African Fashion Week Toronto 2021: More Than a Virtual Experience

Clearly a sign of the times, many organizations have had to pivot the way in-person events are being done. However, very few organizations have been able to capture the full experience like African Fashion Week Toronto (AFWT). The curators of AFWT were able to bring vibrant, artistic, and interactive energy as always! There was a strong representation of African Diaspora cultures throughout the event that made for a beautiful representation of fashion.    

AFWT is an initiative that showcases the best and brightest creatives in Toronto fashion. Every year they hold a multi-day series of presentations that provide local talent an opportunity to showcase their creations on a large platform. This year’s presentation was phenomenal! Designers from Nigerian, Botswana, India, Jamaica, St. Kitts, and Nevis backgrounds were showcased this year.  

This year’s festivities began in June as AFWT had to select the Face of the 2021 exhibition.  After an exhaustive model search, Mahelia Jackson was declared the 2021 Face of African Fashion Week.  Mahelia is of Jamaican heritage and is a wonderful representation of the beauty within the African diaspora. 

The AFWT presentation schedule began with the annual Student Design Competition. The competition highlights emerging designers who are currently studying fashion and design. These student designers are given creative challenges to include in their designs. The 2021 AFWT theme was The New Vogue and required the five student designers to complete 3 creations. One of their creations was a design for a social media Influencer. This design had to capture the influencer’s personality and remain cohesive with the designers two additional creations. Congratulations to this year’s winner Oyinlola Olusoga and her brand Labeke Wears.

Although presented virtually, AFWT was still able to make the presentation interactive and engaging. Viewers were encouraged to comment, share, and vote for who they wanted to win. 

For the main showcases, AFWT worked with each designer to produce recorded vignettes. Each designer was given the opportunity to creatively present and speak to their unique inspiration for their designs. 

To close out the exhibition AFWT held an in-person, socially distanced mannequin exhibit in the heart of Toronto’s Nathan Phillip Square. This allowed the public to come out and see the standout pieces from this year’s designers. It was great to see the turn out for this event. The creations displayed ranged from ready to wear to avant-garde couture.

I had the opportunity to be a part of AFWT in 2019 and had the privilege to see the amazing work that goes into these presentations. I’m so glad that AFWT continues to flourish and grow more innovative each year. Mark my words AFWT that will be a cultural staple in Toronto. 

Next year will mark the 10-year anniversary of African Fashion Week Toronto and I would encourage everyone, especially fashion lovers and creatives to check AFWT out.  It’s a great way to see the talent coming from the city and build some excellent connections for future projects. If you are interested in volunteering, modelling, sponsoring or covering future projects with African Fashion Week Toronto visit www.afwt.ca or visit their instagram page.

As always, leave a comment below. What fashion shows or presentations are you looking forward?