Africa’s most exciting city is the backdrop to this season’s hottest fashions, as African Fashion International unveils its plans for Joburg Fashion Week 2011.

The City of Gold is being honoured as the fashion Capital of Africa by AFI in a week-long fashion extravaganza that aims to boost Johannesburg’s creative economy by bringing fashion to the city centre.

Under the new leadership of Paul Leisegang, AFI is restructuring Joburg Fashion Week 2011 to ensure that the event not only promotes leading and upcoming fashion talent but also inspires consumers to get excited about the city.

AFI Chairman, Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, is very excited about the new direction: “This year we have looked to the city for inspiration and our selected designers will showcase their Autumn/Winter 2011 Collections in iconic heritage venues throughout the city, from the Bus Factory in Newtown to Constitution Hill. Inner city Johannesburg will be infused with fashion fever!”

(The City of Gold provides the inspiration for this year’s Joburg Fashion Week)

The Johannesburg Develop Agency (JDA) is in full support of AFI’s commitment to promoting the city of Johannesburg as a fashion capital, as it will echo Joburg’s reputation as a magnet for talent, new ideas and artistic excellence.

“London Fashion Week alone is worth £30m annually to the London economy, while New York Fashion Week brings in approximately $770 million. This evidences the importance of the respective fashion week’s major contribution to the local economy through exports, job creation, skills development and tourism,” says JDA CEO Thanduxolo Mendrew. 

In line with these new changes, AFI will restructure the sponsorship for all Fashion Weeks, allowing more brand value, consistency and innovation. Naming rights sponsor of Joburg Fashion Week for four years, Audi SA stands down as title sponsor due to its new international marketing focus. This year also brings a collaboration between AFI, the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) and the City of Johannesburg with an aim to fast forward the fashion of South Africa in a meaningful way.

(Joburg is still on a high from 2010 Fifa World Cup)

“For decades, leading nations have looked to Africa for inspiration. From its people to its tradition – from design to sport. AFI strongly believes in ‘packaging’ our local design talent in an inspiring way that is made easily accessible to the international market, to stakeholders who can make the meaningful connection between our talent and the endless opportunities that exist through globalization”, concludes AFI Managing Director, Paul Leisegang.

African Fashion International will bring fashion home and host the best design talent from 15 to 19 February 2011. This year, Joburg fashion week has been extended to four days, with three shows per night: starting at 19:15, 20h30 and 21H30 and kicks off with a first, a graduate day, held at Fashion Kapitol, which will be an entire day dedicated to “fast forwarding” design student’s careers though mentorship and ideas exchange.

Visit www.africanfashioninternational.com for more information.