Africa Fashion Week New York returned for the second year of showcasing the work of African designers and designers representing the African Diaspora once again. This year it brought together thirty designers representing a variety of African nations including designers from the Caribbean and the U. S.  The media presence is also more visible, major networks like CNN were on the scene and this trend will no doubt continue. Adiat Disu, originally from Nigeria is the woman behind this event. Since her debut showcase last July 2010 she and her team have worked non stop to develop and promote AFWNY. The three day event took place  from July 14-16 at the Broad Street Ballroom in Manhattan's financial district.  Ms. Disu heads up the Adiree (A-Di-Ray) agency which is responsible for putting the event together. Now in it's second year AFWNY is a platform that is now a unique showcase for African Designers looking for more visibility in the fashion markets.

Caribbean Posh : Adiat, what are your thoughts on this second  AFWNY ?

Adiat Disu : Everything went smoothly I could not have asked for more, if I did I'm sure I would still be blown away. I'm really proud of all the designers that came and showcased their collections and really represented what it means to be a fashion designer. It's not really about being an African Designer, it's about being a designer who is recognized for their talents, who also happens to be African.

Caribbean Posh : How important is identity with regards to the esthetic that the designers incorporate into their work?

Adiat Disu : One of our tag lines is "Where fashion began" which has some irony there because you're in New York which is known as one of the fashion capitals where it all happens. But then its a spin on the origins of where things began, the art, the culture is essentially Africa so I think the tag line really embodies what you're seeing. A lot of the designers are using their origin, their culture in their design esthetic.

Caribbean Posh : How has Adiree (A-Di-Ray) evolved with regards to the event gaining more respect and credibility within the industry and with the designers?

Adiat Disu : The more we develop ourselves, the more people are finding us credible in being able to brand them accordingly. I think that's really important. We find them or they find  us and we have to give them the necessary resources. We have to give them invitations and send letters, communicate with embassies. It can be very tedious but it's worth it. 

Caribbean Posh : Do you get many requests from Caribbean designers to be included in AFWNY ?

Adiat Disu : I do, I know that Caribbean Fashion Week international happened this year, and I heard really great reviews about it. We had a variety of designers that showcased there wanting to show at AFWNY. I think what is central is that we all realize that we are one, and there's no separation, our food , our culture , there are so many similarities. I think next year we're definitely going pull more designers from the Caribbean. When we first started we had Dalali Haligah (Osun Designs) who is Jamaican to the fullest. I know the Piper twins wanted to get involved  but they were in the, middle of dealing with the Caribbean fashion week. Getting it together to showcase here was a bit much, so I'm hoping that next time we'll have many more. I welcome that because they are a part of us we are a part of them.

Caribbean Posh : Tell me about the models you've featured this year, they are quite exceptional, what do you think about the models featured on the AFWNY runway?

Adiat Disu : The models are different sizes and shapes, we get contacted by models everyday it's great because we want people to feel that this production is accessible. We don't want to be closed to the point where people don't feel like they can reach out to us, we really do try our best to answer all inquiries. We understand that the fashion industry has it's standards, and that in some ways shape or form we have to abide by that. At the same time we do have a responsibility to represent what it means to be from Africa. There's different shapes sizes colors and those things are represented here and we're proud of that.

Caribbean Posh : No doubt you have models contacting you all the time, what's the best advice you can give them?

Adiat Disu : It would be great if people got with agencies, it's more orderly for us. If you're really business minded and wanting to manage yourself that's great. We'd like for more agencies to be a part of this, we want to bring business to them. We want to expose companies that are represented by people of diversity. I don't mind a black owned company coming to us and saying,  "we want to provide all the models for your show, can we do that?"

 Caribbean Posh : what has it been like to represent for your country and the rest of Africa with AFWNY?

Adiat Disu : It's been an honor, I do believe there is this fascination, and a renaissance going on. The youth especially, they really want to brand it and want it recognized as this pool of creativity, and vision. We don't want to be seen as just a charitable case because we're not, so there is a sense of pride not only flowing in Africa but everywhere. We get emails, and I'm bombarded with Facebook messages just saying really great things. It keeps me motivated because this is a lot and I'm humbled to have the opportunity to do it.

Caribbean Posh : What has the feedback been from the designers ?

Adiat Disu : The designers have been so ecstatic, They're amazed with the production, the quality, and the location. They are totally happy with the feedback they've gotten from the audience, and with the connections that they've made. As you see we got some designers featured in Elle magazine which is great. We got CNN here and all these fashion bloggers, and they're happy about that.  With many of these designers, when you Google them you have trouble finding them. So they are happy to have this platform to boost them, and have people talk about them. it's going to  give them that exposure that they need.

For more info on AFWNY :

http://www.africafashionweekny.com/

http://www.adiree.com/

Photo Credit : Roy Anthony Morrison / Photosoul Media