WINDHOEK-Namibian brilliant Fashion Designer Nikola Conradie reached another milestone when she recently presented her latest collections and garments at the Berlin Fashion Week that ended on on Sunday.
Nikola showcased her collection titled Love Africa, at a fashion dinner in Berlin on January 17. Her colourful collections was manipulated and inspired by African cultural attires left a strong impression in Berlin. The Berlin Fashion Week was organised by the Africa Fashion Day Berlin (AFDB), as part of the Mercedes Benz Berlin Fashion Week, which has become an exciting meeting point for fashion enthusiasts, designers, buyers, trade experts and media from all over the world. The fashion dinner, where Nikola showcased her garments, served as a platform for emerging and established designers from Africa to exhibits their best works. According to Dr. Mekondjo Kaapanda-Girnus, the Commercial Counsellor in Namibian Embassy in Germany, the showcasing of the collections represented a thrilling fusion of traditional and contemporary styles and demonstrated a sophisticated use of fabric, colour and texture. “The designers were also able to network with fashion buyers and members of the press,” says Kaapanda-Girnus.
Nikola describes the fashion dinner as “a great international platform which was unique in its intimate and exclusive character”.
Berlin is fast developing a reputation as an emerging fashion capital with an international orientation and a real appetite for new trends, ideas and styles. Dr. Kaapanda-Girnus says Berlin provides a great opportunity for budding African designers who want to raise their profile, market their products to an international audience and explore new retail opportunities. “Berlin is just a good example of how creative industries can be a key driving force behind economic development. Tens of thousands of people are employed by the creative sector of this city. There’s a lot that Namibian designers can learn here about what it takes to establish a successful brand and business,” she says.
She adds that, Namibia has tremendous creative assets and rich cultural resources, which can be translated into successful businesses that are regionally and internationally competitive. “The participation of designers like Conradie in international fashion events is encouraging and is part of a larger drive of African creative talents to access global markets and increase their share in the global creative industry,” she concludes.
By Pinehas Nakaziko