The Nigerian designer

Emmanuel Okoro  

Nigerian designer Emmanuel Okoro has won the inaugural fashion competition

of Africa Fashion Up for its collection inspired by the Biafra war.

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Friday, September 17, 2021 , following an exceptional fashion show organized at the Hotel  Salomon de Rothschild, a major center of Parisian haute couture, the young Nigerian designer Emmanuel Okoro has been elected "Designer Africa Fashion Up 2021". Initiated by Valérie Ka, an international professional model, Africa Fashion Up is the first program-event organized in France whose aim is to recognize and  to encourage African fashion in full effervescence. The program includes a call for applications  international competition to select the most brilliant young African designers, a fashion show presenting their collections in Paris and also personalized support for the winners in partnership with Balenciaga and HEC.

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Emmanuel Okoro's pieces were presented during the parade alongside those of the other winners: Zac Koné (Côte d'Ivoire), Guy Fabrice Sullivan (Côte d'Ivoire), the duo Natasha  Jaume & Carina Louw (South Africa). The pieces were presented under the gaze  attentive to 5 internationally renowned African designers, namely Imane Ayissi Sponsor of the laureates  (Cameroon), Karim Tassi (Morocco), Martial Tapolo (Cameroon), Eric Raisina (Madagascar) and  Soraya Da Piedade (Angola).