Ghana Fashion & Design Week partners with Vogue Italia

The organisers of Ghana Fashion and design week (GFDW) are pleased to announce Vogue Italia as their international media partner for the upcoming event scheduled for the 5th -7th October 2012 at the Moevenpick Ambassador hotel in Accra,Ghana. This will go down as the first fashion week on the Continent to partner with high end publication. Vogue Italia will get exclusive access to runway shows as well as backstage features and interviews. The magazine joins a list of global partners, including luxury brands such as L’oreal and Porsche.

This partnership provides exposure for participating fashion designers, models and industry players by expanding their networks.

Omotola joins Amnesty International campaign against Shell to clean up the Niger Delta

This Nollywood star has shown her environmentalist side as she joins Amnesty International's campaign calling on the oil company, Shell, to Own Up, Pay Up, and Clean Up the Niger Delta. She has shot a video outside the Shell Headquarters in London where she calls on the oil giant to clean up the pollution in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The video features Barren Land, a previously unreleased song from her forthcoming album.

The organisation is calling out to the members of the public to sign a global petition to Shell CEO, Peter Voser and spread awareness by using social networks to share their campaign images and petitions. They have launched a week of action around Earth Day (April 22) which runs from April 21 - 29. The plan is to send the petition to Shell in May when they will have their Annual General Meeting (AGM) and remind the company of their responsibility to the region.

Alicia Keys in Christie Brown and Tsemaye Binitie for Vibe magazine

The Vibe Magazine April/May 2012 spread which features Alicia Keys has been released. She graces the cover and magazine pages wearing pieces by African designers, Tsemaye Binitie (jackets), and Christie Brown (colorful neckpieces)

Stylist- Laura Jones 

Photographer- Jill Greenberg.

Deborah Vanessa is best dressed for Fashion101 season one!

Out of 139 votes, Deborah Vanessa Owusu Bonsu culled 80, Joselyn got 48, and Naa Ashorkor had 4. The voting closed on April Ist, 2012 on the Fashion101 blog. I really think she deserves it so I'm glad she won. Debbie is a Ghanian beauty queen, graphic and fashion designer. She graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and is currently the host of The Late Nite Celebrity show on eTV Ghana.

Ghana Phone swap premiere

On her win she said, "I am extremely excited that I won best dressed celeb! I feel honoured by Fashion101 and very motivated right now to maintain looking and being fabulous! Thanks to all who love my style and voted for me for the vim! Whoop! Whoop!” 

AMFW '12

For her prize, she will receive a Fashion101 plaque with the inscription ‘best dressed celebrity”, an Aya Morrison swim wear, and an outfit by Nelly Aboagye of Duaba Serwa from her latest collection, Dzune. Congrats Debbie!

Menaye Donkor NewAfrican Woman April/May cover sparks racial controversy

A debate on racial discrimination has emerged amongst readers of the New African Woman magazine that Milan-based Ghanaian model and philanthropist, Menaye Donkor does not look African enough to grace the cover of the magazine. The magazine's editor received this offensive message from another magazine editor,

 “Hello Regina …to tell u the truth …it (the cover) is not representative to black beauty African beauty, the major criticism we have is that the girl don t look like black African girls too perfect and white, I FIND IT not very nice… putting perfect looking girls in front of covers!”

The New African Woman magazine editor hence expressed her resentment to any insinuation that Menaye is not an epitome of African beauty. The model herself is very shocked by all of these and stated,

“I am surprised to hear such ignorant remarks in this modern world that we live in. I thought people were much more educated and not so shallow minded to generalize and make such comments. My question then sums up to: What African is? And How an African should look? I am a true African woman born and raised in Ghana by Ghanaian parents and amazing Ghanaian heritage. I therefore cannot understand why the colour of my skin would make me less of a good role model for other African women. It doesn’t matter how dark or light my skin is, I’m proud of my culture and I am proud to be representing Africa.  Are we forgetting there are 54 countries in Africa and not all the people are dark skinned as it varies across the continent with some populations naturally darker than others? The focus here should not be the colour of one’s skin or how they look but rather how we as Africans can unite to build a stronger future for our children.”

It must be very hurtful to be discriminated against by your own people. Shame on those perpetuating this. Menaye Donkor is African and proud!

Phone Swap to premiere in Ghana

The latest Nollywood blockbuster starring Nse Ikpe-Etim, Wale Ojo, Joke Silva and Lydia Forson is  set to premier in Ghana this week. Phone Swap will be showing at Silverbird cinemas, Accra come April 5^th, 2012.  Movie lovers can feel the excitement, the intrigue, and experience a captivating 1hr 50mins of classic motion picture moments.

The fun still doesn’t stop there as the movie’s Producer, Kunle Afolayan will spend Easter Sunday, the 8^th and Monday, the 9^th of April, with his fans as the movie will also be screened in Nigeria at the National Theatre, Iganmu at 12pm, 3pm and 6pm.

Golden Effects Pictures in collaboration with Blue Pictures has officially released the schedule for Phone Swap Movie this Easter. Check it out below!

Trend Alert: Botanical prints

Beyonce

Like its citrus fruit predecessor which we saw on style icons from Leighton Meester to Arise Magazine's Helen Jennings, Stella McCartney's colorful Hawaiian-print for SS12 is sure to cause a fashion frenzy. Beyonce was photographed recently in NYC wearing a pair of printed pants from the collection with banana yellow shoes.She's been obssessed with blue, especially her manicure since becoming a mother. 

It looks like Stella McCartney will manage to dominate fashion pages one more time with this fun print.