eThekwini Municipality:Afrocentricity at the Durban Fashion Fair
2013-08-22
A splash of African colour and style will come to the Durban Fashion Fair on August 24 when celebrated Ghanaian designer, Mina Evans and her namesake brand take to the runway at the much anticipated fashion extravaganza.
Mina Evans will join Italian design house Diego M as the big names of the night.
Sindi Shangase, Business Support Program Manager for the eThekwini Municipality Business Support, Tourism and Markets Unit, said Evans had been specially invited to participate in the Durban Fashion Show alongside big names such as Craig Jacobs, Gavin Rajah, Colleen Eitzen and Terrence Bray, amongst others.
Although she studied in both the United Kingdom and South Africa, Durban Fashion Fair will be the first time that Evans has participated in a major South African fashion event. “This is my first time showing in South Africa and in Durban, although it is not first time visiting! I am honoured to have been invited and I am really looking forward to checking out the fashion scene in Durban. I think it’s a beautiful city and can’t wait to show!†she said.
“Mina Evans exemplifies just what a truly professional African designer can bring to the international fashion scene and will certainly be an inspiration to the new designers who will show their creations to both national and international fashionistas for the very first time,†Shangase said.
The Mina Evans brand was formally launched in 2010 with the inaugural Jewels & Tulle collection captured by the popular lifestyle show “Studio 53â€. Influenced by Ghana’s veteran fashion designer, Kofi Ansah, Mina Evans exhibits a love for fusing luxurious fabrics and intricate handpicked embellishments to produce feminine, stylish and flawless pieces that are wearable time after time. The brand is readily identified by its signature tie-dyed fabrics and bold colours.
Evans lists winning the Glitz Emerging designer of the Year at Glitz Africa Fashion Week, showing at Vlicso Be Your Dream Awards Night and showing at Ghana Fashion and Design Week last year as career highlights.
“I think there is tremendous potential in Africa. We need to look past what’s in front of us. What other textiles can we use? Are we presenting something that cannot already be purchased in Europe? There are eyes on Africa and it is up to us to make our products competitive because we are definitely bringing something different into the mix,†she says.
The Durban Fashion Fair will be held from August 22 to 25 at the Durban Exhibition Centre and will showcase unique garments created by Durban’s design talents â€" from new designers who are just finding their feet on the catwalk to emerging talents who were treated to an internship in Milan, one of the fashion capitals of Europe, following Durban Fashion Fair 2012. Ten newcomers will be selected for a similar internship this year.
The four day Durban Fashion Fair includes workshops, shows and a buyers' lounge. It will culminate in a sale of garments seen on the ramps on Sunday, 25th August.
Tickets to the exciting fashion shows at the Durban Exhibition Centre are now on sale through Computicket at just R100 per person per show and R50 for students per show.
