Kitoko: African Fashion Week 2017. HTX.

yesterday, during my afternoon commute the lyrics to a very popular song popped into my head. "i let him do whatever he want, he buys me yves saint laurent"..something like that.. anyways, so that got me to thinking about the fashion houses. if i recall there are 10 major houses that prolly been around since the medici. somebody fact check me... so i was thinking about how those houses set the standards of western beauty, which are by design intentionally exclusive. this post isn't to shake my head about lack of inclusion, that would be a waste of my time. gucci, fendi, prada, versace, burberry, chanel, dior, givency, saint laurent, hermes, and armani have been, are presently and will be the apex of the western fashion world because poor and rich worship them as gods...
and to be fair, they are gods.
not my gods tho.

there's something to say for craftsmanship. putting hype aside, high-fashion demands a high-quality product. all new designers seeking to establish themselves, succeed in the fashion industry and last hundreds of years like those brands mentioned above must also create aesthetic, high-quality garments. and y'all, this is exactly what i witnessed at the finale fashion show for AFW. i was there both as a blogger, and as an appreciator of beautiful, skillfully created clothing. i already knew i was gonna see some gorgeous threads and "Yasssssssssssss!" i got exactly what i wanted! 

quiet as kept, Africa has been setting fashion trends since before fashion trends were a thing. our colors, patterns, designs, cuts, materials.. everything that could duplicated, has been duplicated. and still we rise... and still we create the next wave. this is how i knew this show would be worth attending. the chances of the designs being subpar were slim because africa is fashion and style and beauty. and this is exactly what was served! no wonder stella m. 'mainstreamed' ankara for paris fashion week. she prolly had her people at one of the AFWs and saw the future: africa! lol. can't be too madd about it.
​embrace the future y'all.

support your local, clothing designers:   
Adeàrà, Art Institute of Houston (AIH), House of Takura , Adot, Kachi, NMA Couture, 
Tahra Al Alshaik, Rocky Boston