Congolese Designers Display Pure Talent

Despite the ongoing political standoff between the government and the opposition, hundreds of Congolese people spared some time to attend the sixth edition of Congo Fashion Week held at Pullman Grand Hotel in the DR Congo’s capital Kinshasa last week.

The event, which took place from 11 to 14 October, is a platform designed to celebrate Congolese fashion designers by showcasing their creative talent to both local and international audiences.

Last week’s four-day event brought together fifteen Congolese fashion designers,including the popular fashion creator Zoe Eleng’Art, who got a rare opportunity to sell their fashion ideas and items to the rest of the world.

From renowned designers to upcoming stylists, the event was a perfect rendezvous for Congolese fashion artists.

The event featured an array of electrifying activities, including runway shows and exhibitions by local stylists.

Taking Congolese Fashion Global

Through the different catwalk shows, exhibitions and fashion talks, the annual event offers an ideal opportunity for the public, the media and retailers to discover the amazing fashion designs and trends in Congo and the African industry in general.

CFW event, which was founded by a Congolese Media consultant Marie-France Idikayi in 2011, helps to promote the unique Congolese fashion while giving the emerging and already established designers access to both local and international markets.

It’s a fairly new concept in the Democratic Republic of Congo born out of the desire to expose the country’s fashion to the world. As the fashion industry continues to grow, Idikayi hopes to use the annual fashion event to put Congo on the map.

She says the event is intended to not just showcase fashion items on the runway, but to also enable Congo achieve its dream of becoming a regional fashion hub.

CFW also plans to begin hosting fashion events with international stylists, media and buyers. These shows will include show room expos, allowing designers to display their work beside the traditional catwalk shows.

This, they hope, will offer an opportunity for professional exchanges between local and internationally-acclaimed fashionistas while creating a direct link between designers and buyers.

by Fredrick Ngugi
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