Africa Fashion Week London 2012

This weekend saw Spitalfields Market Hall host the African Fashion Week London 2012 and what better weekend to hold such an event. With the Olympics in process, all eyes are on London whether on or off the tracks. The two day event set an unprecedented platform for international designers to showcase their collections, with thousands of attendees present to witness them. As well as that, AFWL is the perfect stop for buyers looking for fresh, new designers.  

Now in its second year, the brains behind the event, Nigerian entrepreneur Ronke Ademiluyi said: “My aim is to create more visibility for African designers and to create a one-stop shop for the public. We were expecting 500 people last year and almost 5,000 turned up. It was something people had clearly been waiting for. We were astounded by the level of support shown to AFWL last year. This time round, we are taking things to a higher level, with a bigger venue it's hoped the event will reach a higher magnitude.  By promoting African fashion globally we hope to integrate African countries into the fashion industry and also contribute to the reduction of poverty by developing the fashion and textile industry.”

This year 60 designers took part in AFWL, one of which was Adebayo Jones who provided the gala finale. He said: “As I was inspired by Yves Saint Laurent, I hope my participation will inspire young designers.”

All designers are inspired by African prints and designs and interpret them into all of their designs, whether for clothing, accessories, jewellery or beauty products, all of which were showcased at the event.

As well as the catwalks, in true Spitalfields style, there was an array of stalls and award winning restaurants around for attendees to make the most of the event.