Since I came to Montreal, I could not have enough of its multicultural society - I had an opportunity to meet people of different cultures, religion and kind of beauty. I come from Slovakia - the small country in Europe where the population is not so diverse, so you could imagine my enthusiasm when I came here. I mean, of course, you could meet some people from Africa, China or India in my country, too - but being with them in a closer contact and getting to know them more personally is very rare there.
You might know my friend Martha from the previous article about my "WE are fashion" project, where I took some streetstyle photos of her. I am really amazed by her appearance and I enjoyed our photoshooting very much. During the action, I imagined that perfect moment when one day I will be at some African-themed fashion show as a photographer and I will try to capture the divine beauty of all the models and designs from various places of Africa. Just close your eyes and let your fantasy speak - is it not an exciting idea? My dream came true thanks to the impressive African Fashion Week Montreal event and thanks to two amazing and charismatic men - Gilles Wouanko, the Director of the event and Henri Abraham Soumah, the Artistic Director.
So here I am - standing in a media pit with my name tag "Photographer - Eva Cavojcova", holding my DSLR camera so tightly, taking photos of Martha again, loving every pose of all models and trying to keep in memory every moment of this magical atmosphere.
So here I am - standing in a media pit with my name tag "Photographer - Eva Cavojcova", holding my DSLR camera so tightly, taking photos of Martha again, loving every pose of all models and trying to keep in memory every moment of this magical atmosphere.
First of all, why this concept of African fashion here in Montreal? The main idea was to support and promote African talents, their culture and heritage together with local talents. As I have already mentioned, Montreal is a home for many people from around the world and I truly love the idea to celebrate every culture. Even though we are all special, there is something we have in common - passion for fashion. Let's celebrate it with following brands: SKB Collection, SEXFORSAINTS, Naleke, Kyle Gervacy and Gilles Wouanko himself together with Afri Carib and Temi .
Before I start with presenting these extraordinary collections, I need to mention the atmosphere of backstage, as well. I loved the energy and positive vibe - you could hear good music and while models prepared themselves for catwalks, they danced, posed for us and enjoyed every minute, even though they were super busy. They took it easy, they were friendly and you felt very good in their company - as a part of the team. Designers were also great - you could chat with them about everything.
SKB Collection
SKB Collection is Montreal-based fashion label that specializes in clothing and accessories by using unique African fabrics. Transformation into a dreamy girl with butterflies, a fearless beauty from African tribe or an elegant modern woman was a breathtaking experience! Transparency, the use of bold colours, patterns and connection with nature were a very clever idea. I want to point out interesting hairstyles and makeup, as well. Impressive job!
SEXFORSAINTS
I appreciate when a catwalk is not only about posing and showcasing designs, but it has its own artistic feeling, too. This collection was a proof that when you combine fashion with art, the result will be something unbelievable. The designer wanted to sell us the message of the importance of our planet, nature and mainly, our source of life - water. We need to save our planet, treat and admire it. In addition, the graceful movements of models, their visage, behaviour, urban fashion and great artistic performance directed by the designer himself and artistic director Henri Abraham Soumah were incredible. I was speechless!
NALEKE
In my opinion, the must-have piece of every woman is not only elegant white shirt, the remarkable little black dress or well-fitted jeans. Every woman needs an interesting bomber jacket or jacket, too! Thanks to this piece you could refresh your every-day outfit and add something "special". Imagine wearing basic T-shirt and ripped jeans with the artistic bomber jacket! And what about so famous all black outfit paired with the colourful jacket? You will create the stylish and practical look, at the same time! Naleke did with this truly great job! Especially love the mixture of streetstyle and elegance.
KYLE GERVACY
I do not know where to start because even now when I am looking at my photos of this collection, I have huge goosebumps. Kadeem Faustin, the designer, expressed all my feelings perfectly when it comes to African people - they are wild, energetic, young and fresh but at the same time, they can be gentle, classy and traditional with a rich heritage. The use of cuts, patterns (omg that embroidery), materials and even playing with the whole styles took my breath away. Just look at these photos, no more words needed...
Gilles Wouanko, Afri Carib and Temi
The last but not least, here comes Gilles, Afri Carib and Temi. Speaking about Gilles and his unique expression of African roots (first two pictures), my the most favourite look is where a model is wearing just a skirt so her body is half-naked. This design amazingly depict the importance of a woman - her role of a mother - the most important person in the world; her beautiful body and gentle appearance. Love the usage of green and earthy colours, antique african jewellery and unique makeup. As the icing of the cake, the final performance with male models and Henri Abraham Soumah in designs by Temi took you back in time...
It is just a little bit pitty that final collections were presented in a different room with worse light condition (you can see that the quality of these photos is much worse than the previous ones), so for me as a photographer it was more difficult to take really good photos, which is pitty. I think changing place to significantly darker one was not the best idea, however designs themselves were still magnificent.
It is just a little bit pitty that final collections were presented in a different room with worse light condition (you can see that the quality of these photos is much worse than the previous ones), so for me as a photographer it was more difficult to take really good photos, which is pitty. I think changing place to significantly darker one was not the best idea, however designs themselves were still magnificent.
This event will be in my mind for a very long time. I really want to thank all organisers, designers, models, other photographers and also guests for this wonderful experience. It was my pleasure to meet you all and be a part of this fashion show! THANK YOU!
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