience as well as my own it is apparent that as the number of African Fashion and design blogs, websites and magazines continues to grow, it provides greater outlets for those who want to consume the goods to interact and find the african-inspired designs that we desire regardless of where they are sold worldwide.

My other discovery was that there are a few new fashion designers creating waves with their african-inspired designs. In Toronto, young, up-and-coming designers have developed a following both in Canada and abroad, yet, the recognition of their work still remains largely within the 'black/african/caribbean community. The one question which remains to be answered is whether new labels have neglected the mainstream and have not targetted the Canadian fashion magazines etc or whether Canadian fashion has continued to ignore this growing trend. As brands such as Zeena Kay, Andrea Iyamah and Kaela Kay continue to develop it will be interesting to see whether they will break into the mainstream here, in Canada.

As the demand for African brands continues to grow I suspect that there will be a growing want to discover new talent in our own backyard...yet, we shall see what the next few years brings.

Below is an edit of my favourite looks from some of the up-and-coming Canadian designers and some of the great looks featured on the Skinny Bish blog.

PS - To Brenda - It was lovely meeting you again! Thank you for your time and your insight! And from one fashionista to another...lovin your vibe and can't wait to see you in our mefie satchel!

xx mefie uk

Both of the above are by Andrea Iyamah

Dress by Kaela Kay

Dress by Zeena Kay


Brenda's Blog - canneverbeaskinnybish.blogspot.com

www.mefie.co.uk

My first glimpse at African-inspired Fashion in Canada

So it has been just over a week since I braved the cold and returned to Canada and it has been interesting to say the least. I have not yet had a chance to meet with any of the Canadian-African Fashion bloggers or designers etc. Hence, I thought this week I would talk about my observations about the readiness of Canada for mainstream African-inspired fashion versus that which we see in the UK. It really is not a surprise that Canada seems not to have embraced fashion from the continent in the same way as that which is found in the UK. One of the most obvious differences which I think sheds some light on the difference is that the demographic in Canada is very different than that which we see in the UK. Canada has a larger Afro-Caribbean population and the UK has a larger African (directly from the continent) population. Hence, there is less of a buzz, less people to highlight and drive the development forward and therefore it is not surprising that African-inspired design is more disparate on the high streets and in shops versus the UK....that is not to say that Canada is not ready to see something different or experience more pattern and design in its shops just that it is not as prevalent at the moment.

There are a smattering of labels which exist and some..well really just one article written about African Fashion in Canada (a 2009 article about a fundraiser done where Canadian fashion designers used wax prints in their designs to raise funds for HIV/AIDS) but that seems to be it at the moment. The search continues to find out whether the conversation has evolved from a focus on aid (which is important) but it would be interesting to see if there is more of a discussion about development and investment instead.

Overall, Canada is a more conservative market than that which is found in the UK but it is also less competitive than that which is found with our Southern cousins the US (Canadian retail space is less prevalent than that seen in the US hence, it is nearly 50% more productive than the US). It will be interesting to see what the next few weeks brings...the journey continues...

PS - I will try and post some pics of my wintery outfits for the rest of the week!


xx
mefie uk