Africa Fashion Week brings style fusion to London catwalk

 Teo Kermeliotis

Africa Fashion Week London took place in the UK capital last weekend, hosting the creations of 65 designers from across the continent and the diaspora.

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• Africa Fashion Week London was held from August 1 to 3
• Inaugurated in 2011, the event promotes emerging and established designers
• Organizers say they aim to hold the event twice a year and set up a distribution outlet

(CNN) -- Loud music pumps through huge speakers, front row guests cheer and a parade of stunning models electrifies the gleaming catwalk -- welcome to Africa Fashion Week London.

Currently in its third year, the glamorous event saw dozens of big names and up-and-coming designers from across the continent descending on the UK capital's hip district of Shoreditch to unveil their latest stylish creations.

"Our platform is about promoting emerging and established Africa-inspired designers," said Ronke Ademiluyi, founder of the event, held from August 1 to 3.

"The main thing is to bring attention to them, to showcase their creativity to the world so they get more global recognition for what they do and more appreciations for their brands as well."

Vibrant colors

The runways featured designs from countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Kenya and Morocco -- but also from the diaspora, including Britain and the Caribbean.

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In many ways, the event reaffirmed why Africa-inspired designs are fast catching the eye of the fashion world.

Mixing current trends with traditional patterns, more than 60 designers graced the catwalk with a wide array of colorful creations -- everything from show-stopping evening gowns and modern urban casualwear to bold textured prints and chic accessory lines.

Ademiluyi says the continent's fashion today "represents a fusion of contemporary and African designs" awash with "a lot of vibrant colors and tribal trends."

Amongst those giving a modern twist to traditional styles is Nigerian designer Fashola Olayinka with her Lagos-based label "MOOFA Designs." Her latest collection, "Ashake" is celebrating the "very powerful and strong women" who "turn heads wherever they go to."

"That's basically what's the collection is about," says Olayinka, who started the label about four years ago. "Women who are very feminine and sexy."