The Ethical Fashion Initiative and Pitti Immagine have joined forces to put four mens designers on show at the 88th edition of Pitti Uomo in Florence on June 18.
Four designers: Nigerian Adebayo Oke-Lawal’s ORANGE CULTURE, South African Laduma Ngxokolo of MAXHOSA By Laduma, Angolan Tekasala Ma’at Nzinga & Shunnoz Fiel of PROJECTO MENTAL and Ivorian/British designer Alexis Temomanin of DENT DE MAN will be introduced to the global fashion community through Pitti’s “Guest Nation” initiative.
“The distinctive couture touch of African designers is resulting in some new men’s wear brands that are very innovative. In my opinion it is in men’s wear that we will see the most radical innovation from Africa,” said ETI head Simone Cipriani in an interview with BACO.
MaXhosa by Laduma, South Africa
A regular at Johannesburg Fashion Week, Laduma Ngxokolo is a knitwear designer, who is greatly inspired by the costumery of the Xhosa people, a South African tribe that counts Nelson Mandela among its most notable members. Rooted in a great oral tradition, strong visual elements are the cornerstone of Laduma’s designs.
Dent de Man, Ivory Coast & UK
Half Ivorian, half British designer Alexis Temomanin mixes European sartorial finesse with the whimsical imagery of the Ivory Coast. His brand prides itself on the use of vintage fabrics and ancient printing techniques. His collaboration with Dutch print manufacturer Vlisco has helped him tap into their century-old archive.
Orange Culture, Nigeria
Designed by Adebayo Oke-Lawal, Orange Culture was selected as a “Vogue Talent for Africa” brand and as a finalist in the 2014 editon of the “LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize.” Founded in 2011, Oke-Lawal’s brand incorporates traditional Nigerian prints and fabrics into his contemporary, casual collections.
Projecto Mental, Angola
Founded in 2004 by Shunnoz Fiel and Tekasala Ma’at Nzinga, Projecto Mental emerged from the ruin of Angola’s civil war with the mission of putting the mineral-rich nation’s creativity on the map. Striking colors aand patterns are mixed with classic European styles.
