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Ethiopian Designer Looks to Take Handbag, Local Fashion Business by Storm

Most countries in Africa haven’t been crowned fashion capitals just yet. Some regions, however, have taken many in the fashion industry by surprise. Companies like Hugo Boss, Prada and Cartier have helped to expand the growing luxury market within Africa. One particular individual feels it is a personal call to show the world just what Africa really has to offer — on and off the runway.

Afomia Tesfaye is a designer of beautiful modern handbags and accessories that are made via a 100 percent fair-trade process in Ethiopia. She is currently developing her Spring 2015 collection of handbags and preparing to launch her first online shop through her website FOMI Collection. AFKInsider caught up with Tesfaye to discuss the founding of FOMI, the manufacturing business as well as Africa’s fashion future.

AFKInsider: What made you decide to return to Ethiopia to continue the pursuit of a handbag business?

Tesfaye: It was a very natural decision for me to develop handbags in Ethiopia, not only because it is the place of my birth, but because it is actually a very exciting time to develop business here. Ethiopia is currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world and leather is our second greatest export (next to coffee). We produce some of the highest quality sheepskin in the world, so it is a privilege to be able to create leather goods with such refined raw materials.

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In years past, leather goods companies — including many big name fashion brands — have come to Ethiopia purely to export and then manufacture the leather in other countries. It was important for me to develop leather goods that are produced, from start to finish, within the country.

AFKInsider: You spent some time in the U.S., what did you learn and how did you apply it to your career?

Tesfaye: I was born in Ethiopia, but have basically spent my entire life in the U.S. and Los Angeles is still home base for me. I was living in California at 12-years-old reading Vogue magazine and watching a weekly program on CNN called “Style with ElsaKlensch“ where they showed all the designer runway shows.

That is what first instilled a love of style and design in me. I have obtained my education and all of my professional experience in the U.S. I worked for several years in both the entertainment and fashion industries (LA and New York), so the knowledge I have of both fashion and business was entirely acquired there.

AFKInsider: Can you tell us a bit about your first job in fashion?

Tesfaye: After obtaining my degree at UCLA, my first real job was working for a fashion designer in Los Angeles. It was a women’s brand that was doing very well at the time and I had the opportunity to work as an assistant within each of the departments — production, sales and marketing. Looking back, I realize that it provided me with a fundamental understanding of how the fashion business functions as a whole.

AFKInsider: Where did you come up with the concept for your handbags?

Tesfaye: On a visit to Ethiopia in 2010, I began playing with the idea of developing a design business here. I really had no idea what I wanted to do, but I started visiting tanneries and was so impressed with the quality of the leather. That sparked the idea to begin working with leather in some way and handbags felt like a natural way to start.

AFKInsider: Do you only design handbags or do you want to branch out into apparel?

Tesfaye: My priority is to continue developing my FOMI handbag range from season to season, but I am also slowly starting to expand. This past season I introduced a women’s oxford shoe into my collection and that has done extremely well, so I plan to continue with more shoes in the future. Who knows: eventually apparel may be included someday as well.

AFKInsider: How does FOMI differ from other African based clothing and accessory lines?

Tesfaye: There are obviously so many talented accessory designers on the continent. I believe FOMI Collection handbags are modern, sleek with a little bit of edge. People are often surprised when they open a FOMI bag and see a ‘Made in Ethiopia’ label, which I find very satisfying because that is always my objective, to defy people’s expectations of what is possible in Ethiopia.

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Return of the mac: Amy Willerton suffers a fashion fail in bright pink satin trench coat at modelling event

She's renowned for looking good in whatever she wears, but I'm A Celebrity alum, Amy Willerton didn't quite pull off her latest style choice.

The stunning blonde, 21, stepped out in a pink satin trench coat which was belted at the waist as she attended the Miss England rehearsals at The Arena in Torquay on Monday.

Judge Amy, reached the top five in the modelling competition in 2012, which promotes 'beauty with a purpose,' meaning the candidates must also be able to showcase a talent as well as good looks.

Styling her hair in a sleek blow-dried do, Amy looked pretty and fresh-faced as she prepared to do her bit.

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She also posted a picture of herself to her Twitter account, writing: 'Lovely to see the #MissBristol team again! @StagesHair thanks for styling me up ready to judge #MissEngland tonight!!'

She had a bit of company while she was there and brought along her younger sister, Erin, 17, who looked lovely in a black leather cropped biker jacket and carried a chic Chanel bag.

The siblings are extremely close and spent their Saturday posting a series of 'planking' images while on a train together.

As well as fooling around on trains it seems like the pretty siblings are working together too.

Erin tweeted a behind the scenes video from a photo shoot which featured them posing and dancing side by side to 'Let me take a selfie'.

Amy has been signed to top London modelling agency, Models 1, who also have models Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Twiggy and Amber Le Bon on their books.

She will mainly focus on commercial modelling opportunities in the UK but no doubt she will also be hoping to land work in the US and will divide her time between the two locations.

