Representatives from Africa Fashion International (AFI), organizers of the Africa Fashion Week (AFW) have briefed Ghanaian fashion designers on the annual showcase of African fashion and designing talents. In the one day forum held at the Oak Plaza Hotel in Accra, was to introduce the fashion week to Ghanaian designers and outline the requirements for partaking in the various activities during the event.

Lorato Liphuko, the Fashion Liaison Officer for African Fashion International, took the designers through the process of producing clothes that would qualify for next year’s fashion week, highlighting the need to stay trendy and relevant on the global market. She told the designers to focus on ‘ready-wear’ designs because that is more saleable.

Ghanaian designers Christie Brown and QumiBespoke will be representing Ghana at Africa Fashion Week this year. They will join some of the world’s leading African Fashion designers from across the continent and Diaspora to showcase the finest contemporary African design at the second annual Africa Fashion Week in Johannesburg. The exquisite collections of 33 designers will feature in 19 runway shows from 30 June – 3 July, before an influential audience of international buyers, media, World Cup guests, VIPs and celebrities.

The significance of this fashion summit is critical for African Fashion International (AFI) chairperson Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe “Africa Fashion Week (AFW) is potentially the most important platform for the African fashion industry, being perfectly positioned to promote African designers globally.”

It is rare, in fact completely unique, to have all the leading voices in African Fashion in one place, at one time, in one country. Those voices will give expression to Africa’s fashion future at a two-day seminar that runs alongside the runway shows; and that will examine ways of strengthening the burgeoning African Fashion industry, debating an African aesthetic and building a global network.

For the designers, their collections will not just be confined to the catwalk; they will be available for purchase on site, along with ready-to-wear garments, at the first ever AFI Fashion boutique which will be open for the month of June.

On the eve of Africa Fashion Week itself, the AFI boutique will launch online as a permanent shop specializing in African fashion from across the globe, with collections available immediately after their catwalk showing.

And when the talking and viewing is done, acknowledgement will be given to the leading lights of the industry at the second AFI African Fashion Awards on 5 July 2010. Highlighting industry excellence and outstanding contributions by fashion industry members of African descent world-wide the awards are a platform that will help take African fashion across the continent and to the world.