Arise L'Afrique-A-Porter at Paris Fashion Week
Sunday, March 14, 2010 Posted by Nirit Sumeruk
When I heard that designers from South Africa will be showcasing their work during Paris Fashion week F/W 2010/11 - I literally dropped everything and sprinted like a spring-buck-on-heels to the prestigious George V hotel in the heart of chic Paris...
Arise Magazine - Africa's Global Style and Culture Magazine (a high-end monthly glossy sold throughout fashion capitals) brought 10 of Africa's best designers to showcase at the Arise L'Afrique-A-Porter Fall 2010/2011 show.
This was also a first for African designers to present their work as an African collective to the media and buyers at Paris Fashion Week... EPIC!
I found that each of the 10 designers showcasing their work was outstandingly refreshing and a beautiful melange of mama-Africa echoing in their collections...
I am going to be slightly biased in this article and focus mainly on the South African designers....
The charming David Tlale from Johannesburg created a collection of glamorous garments - fearless in his use of uncompromising and unpredictable fabric, color and texture that result in pieces that both the Jackie O's and the Lady Gaga's out there would love...
Good thing he changed his studies from informatics to fashion - remember his name!
Another Johannesburg native is Clive Rundle who is renowned for his uncanny ability to embrace chaos and reconcile, the unimaginable with the imaginable, the ugly with the beautiful. His collection is titled ‘Marie Antoinette returns home from a lesbian wedding’ (love it!) and what's more he intertwined plenty of references to the upcoming Football World Cup in his garments such as a large necklace made entirely of plastic football player figures. I loved his energy and limitless imagination!
Cape Town based duo that are creative force behind Kluk CGDT are designers Malcom Kluk and Christiaan du Toit who are well known for their fabulous finishes, outstanding quality and a loyal clientèle that is ready to push the boundaries in fashion. For their Arise showcase they presented a collection of couture bridal gowns - me, being a bride to be, I can confidently say that their collection is hands-down magnificent that represent the radiant forward-thinking woman.
And lastly "Lunar" - a clothing brand sensitive to environmental concerns (love it!) founded by Karen Ter Morshuizen. She incorporates an abundance of natural and organic fabrics and traditional craft techniques such as knitting, naive embroidery, felting and darning... it's gets even better as she makes use of organic fabrics, utilizes responsible business practices and the preservation of nature is high on her list of priorities! In this collection she went for the all black theme in heavy knit-wear...
And here's a group shot of Africa's fashion talent that showcased at Arise...
(from left to right) Christiaan Gabriel du Toit and Malcolm Kluk for Kluk CGDT (South Africa), Eric Raisina (Madagascar), Karen Ter Morshuizen for Lunar (South Africa), Fati Asebelua for MOMO (Nigeria), Didier Grumbach (President of FFC), David Tlale (South Africa), Folake Folarin-Coker for Tiffany Amber (Nigeria), Clive Rundle (South Africa), Zara Okapa for Jewel by Lisa (Nigeria), Eloye for Ayole (Nigeria/UK), Aisha Obuobi for Christie Brown (Ghana). 
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