One Nigerian Boy

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2011-03-27T22:37:00.000+01:00

One Nigerian Boy Takes You Backstage For an Intimate Look at Menswear Designer of the Year Angelo Van Mol's Collection at The Arise Magazine Fashion Week

2011-03-21T01:07:00.120+01:00

Menswear designer Angelo Van Mol of Ghanaian and Belgian heritage was recently awarded menswear designer of the year at the recently concluded Arise Magazine Fashion week in Lagos, Nigeria for a stunning collection which happened to also be his graduate collection from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp –ranked amongst the top 5 fashion schools in the world- known to have churned out the likes of Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Van Saene, Marina Yee (The Antwerp Six), Martin Margiela, Veronique Branquinho, Haider Ackermann, Peter Pilotto, Bruno Pieters.

Seeing the kind of talent the elite Belgian school has produced in the past it was no surprise to see Angelo Van Mol’s intricate work which stood out from most of the collections at the event –be it men’s or women’s- for its craftsmanship and aesthetic.

His inspiration for the collection was male paintings of Polish art deco genius Tamara de Lempicka, mod culture and art deco. All of these elements quietly reverberated around the collection and you could sense its spirit or be it, vibe engaging and slowly charming you.

The shapes of the collection are inspired by classical Formal menswear mixed with free wear clothing. I want to create a man who is wearing formal clothes but at the same time it should be clothes you can wear whenever you like not only for formal events. Therefore the shapes are not defined as new shapes but are within the existing shapes of clothes we know.

The whole collection was produced and handmade by the designer himself, from embroidery to stitch on sequences, patterns, basically everything.

Fabrication included metal chains, cashmere, shaven pony skin, python skin, camel skin, and more. ‘I choose to use only the best materials because the man I want to portray lives in luxury a world.’

The colors are inspired by the city by night, there are a lot of black and white shirts referring to formal wear but also some colors. If you are familiar with the works of Tamara de Lempicka you see notice that the colors came from her paintings fused with images of city's by night and art deco art. The mix of this all creates the man Angelo Van Mol wants to portray.

The shoes in the collection were designed by Angelo and produced by Giorgio Paponi using new handmade shoemaking methods and doing the designer a big favor. The details include metal pins -inspired by the dials on Cartier watches- inserted into a space in the heel carved out by hand.

See more close up images of the clothing and footwear from the collection after the jump

Certainly one of Africa’s talent to look forward to in the future and we can all hope that he gets better with time just like fine wine.

ANGELO VAN MOL

Lange Koepoortstraat 46

2000 Antwerpen Belgium

Mobile: + 32 484774486

Skype: Angelovanmol

Email: info-at-angelovanmol.com

Website: www.angelovanmol.com

FashionMist: African Fashion coming out of the Mist 2011 Event, London

2011-03-20T18:34:00.000+01:00

FashionMist is bringing together various designers who are of African (specifically Ghanaian) origin and reflect this in their work and who have found success in the Diaspora as well as on the continent itself.

The event aims to highlight that African-influenced designs can be enjoyed in any number of contexts, western or non-western. In doing so, the event is creating a network of designers who can draw on each other for support and inspiration. Designers who are confirmed to participate include Sheila Boateng (N’kya Designs), Sandi Owusu (Diva Delicious), Mina Evans-Anfom (Mina Evans), Anita Quansah (Anita Quansah London) and Helena Aidoo-Morrison (Aya Morrison) Kwabena Boateng (Kayobi) Antoinette Amuzu (Ayikai Couture) Josephine Wiafeh (Yaa Ataa couture bags). Hazel Mak and Adynkra will provide entertainment.

FashionMist will take place in two parts. During the day there will be an exhibition of 20 stalls, where the clothing and accessory ranges of participating designers will be available for purchase by the public. This part of the event is open to anybody and admission will be free. During the evening, FashionMist will host a ticketed fashion showcase, where a selection of designers will present exclusive collections. Part of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to Global Mamas, an organization which aims at empowering women through art and crafts.

The event will take place on Saturday 26th March 2011. The Exhibition will be open to the public from 12pm – 5pm and admission is free. Doors for the Showcase will open at 6pm and this is a ticket-only event. Tickets cost £15 and can be purchased Here. The event will take place at the Hotel Russell 1-8 Russell Square, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 5BE. The exhibition during the day is free and open to the public.

Many of the designers taking part seek to ensure that the inspiration drawn from the African continent has a number of positive outcomes, including the creation of sustainable incomes and fair trade for those involved in production, the guarantee of quality and authenticity in materials as well as the promotion of African identity and pride, outcomes which FashionMist seeks to promote.

Please contact:

Sheila Boateng (079404 70323)

Emmanuel Osei (07931921232)

FashionMist@gmail.com

More information can be found at http://fashionmist2011.blogspot.com/

Anita Quansah is an African UK based designer and a textile graduate from Chelsea College of Art and Design London who produces eclectic stylish handmade and expressive one-off pieces of textiles, clothing and neckpieces that fuse together timeless sophistication with great originality using recycled and vintage materials.

Aya Morrison

Diva Delicious

Mina Evans

N’Kya Designs

DFL (Designs for Love) GIVEAWAY & Show Invite

2011-03-20T17:53:00.002+01:00

Stand a chance to win a DFL clutch purse, a DFL Ankara bib necklace or a DFL Ankara hair accessory by answering these questions:

What is the name of the ready to wear collection to be launched?
What is DFL`s predominant choice of fabric?
Name three popular Ankara styles that women wear now?

Answers should be sent to wunmia@yahoo.com

Entries close by 12 midnight on Monday 21th march and winners will randomly selected from the correct entries and contacted by Wednesday 23rd march

Good Luck