By Walter Greene

Africa Fashion Week, an idea conceived and conceptualized by young
entrepreneur ADIAT DISU went down at the Broad Street Ballroom in the
Wall Street financial district in New York City for three days. Adiat
is the Founder & President of Adiree, a company that focuses on luxury
brands globally. The event was focused on lavish runway shows with the
sole purpose of raising awareness of the African fashion and
entertainment professionals in the New York, tri-State area. More
specifically, the event was staged to attract buyers, media and
industry professionals to the growing cadre' of African or African
based designers in the Diaspora.

COLOR, COLOR AND MORE COLOR
An explosion of color flooded the catwalk on the second night of Africa
Fashion Week. Sheaffa Delince showed amazing potential with her modern
fashion view. Greens and pinks were some of the key colors that brought
her collection to life. Vanessa Mukasa's sequined pant suit and
sequined shorts were well tailored and looked great on the beautiful
models. Gustavo Garcia's blue pant suit was one of the showstoppers of
his collection,
while Ill La La Designs showed feminine frills in pink and green
ensembles, fit for a modern day princess.

KNOWN DESIGNERS ALSO ON SHOW
Other designers that received rave reviews included: Trinidad's Francis
Hendy who presented men's and women's wear in his usual color clashes
and easy fabrication. Lisa Keating's bold take on a modern woman's
wardrobe was well received, and, popular Ghanaian designer Korto
Momolu, an alumni of
`Project Runway' did her homage to her Africa roots in a combination of
lush African prints, beaded and re-embroidered to reveal a fresh new
approach to make traditional prints look fresh and new again.

SOUL PURPOSE
The event also featured a vender exhibition showcasing the products of
Soul Purpose, a company founded and owned by Trinidadian entrepreneur
Nadine Thompson. Front row VIP gift bags came by way compliments of
Glaceau Smart Water, Soul Purpose, Mixed Chicks, Desquared Wood
Perfumes, Curly Hair
Solutions, Dupp & Swat and Origin Africa among them.

The fashions from designers: Farai Simoyi, Sheaffa Delince, Vanessa
Mukasa, Gustavo Garcia, Lisa Keating, Agama Label and Ill La La Designs
were among the highlights on the second night of Africa Fashion Week
(Greene photos)