The ARISE MAGAZINE AFRICAN COLLECTIVE - PART III - the fall 2010 collections

TEXT, VIVIAN G KELLY-VAN ZUTPHEN & LAURA WOOD
Saturday night, Feb. 13, backstage at the big Tent, Bryant Park, NYC

WE interviewed NDUKA OBAIGBENA and two of the three designers pre-show.

First up was ANISA MPUNGWE, designer of the LOINCLOTH AND ASHES Collection. We asked her about the unusual name she chose for her company. She was raised in the Anglican Church and chose this biblical reference [Sackcloth & Ashes] which she adapted to her own culture, hence LOINCLOTH and Ashes.
We saw this combination of cultures in one dress with a very subdued, heavily textured fabric. The surprise was the colorful lining using traditional African pattern.

Next, we chatted with DEOLA SAGOE, the rising star discovered by ANDRE LEON TALLEY. Like Anisa, she combined European and African influences in her designs. She's drawing on military and aristocratic styles from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries such as mutton sleeves and military style buttons. Within the same piece, she incorporated embroidered designs based on Masai warrior body paint. The result was a collection that was strong and feminine - just like she intended. She is very interested in expressing the newfound independence African women are coming into today.

Our last stop was the man himself who was besieged by admirers but was nice enough to give us one last interview. He spoke about his philosophy of investment rather than foreign aid and when asked "Why fashion?" we discussed how this show is the perfect platform for Africa's modern creativity and relevance today. Says NDUKA, "It's a marathon not a dash." He is determined to persevere in promoting his beloved homeland in the USA and around the world. He will be showing in Paris next.

THE ARISE MAGAZINE AFRICAN COLLECTIVE AFTER PARTY AT THE PLAZA

TEXT, LAURA WOOD
Edited by Vivian G Kelly-VanZutphen

The 3rd floor Ballroom at the Plaza was a swanky place to have a party, vaulted ceilings, the gilt, everything that makes the Plaza the classic it is.
What we walked into was the hippest party of the week at New York's most classic venue.

The crowd spilled out of the room and there was a full-on Plaza style food spread and waiters buzzing around with white gloves and silver platters, like in the old days ie: pre-recession.
CEO and Chairman NDUKA OBAIGBENA put out all the stops. The notion of embracing the aristocratic British aristocracy yet putting their own distinctive spin on it - as at the show a few hours earlier - was exactly what was going on here.
We caught up with designer JACQUES VAN DER WATT, half of the BLACK COFFEE team, who we hadn't been able to interview pre-show. He spoke of his fondness for using cotton knit in this collection as it was soft, sensual and cozy.

While we were standing on one side of the room observing, all of a sudden the stage opened up right in front of our perch and there was superstar CIARA and two back-up dancers in slashed jeans and bare midriffs and sparkly body lotion. She built up to her hit song, "Love, Sex & Magic" and kicked-off with a Michael Jackson cover.
The party roared-on after Ciara wrapped-up. They were still dancing away after 1a.m. when we called it a night.