When I planned to attend the just-ended Fashionista GH shopping festival, I had one agenda: to spot designers with innovative creations. I initially just walked around to ensure that I covered all basis before going around a second time to capture designs and I was a bit disappointed, because out of over 100 designers at the event, I found only seven of them to be innovative: Poqua Poqu, Siba, Selina Beb, AfriqUniq, Ju’fedi, Timeless Trends and The Palette Association.
The market delivers beautiful, colorful things, however, we tend to see the same styles everywhere: print midi skirts, colorful beads, print clutches and others – it’s the same creative pattern and at some point it gets unexciting. Designers need to realize that it is what you do with the prints that makes you stand out. Whatever happened to futuristic, daring styles?
These eight designers, three of whom I have monitored for a period (Siba, Selina Beb, Poqua Poqu), seemed to push themselves a bit further with their designs. I really liked what AfriqUniq did with their shorts, and Timeless Trends’ colorful woven handbags are a must-have. The Palette Association handbag reminded me of designs by the Masai in Kenya – I initially thought the design on the clutch was beaded, only to get closer to realize that it was actually fabric on leather. Ju’fedi’s beaded bags are to die for – I appreciate that there was an effort put into using different color beads to make them. Poqua Poqu’s wooden print bags are incredible! They’re light in weight and very classic and trendy. I love the featured bag by Selina Beb, the style, print design and colors are beautiful and trendy. Siba’s bag collection, though made with print fabrics, always stands out because of the beautiful way she uses beads to outline the designs.