Review: Glitz Africa Fashion Week

Last weekend, Accra witnessed the maiden Glitz Africa fashion Show at the Accra International Conference Center. First of all I would like to congratulate the organizers of the event for putting up their best especially since it was the first of its kind. They adequately and efficiently transformed the foyer of the AICC so much that for a moment I wasn’t sure I was in the same place I see everyday. The entire set was very simple and elegant. Aside the delay in beginning the show and a few other flaws that I am yet to mention, I think it was an overall good effort.See Photos

The designers really impressed the audience with a beautiful display of creativity. Opinions on this I’m sure will vary according to individual fashion taste. But the “going green” line though creative raised a lot of question marks in my head. Highly applauded lines include that of Peachy Purr, House of eccentric, Akuchi clothing, Aya Morrison, Abaya Dake, Mina Evans, Kastle designs & Treasure chest, N’Kya designs, black pepper, Ivana Elle Couture, Sa4a Ghana, Mai Atafo, Gilles Toure, Kofi Ansah, Wana Elle couture, Ohema Ohene, farrah, ambassador couture etc.

Our audience though star studded with celebrities such as Ghana’s former first lady Nana konadu Agyeman Rawlings, Menaya Donkor, Ama K Abebrese, Confidence, KKD, KOD, Juliet Ibrahim, Dele Momodu among others, was a typically African one; fashionably late, not very excited or animated, quite difficult to please as well with everyone feeling very pompous.

The host of the event Chris Attoh, had a few flaws if I’m permitted to say. He didn’t properly learn the names of certain designers, on the first day seemed not properly briefed on the event by making a few slips and even for getting the last showcase only to be prompted from backstage. Apart from his walk for Mai Atafo Inspired, I think organizers should’ve urged more designers to brand him in their designs and have him endorse their products aside from their individual showcase. It was after all a fashion show and yet the host was in the same outfit throughout the show*raised eyebrow*.

Our ever chic and ever envied beautiful figured models I must say do not have it easy at all. Some people may think all it takes to be a model is to have a beautiful figure, be tall and a size zero, be pretty faced and get spruced up for the runway. Well that’s not just it, well at least not for our African culture. Our male audience was very excited about Aya Morrison’s swimsuit line as it exposed more flesh of the girls and the females also awed by the 6, 7 & 8 pack display by the male models. But the most challenging was that of the model who had to tough out the fashion mishap of one of the designers.

The zipper behind the skirt she was wearing ripped open on the runway and she unfortunately was too far-gone to turn back and have it fixed. That was one show of bravery on her part even though it raised a lot of brows among the audience. No job is easy, however it may look. Even our interlude performances had a few rough patches; the artistes (ball jay) and dancers who performed on the first day, weren’t very well received by the seemingly “conservative” audience. On the second day however, Irene Logan elaborated her comeback to the Ghanaian music scene with a beautiful performance and renditions of our favorites. Chemphe also wowed the audience with his amazing vocal ministration as 4x4 held down the climax spot on Sunday.See Photos