MISS BB FEATURES
Showcasing The Best Of Africa
This year we are bringing Africa to London!
Showcasing an array of African inspired outfits for Miss Black Britain 2009 are nine incredibly talented designers known as Chichia London, Nkwo, Afro-Chique, Lanyero, Bot-I-Am, Geometric Designs and N’Damus Bags.
The ladies wear brand Chichia London was established in 2007 by the incredibly talented London based designer Christine Mhando. Born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania but raised in London, Christine has taken influences from both continents and cultures and translated them into her own unique quirky style of clothing.
Also dressing the finalists of Miss Black Britain 2009 is Lanyero. Lanyero was established, with the collection “The African Ballerina”. The African Ballerina brings together by the use of lace, tulle, college, creativity, love, fun and style. Currying over from The African Ballerina, Lanyero’s latest collection brings together rich vibrant colours, beautiful prints and creative use of fabrics with piece wearable in various way.
Samantha-Jane of Geometric Designs has always had an eye for fashion and clothing. Her ideal is not to follow fashion but to tailor it to suit her individual taste, shape and style. Born and raised in Liverpool and of African heritage, she started customising clothing from a young age and growing up around a beautiful array of African fabrics; self-taught Samantha-Jane has linked these qualities and features to birth Geometric Designs by Samantha-J
Geometric Designs brings you a unique experience where Africa meets Europe through the wonderful blend of traditional African print and woven cottons with a touch of Eurocentric style.
Working alongside Geometric designs, is N’Damus Bags. N’DamusLondon is a unique leather handbag & accessories business started by London based designer of Nigerian heritage Nneka Onyenakala. Nneka combines abstract shapes, curves, folds, contrasting yet complimentary colours and textures in leather and African wax to achieve beautiful, unique and quality pieces that are befitting to all occasions.
Another talented designer showcasing their beautiful work in one of the most anticipated events of the year is the very talented and creative Afro-Chique. Afro-Chique designs ready-to-wear women's clothing that combines the cultural identity of African prints with the stylish influence of contemporary London. Each piece is created with attention to detail, resulting in bold, well-defined feminine designs.
Afro-Chique produces a fantastic range of clothing and accessories that have the prowess of Caribbean attitude, expressed with colours and fabrics native to the African continent.
The current Autumn/Winter collection is inspired by the natural earth tones in relation to this season. This inspiration is used in the design and material selection to create timeless items that capture the beauty of autumn whilst allowing the lady to feel elegant. Afro-Chique confirms that modern femininity is about strength, identity and attitude.
Also dressing our beautiful finalists will be Bot-I-Am. Bot-I-Am are Influenced by the elegance of the 20s and 50s, and the relaxed trends of the 60s we fused this with the modern cuts of the 21st Century. Their designs mainly promote the use of the beautiful bold wax African prints so as to create an assault on the visual senses.
Last but certainly not least we have the beautiful creations of Nkwo. She states her work all started with an obsession with dolls and a mother who taught her how to sew.
The clothes are free-spirited and nomadic, inspired by the wild freedom and innovation of the '60s and '70s and fused with African influences. This blend has produced a new and exciting style called 'Afro-Bohemian Chic'. Her collections merge Afrocentric sensibilities with a broadly commercial style and athough Nkwo does not adhere to a particular fashion trend,the extreme fusions create novelty and change along with a wide global appeal. The collection debuted at the prestigious Kulture2Couture 2007 where NKWO won the coveted Phoenix Award presented by the Mayor of London's office in conjunction with the V&A Musuem.
You’ve seen the talent! Come and join us on November 14th to see our beautiful finalists strut their stuff in the hottest African inspired outfits; created by none other than London best African inspired designers.
