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“African fashion is not a trend,” says Aisha Ayensu, founder and creative director of Christie Brown, who launched her label in Accra, Ghana back in 2008 mixing traditional prints such as wax print and batiks into modern voluminous sleeve tops and corset dresses. “It was never a trend for us; we have been doing this for years.”
Christie Brown is among 45 brands and designers hoping to play a role in setting and shifting the narrative around African fashion as part of a new exhibition at Britain’s Victoria and Albert Museum, the powerful UK arts and culture institution. From a traditional silk Kente engagement dress designed by Ghanaian fashion designer Kofi Ansah; to Rwandan brand Moshions, which used wool and viscose to create modern interpretations of ceremonial attire, traditionally worn by royalty, the exhibition looks at African fashion dating back