Africa Fashion Week 2011: Trend Alerts

There were some very clear trends that emerged from the shows at Africa Fashion Week 2011. Aside from traditional African prints, that is. The prints were there, but decidedly less so than usual. Almost as if, as the rest of the world turn to our fabrics as the next wave of pillaging Africa, our designers have turned their backs on them. Leading to the incredible, international trend-bucking preponderance of black. Whole collections of black. Not gothic black, basic black. It was an affront. And yet, I get it.
Alongside this black came an emergence of dazzling gold hard wear. Most significantly at Tart. And I loved it. Ghetto fabulous and modern, the gold knuckledusters, cuffs and chains were a witty contrast, an attitudinal f-you to those who have stolen our indigenous prints. Loved it. Mozambique designer Taibo Bachar also used an exciting array of gold hard wear in his military inspireed collection. Fierce as an army, this collection pounded down the runway, and made me notice.
The other trend that seemed to overtake everything, including in some cases, good taste and sense, was sheer. Gang, here is the news flash, sheer is in. Just not in every garment. And here is a styling suggestion, combine your sheer with stunning fripperies of lingerie. There is absolutely no need to get you nips and thongs out. Really. There are only so many boobies a fashion editor wants to see in a 60 hour period, and my limit was surpassed after the first three hours. Done.