Last night Kulture2Couture (K2C) was launched at St. Olave’s college Building – Tooley Street – London SE1.  There was an eclectic mix of attendee ranging from designers, stylists and sponsors.

The concept is to provide a fashion platform for Black and Caribbean designers in celebration of Black History Month. There are four main aims of the event:

K2CISVisual - This is a catwalk show featuring headline designers, new-comers and the ones-to-watch...there are several shows a day ranging from full collections to specialists shows spanning childrenswear to accessories.

K2CISTrade - There is a combined trade flair and marketplace. Friday is open to the trade and Saturday and Sunday is for public viewing.

K2CISKnowledge -    There are range of industry workshops aimed at providing aspiring designers and creative artists with valuable information to help them succeed in business.

K2CISInspiration - There are a series of masterclasses designed to motivate and inform designers.

The event commenced with Kulturally Coutured by Afua which was an outstanding introduction and very much set the scene for the event. Afua is multi-faceted individual who has a degree in psychotherapy and counselling and works part time with young offenders providing cognitive behavioural group work programmes. She is also a highly talented poet who provided a poem which included the following exerts;

"My Ancestral Mothers created the first eye shadows, blushers and eye-liners,not first timers

The ethnic prints and jewellery we see in season today

have come a long way

from Kush to the catwalk

The Amazon to fashion talk

On the pages of the best Cosmopolitan mags

Is there a recognition

of the cultural position

of the those designers who innovate

and motivate

who multi-create!

Afua Chebueze then summaries by saying the most poignant statement of all

"Remember Fashion is Free!

The same as our individuality"

We then received a motivational welcome by Lee Jasper Director of Equalities and Policing at the Mayors office before the catwalk began. Last night Andrew Ramroop (Maurice Sedwell), Natasha Wright (Rufus Clothing), Carole Muhannad (Carmuh), Charlie Alllen and Yemi Osunkoya (Kosibah Creations) graced the catwalk.

For further details of the event please click here http://www.fashioncapital.co.uk/content/view/5266/27/ 

 - see you there Saturday and Sunday!

Jenny Holloway

Industry Advisor