Windhoek
Classic Fashion Namibia designer, Mc Bright Kavari, is leaving for Adis Ababa, Ethiopia tomorrow to showcase his collections at the African Fashion Reception next Tuesday until Thursday.
The fashion show has been organised by African Union Commission and McBright will be joining other top designers from 30 African countries. He says he will be showcasing a combination of male and female collections representing Namibia’s landscapes.
Representing the country is a great exposure and he is very excited and honoured by what he considers a big opportunity.
Activities take place as part of the fashion show include an international press conference next Tuesday; an African Fashion Business Summit and Exhibition by participating countries next Wednesday and the gala event next Thursday. The collections of all participating countries will be showcased at the gala evening.
McBright says he will also take this opportunity to attend workshops and network with other designers and find away to tackle the African fashion markets in order for it to grow better.
Mc Bright who have been showcasing in different countries such as Germany, Kenya and Nigeria, adds that being in Ethiopia for this event will boost his opportunity to be a best designer in the country. The Africa Fashion Reception is a Pan African initiative. This year’s event will gather fashion designers, dignitaries, diplomatic envoys and media from over 30 African countries, in a celebration of cultural diversity expressed through the artistic fashion discipline with the proud theme, Africa is the New Inspiration of Global Fashion.
The goals of the Africa Fashion Reception include building bridges by creating free trade and partnerships among fashion practitioners throughout the African continent; attract global attention to Africa’s very rich and diversified dress culture which can be explored as a catalyst for the social economic growth of the continent’s garment/textile industry; and to expand the potential power of fashion as a tool of fighting poverty in Africa by creating wealth through the empowerment of women and youths in the various fashion vocations. This empowerment is through training, capacity building schemes, workshops and the setting up of medium/small scale businesses thereby supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union Agenda 2063.
The Africa Fashion Reception was officially launched in Paris in 2013 with the participation of 16 African countries and the second edition saw participants from 24 countries. The African Fashion Business Summit, the first of its kind, is themed Creating Wealth for African Economies through its Fashion, Garment and Textile Industry. After the first edition, all participating countries will be presented at the international edition of the African Fashion Reception in Paris at the end of next month.
The CEO of African Fashion Reception, Lexy Mojo-Eyes, says the textile, garment and fashion industry all over the world is reputed to be the highest employer of labour after government. “It led to the industrial revolution and infrastructural development in America, Europe and the Asian countries at different times. It can also be a catalyst for Africa’s economic revolution,” he has been quoted as saying.
Adding that, with over 1.2 billion people, Africa must learn how to do business with itself before venturing out.
Meantime, McBright will also be hosting his own show home at the Protea Hotel Thuringerhof to re-showcase his collections that he would have showcased in Addis Ababa. He will also be showcasing his garments under the theme ‘Mixed and Match’. “To this show, I have invited one of the top world models, Pius Okaba, who will be training and teaching models who will be showcasing his collections on how to model,” he says, adding that, Melisa Poulton will also be showcasing her garments.