Danfo Yellow Collection

 

The Danfo Collection is new Fashion line from an up and coming designer Deborah Jesunami. This multi-talented designer who is the Creative Director at Illustrative Fashion Studio is also a Fashion Illustrator and Designer.

Her new collection inspired by bright yellow color of Lagos Danfo buses
is dominant in this particular line.

According to her"...There are things that makes Lagos a bright and unique city and one of them is the yellow buses popularly called Paragon or Danfo,These buses characters says a lot about what Lagos holds dear like her drive, tenacity, Panache, Excellence, Class, and if I may add her

resilience,These on-the-go qualities of the Danfo inspires/birth this urban African collection. The Danfo Yellow collection is definitely a street style for every woman..."

This time around I decided to design a collection from illustration portfolio titled
DANFO YELLOW COLLECTION

Photo Credit

Design Label & Designer : @illustrativefashion / @deborah_jesunami

Photography : @dmobphotography

Makeup & Hair : @adornbyayaoba

Models : @imforevertobi & @kingijeeonuma

Studio : @ahamibeleme

AYISSI NGA Joseph-Marie aka JJ DU STYLE is a fashion designer who creates very chic street wear. The French/Cameroonian designer whose father was a tailor, has decided to follow the footsteps of pioneer Cameroonian fashion designers such as Imane Ayissi and Martial Topolo by creating his own clothing line called 'WAZAL' which was launched in 2005.  In 2006, he launched his first designs which are worn by some celebrities such as SINGUILA, Alpeco, WAYNE BECKFORD, ROMARIC Koffi and Lalcko. His brand "WAZAL" is a blend of  “WAZA”, the name of a natural park in the extreme north of Cameroon and the letter “L” which stands for Lion, the Cameroonian symbol. The natural park symbolizes respect, while the lion symbolizes power. Article Courtesy of TalkmediaAfrica

Mustafa Hassanali

According to his website "...Designer Mustafa Hassanali, a celebrated name in Tanzania pursues fashion as a religion. His personable and affable demeanour in parallel with his bohemian work of art has made him amidst the premier and popular designers in Tanzania..."

MATAANO

According to their website ".....Born to Somali parents and raised in both their native country and Washington DC, identical twins Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim are anything but ordinary. Having fled Somalia at the age of nine to escape the country’s civil war, both Idyl and Ayaan completed their college education at University of Michigan and Boston University, respectively, before making the bold move to Manhattan where they aimed to stand out from the rest in the world of fashion and design. Experiencing the industry from the ground up through careful study and practice, they slowly crafted their talent, weaving their cultural influence throughout each meticulously designed piece in their studio with only distant dreams of launching a collection..."

"...In 2008, the Mohallim sisters took their first step together, launching a new brand, Mataano (meaning “twins” in Somali) and furnishing a platform to express their vision and bring forth their creations to the marketplace. Mataano’s premier Spring 2009 collection launched in New York City on November 1, 2008 featuring a boutique preview of ten dresses, many of which received notice in the industry. Oprah Winfrey, the queen of daytime television, invited both siblings onto a recent show via Skype featuring the Olsen twins and young millionaire moguls. Paralleling their success with the Olsen sisters, Oprah lauded the duo for their inspiring story and much deserved success, and gave them the national credibility that will undoubtedly launch Mataano as an emerging brand with a rich cultural heritage...."

Photos courtesy of Mataano

Chinedesign

"...Chinedesign was founded by Chinedu Ukabam four years ago. Today,Chinedesign-apparel has expanded from just graphic T's to skirts, dresses and jackets which are widely available in Toronto, Vancouver and Nova Scotia; while a Toronto store is currently in the works..."

Born in the UK and raised in Nigeria, Chinedu has lived many parts of the world which include Dubai and Canada have played a part in inspiring how he designs.

Chinedesign is a fashion design outfit founded by multi talented Chinedu Ukabam who is also a music producer.
In a recent interview conducted by Spectrum women we asked Chinedu the following questions about his work;

Q.What inspired you to become a fashion designer?

I have always been into fashion and clothes but I did not set out to become a fashion designer. I kind of stumbled into it. Music was my first passion: I produce, write and perform. About four years ago, I designed and produced a few t-shirts to promote my upcoming album called Love.Life.Music. It was a relatively simple design based on a newspaper article about me. The response was great. I sold about 300 of those shirts within a few months then people started asking me what my next design was going to be or when my fashion show was taking place. Initially, I had no grand vision of what I was trying to do with my clothing label or what sort of impact I wanted to make in the fashion world, I just made it up as I went along. I am still learning and feeling my way around.

Q.Are your designs slightly influenced by Urban Hip Hop Culture?

Hip-hop culture definitely influences my designs, from the themes I explore in some of the graphic tees all the way to my "cut, paste and manipulate" process of designing garments which to me is a lot like sampling in hip-hop production. In addition to hip-hop, I am also inspired by Japanese culture and Nigerian Nollywood films. My upcoming Gold Standard line is influenced by Victorian fashion trends and Prep-school uniforms. I am open to anything that ignites my creativity.

Q.Do You plan to host a 2008 fashion show?

I am definitely going to be having a few shows in 2008. All my fashion shows have been in Toronto, Canada but next year the plan is to reach New York, London, Los Angeles...

Q.Do you see what your currently doing in the fashion industry inspiring other African kids in diaspora into doing their own thing?

I hope so. Inspiration is cyclical. I am inspired by African designers such as Moshood and Deola Sagoe and in turn I hope someday I will be able to inspire others.

Q.Is going into fashion accessories something you might consider in the future?

My fall collection has some amazing belts in it and this October we'll be launching a line of ties and scarves called Deez Knots which is a joint partnership with Sophia Ho. I am very excited about Deez Knots and I can't wait for you to see what we are working on. We want to revolutionize the way people perceive and wear ties.

Q.What type of fabric do you prefer to work with.

I work with anything I can. Sometimes the fabric itself inspires the garment. I love the loud Ankara textile designs from West Africa and last year, I made Kimonos out of them. This year, I took the classic hounds tooth pattern, altered it so that it fades into a solid color and silk screened it onto neon-bright t-shirts and tank tops. I like to re-imagine fabrics. Make them do something different from what they are supposed to. Right now nothing looks better than raw selvage denim. That's what I am feeling right now.

Photos are courtesy of Chinedesign

Craig Native

According to his website Native is a streetwear brand launched by Craig Native in 2000, who derives from the Cape Flats in South Africa. Historically these area were plagued by apartheid and poverty in the old political system. A diverse mix of cultures mixed with ghetto lifestyle and improvisation in everyday life, is what led to the birth of Native.

Graphics are the big part of the collection and are derived from very African iconic images like wild animals, vegetables, African tribes and particularly everyday life in South African society..."

Photos courtesy of Craig Native.