Sustainable fashion took centre stage at this year's Dakar Fashion Week. It is the 21st edition of the annual showcase of African fashion.
Sustainable fashion on show at Dakar Fashion Week
Models present creations by Senegal designer Adama Paris during Dakar fashion in Dakar, Senegal, on December 9, 2023.
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CARMEN ABD ALI/AFP or licensors
The launch took place in the presence of a dozen designers from Senegal and the sub-region.
Adama Amanda Ndiaye, better known as Adama Paris, Senegalese fashion designer and founder of Dakar Fashion Week, said that sustainability was their agenda in this year's event.
"What's new this year is that for four or five years now during Dakar Fashion Week we've been helping designers who make sustainable, recycled fashion. And this year, their collective will be taking part in the main fashion show, so I'm very proud of them. And then, of course, innovation, it's always the designers, they're always innovative and new. We've got Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa, Congo, we've got lots of nationalities. I'm very happy with this diversity," said Adama Ndiaye, the organizer of Dakar Fashion Week.
Adama Paris spoke of the importance of Dakar Fashion Week as a platform for promoting and celebrating African creativity in fashion. She highlighted the diversity of emerging talent and "invites the major designers to support the growth, success and international visibility of these 'newborns'".
Speaking to the press, Adama Paris shared her pride at having seen Dakar Fashion Week evolve over the years, becoming a must-attend event for fashion enthusiasts from here and abroad. As usual, Adama Paris doesn't set any particular theme for these designers, leaving them free to express their creativity.
" Adama has put the spotlight on young Senegalese designers. She's used to saying that there are no young designers, all the designers are great, but these are designers who didn't have the opportunity to be known, but they have a talent that everyone can see through their creations," said Massamba Ndiongue, a Senegalese designer.
Given the situation that has plagued the country for some time, with irregular migration, lack of jobs and unemployment, Adama Paris calls on young people to become entrepreneurs. She emphasizes the importance of empowering African fashion designers and preserving artisanal traditions, not forgetting the economic and cultural impact of the fashion industry in Africa. For her, "Dakar Fashion Week" is not just for designers, but also for artisans and shoemakers.