Trendy Fashion Report: Arise Magazine’s “African Icons” Extravaganza

The thunderous roar of the African Icons that dominated the venue at the Lincoln Center in New York City enhanced Day 1 of New York Fashion week.

MTB Editor in Busayo NYC arriving at the Arise Magazine Presents…African Icons Show

MTB Editor with Folake Folarin-Coker of Tiffany Amber

Arise Magazine rose to the occasion and delivered a stunningly encompassing show that will forever be the blueprint for future implementations.

There was an operatic current running through the entire production and it was a vibrantly chimed masquerade that ended with a huge salute to Ghanaian and London based designer Ozwald Boateng.

Here is a dissection of what each designer generously bestowed on the runway.

Tiffany Amber: Folake Folarin-Coker has perfected the symbiotic relationship between comfort and fabulosity. As her models breezed by, it was hard not to get a whiff of how incredible it would be to don one of her creations and have the wind act accordingly. Every girl’s dream is to have their ensemble react to the elements in a way that commands attention. Tiffany Amber understands that need and it was refreshing to see how brilliantly she interpreted the youthful appeal and girly charms in her vibrantly willowy pieces.

Tsemaye Binitie: Tsemaye is a consistent devotee of all the dimensions that total up to the female form. And as an astute subscriber, he expertly conveys his analysis in ways that are breathtaking. His immaculate conception showcased pieces that celebrated the delicacies of sensitively refined fabrics, extracted and proportioned to help enhance the quietly reformed sensuality of the modern woman. It was a reassuring reminder that he is still the master at work and the fact that the best is yet to come.

Maki Oh: Maki Oh is an explorer who is continuously finding ways to re-invent her vision. Her showing was a lovely collage of luxurious textured templates paired with lightly structured supports. It was a celebration of uniform decadence packaged in effortlessly cascading silhouettes that beckoned for attention, and re-affirmed the fact that this Lagos based designer is here to stay in a way that is classically inclined.

Gavin Rajah: A fantastical wonderland would be an accurate summarization of Rajah’s production Thursday afternoon. There was no shortage of whimsical wonder as each model outshined the other and littered the runway with elements of wonderment doused with spectacular fragments. It was a theatrical homage and almost a fairytale on steroids as every entrée seemed to chime elaborately to the searing musical accompaniment while also hypnotizing our senses in an unexpected way.

Ozwald Boateng: How can you sum up the excellence of a prolific facilitator who oozes brilliance from his pores and somehow manages to arrange the chaos in a way that fascinates and eternally inspires. Boateng was himself, in a modernly accessible way. No pretense and no room for debate; he delivered a collection that quite frankly surpassed his already thriving reputation. From start to finish the pulsating performance was genius and futuristic. Forget how incredibly gorgeous his parade of male models were, pay attention to what they were encased in. Boldly solid hues and energetic prints were the threshold and the dimensions were unforgiving in their precise cuts and sharply defined  modules. The modern man has to be in great shape to rock these gems!

He ended the show with a healthy dose of vitality, originality and boundless supply of electricity that was interjected in a manner that was both encouraging and gratifying.

There is a just no other way to describe what I witnessed; this was one hell of show!

Click the link to view: African Icons Runway Highlights