Modes, Afro Fashion Association Spotlight BIPOC Talents in Milan
TOGETHER IN FASHION: Hip fashion retailer Modes lent its store and drew a cool crowd to discover 12 talents pulled from the Afro Fashion Association network of Black, Indigenous and people of color community.
The Piazza Risorgimento flagship was turned into party venue to fete the launch of fall collections, each store window dedicated to one of the up-and-coming designers.
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“From the very beginning, the association has worked to promote the talent of BIPOC designers and give them an opportunity to make a name for themselves with Italian companies and manufacturers. Today, this collaboration with Modes opens a new chapter, one that creates a solid bridge with commercial distributors,” said Michelle Francine Ngonmo, president of the Afro Fashion Association, which was also supported by Vogue Italia in developing the initiative.
“This is instrumental to the growth of the designers we have selected over the years as their collections get introduced to the market and public,” Ngonmo added. The association’s goal is to offer visibility and financial aid to underrepresented designers.
They included Akilah Stewart; Claudia Gisele Ntsama; Eileen Akbaraly; Ga Uen Kim; Joy Meribe; Karim Daoudi; Mokodu Fall, Neha Poorswani; Paul Roger Tanonkou; Phan Dang Hoang; Romy Calzado, and Zineb Hazim, some of whom had already been spotlighted by the association in previous seasons via the We Are Made in Italy, or WAMI, project.
“Modes has a duty to provide a platform to the new voices that infuse Italian creativity with the kind of diversity that makes it so unique and strong,” said Aldo Carpinteri, the retailer’s founder and chief executive officer. To be sure, the store has been championing domestic and international talents with in-store events and activations.
As reported, the Afro Fashion Association, credited for igniting a DE&I change within the country’s fashion system, is hosting the seminal edition of the Black Carpet Awards on Friday night.
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