African fashion is taking a new turn to be the new haute! With American & European designers using the many backdrops & fabrics of Africa as inspiration , many African designers have found their own voice & inspiration by looking within to “Arise” the African fashion industry. Nduka Obaigbena, media mogul & owner of This day & Arise Magazine has had a lot to do with with the current African fashion buzz & the buzz permeating for everything Africa thru out the globe. Next fashion week in New York, Ghana’s own Christie Brown will debut her current collection for the first time during NY fashion week.

Aisha Obuobi is the face behind the label Christie Brown. She holds an honours degree in psychology from the University of Ghana and is a self-taught designer. With just over a year in the industry, she has managed to revolutionize the fashion scene in Ghana by revamping the use of African print.

Christie Brown is Aisha’s late grand mother, who is her inspiration. Aisha says, “I guess that’s where I got my passion for fashion, beautiful clothes and the art of making them. She sewed for the longest time, even when her eyesight was failing her she just went back to using the needle and thread! She was blunt to a fault, she had spunk, she was chic and most importantly she had style.” These qualities are what Christie Brown clothing embody.

Christie Brown clothing is made from carefully selected African print, from all over the continent. The label seeks to produce all the latest trends that women want, but the twist is a special African ingredient in the form of print, embellishment or knick knacks that depict Africa’s rich culture – the African pride, love for colour, music, dance and celebration!

ARISE Africa Fashion Week is a five-year sponsorship agreement with ARISE Magazine, the acclaimed magazine of African style and culture. ARISE launched in February 2009 and is produced in the United Kingdom and distributed internationally.

Nduka Obaigbena, group chairman and editor-in-chief of ARISE, said “ARISE recently presented the African Fashion Collective at New York Fashion Week. The partnership with African Fashion International (AFI) is a continued celebration of African achievement and an extension of our commitment to recognize and showcase the very best of African creative talent. I firmly believe that ARISE Africa Fashion Week will attract an international audience and markets beyond the global African Diaspora. The world’s eyes will be firmly focused on Joburg”. 

http://www.ladybrilleblogazine.com/2009/05/arise-fashion-week-new-day-dawns-in.html