FW'21 showings for two of the world’s premier seasonal fashion events, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks, have officially drawn to a close and once again as has been the case in the era of COVID-19, nearly every presentation was held remotely. This is, without question, the new normal, and in many ways it feels as though fashion has set up permanent residence in the digital space. And though there are many who lament the days of gathering in person to witness models sail down the runway, this novel way of working has opened up an avenue for creativity and innovation that may never have been tapped into were it not for all the changes and challenges of the past year. This season, a number of African designers appeared on the roster and, as expected, many of them turned to short films and video to show off their work. Others stuck to the original runway formula with one small difference: zero guests.

Milan Fashion Week

"We Are Made In Italy" initiative

Part of an initiative inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement called “WE ARE MADE IN ITALY - The Fab Five Bridge Builders”, five African-born designers (now working in Europe) opened Milan Fashion Week with a bang. The curated showing served as Camera Moda’s way of highlighting some of the industry’s long-marginalized voices. For the event, they recruited Burundi’s Frida-Kiza, Cameroon’s Claudia Gisèle Ntsama, Nigeria’s Joy Meribe, Morocco’s Karim Daoudi, and Senegal’s Mokodu, allowing the designers the opportunity to present their work to a global audience. Ntsama’s collection revealed an array of voluminous knits in neutral color combinations, all of which were crafted using only hemp fibers, while Meribe turned to silks in rich jewel tones to create a range of regal looks that exuded a strong, feminine air. Daoudi, on the other hand, aimed for a minimalist sensuality, delivering boldly playful pieces including striking shoe designs, while in a nod to his African origins, Mokodu’s Pepe Macodou Fall sent a selection of vibrant tailored suits and coats emblazoned with renderings of lions and zebras down the runway. Finally, Fabiola Manirakiza of Frida-Kiza took inspiration from Botticelli’s “Spring” painting, embracing a spirit of sophistication and showing off a flair for subtle elegance.

Maxivive

Nigeria

Founded by Papa Oyeyemi, Nigeria’s Maxivive made a sensational debut at this season’s Milan Fashion Week FW’21, its offering of garments in riotous hues, clashing textures, and bold color-blocking making a fearless statement. Presented via a short film cheekily titled SUNSHINE, LOLLIPOP & RAINBOW, Oyeyemi revealed a characteristically androgynous collection that featured tailored trousers, asymmetrical cuts, and kimono-style jackets, as well as edgy leather harnesses and colorful statement tees. Set against a deep midnight sky and throbbing dance music, the 3-minute-long video is a celebration of queer identity and self-expression: models of all genders are captured in what appears to be an uninhibited celebration of their own humanity and, under the co-direction of Nigerian designer Tokyo James, the exuberant camera work, energetic displays of fire dancing, and billowing rainbow flags converge to create a powerful display of freedom through fashion.

Paris Fashion Week

Thebe Magugu

South Africa

Titled "Alchemy", South African designer Thebe Magugu’s FW’21 collection is an artistic visual ode to the nuances of African spirituality, its debut at Paris Fashion Week FW’21 presented through the medium of film. Directed by Magugu’s frequent collaborator Kristin Lee Moolman (she also directed the espionage-inspired fashion film that showed off his SS’21 collection), the 12-minute long short was reportedly inspired by the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone and 1970s B movies, the high hats, sharp tailoring, billowing capes, and bold colors of the collection caught through a grainy, VHS-style filter. Dressed as warriors, spiritual healers, and modern working-women, models moved through a rugged outdoor landscape that served as the perfect backdrop for Magugu’s elegant and wearable designs. Featuring touches of fringing, cut-out shoulders, fitted blazers, and plenty of knitwear, his latest merged elements of modernity with the traditional, each piece serving as an artistic expression of what he sees as a renewed interest by young people on the continent in indigenous spiritual practices. “African spirituality I can imagine sounds extremely general when heard by a foreign audience,” the designer told British Vogue of this season’s theme. “It’s quite a niche phenomenon, but one that is gaining a huge amount of public visibility.”

Kenneth Ize

Nigeria

One of the final presentations of Paris Fashion Week, Kenneth Ize’s FW'21 showing delivered a more subdued aesthetic than those of his previous collections. The brilliantly hued, vertical stripes that have been so prominent in his work were barely anywhere to be found this time around—instead the designer embraced a more muted palette, with colors like olive green, pewter, and butter yellow taking center stage. The fitted blazers and touches of Aso Oke he’s become known for were, however, easy to spot, while genderless, oversize tunics, form-fitting dresses, and surprising prints (including one of a snake wrapping around a depiction of a human eye) were also brought out to play. Like the majority of the event’s designers, Ize embraced the film format, his 2-minute short capturing models against the backdrop of an outdoor washing line draped in colorful, textured rugs. “It is a different side of me," Ize told The Zoe Report of his new collection. "I want [it] to speak about life… about what is affecting me personally, what is affecting my friends, my loved ones, people dying around the world. I want people to also be aware of the problems happening in Nigeria."