Speaking about her news, Amy said: 'This is an amazing opportunity to be signed to a top international agency like Models 1 who have some of the biggest models in the world on their books.

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Erdem Moralioglu is talking about inspiration. “I spent a lot of time in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s archives at Blythe House, looking at amazing pieces from the 1960s,” the Canadian-born designer tells me. “I was inspired by haute couture from that era and by the painter Balthus, whose work I love. I was looking at the inside workings of the garments as much as the outside, examining the contrast between evening and day pieces.”

 

The meticulous research, the attention to detail – you could be forgiven for thinking that this creative process was aimed towards one of Erdem’s high-profile London Fashion Week shows. But no, this was the backstory to a collection of 35 outfits that went no further than a lookbook and a few rails of garments, placed in front of the world’s top fashion buyers.

 

This is pre-fall. Once the bread-and-butter commercial collections, filling the gaps between the drama of the main catwalk shows each year, the “pre” collections (that’s pre-fall, which lands in stores early summer, and pre-spring – sometimes called resort or cruise – which hits rails towards the end of the year) are now something of a creative high point for designers.

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“I really enjoy designing pre collections,” says Erdem – as he is known. “It’s where I get an opportunity to explore who my woman is, for day or night. I use it as a place to experiment with ideas before my main show, but it’s also a very separate collection with its own narrative and story.”

 

It is also a very good a place to build a growing business. Erdem showed his first pre-spring collection in 2009, and now the twice-yearly pre collections make up more than half of his yearly sales and are, in his words, “an important part of what I do”.

 

Creative, but with a commercial spin, pre-fall may just be what your wardrobe is looking for – but if so, where should you start? We asked the fashion directors of some of the world’s leading style retailers for their highlights of the pre-fall collections.

 

Anita Barr, Harvey Nichols

 

“The reality is that many of the “it” items are now coming from the pre collections; the Row’s Anasta jacket already has a waiting list, as do Isabel Marant’s tennis trainers (from £270) and Proenza Schouler’s PS1 backpacks (£1,370). It is a strong season for outerwear too; coats have dominated. We have backed the oversized parka – Valentino’s Butterfly-motif lightweight version (£1,540) has just hit the shop floor.”

 

Tomoko Ogura, Barney’s NY

 

“Fringing and shearling are strong statements. Our favourites include Aquazzura’s fringed cut-out shoe-boots and Alexander Wang’s fringed-back tops, as well as Chloé’s shearling cape-coats and Giuseppe Zanotti’s blue shearling-lined motorcycle boots. We also liked Proenza Schouler’s suede-fringed PS1 pouch. There have been so many beautiful coats, such as Céline’s crombies, which come in an array of luxurious fabrics, and blanket coats from Chloé and Stella McCartney that will see you through winter. My personal choice? A Sacai Luck camel pinstripe coat with a green contrast collar.”

 

Laura Larbalestier, Browns

 

“The key trends we have invested in for pre-fall are: checks (from Carven, No 21 and Christian Dior); graphic prints (by JW Anderson, Roksanda Ilincic and Marni) and capes (from Barrie and Burberry Prorsum). The investment pieces include Carven’s check coats, Saint Laurent bomber jackets and Christian Dior’s convertible coat (£4,050), which is one of the season’s must-haves. Knits are really big too; the animal-print sweater (£760) from Céline is my favourite. It is also the perfect time to invest in shoes, as you have the best choice in pre-fall – I’d suggest a midi heel from Dries Van Noten (£445).”

 

Sarah Rutson, Lane Crawford

 

“For us, pre-fall is about a longer skirt and a cosy knit; we call it the ‘softly, softly’ approach – every brand does it. In particular I love all the soft mid-calf plissé skirts from Céline, and the long fluid skirts from Preen and Sacai. Outerwear plays an important role too, from the tailored coat to shearling, which has become the new fur of the season. Animals are a fun element – from butterflies at Valentino to birds at Preen and poodles in 3.1 Phillip Lim. The bucket bag is the must-have shape, and the shoe is all about comfort – from very flat to a tiny kitten heel or sneakers.”

 

Paula Reed, Mytheresa

 

“A lot of our investments for pre are early indicators of the main catwalk buy. Capes at Valentino and Chloé – and strong geometric print themes at Chloé, Fendi, Givenchy and Proenza Schouler – recur both in pre and main collections. Patent leather accessories are also strong. The fringed trims at Stella McCartney and Saint Laurent are key buys for us, and we think the butterfly and flower prints at Valentino, Erdem and Dolce & Gabbana are likely to be snapped up as soon as they arrive.”

 

Bridget Cosgrave, Boutique1

 

“Key pre trends for us are plaids from Preen and Tibi; capes from Issa, Isabel Marant and Temperley; the midi-skirt from Adam Lippes and Jonathan Simkhai and crop pants from ALC and Acne. Bags with personality are also really strong right now, such as Anya Hindmarch’s quirky Crisp Packet Clutch (around £995) to Proenza Schouler’s fringed bags, and rucksacks from the Row.”

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