It was only last year that Africa and the world saw two seemingly power houses Africa Fashion International (AFI) and Arise Magazine enter into what appeared to be a divine relationship, Arise’s sponsor of Africa Fashion Week produced by AFI. Some of the key terms of the agreement were: 1) co-naming rights of Arise Magazine to Africa Fashion Week, Africa Fashion Awards and Capetown Fashion Week; 2) The duration was for five years and of course the hype was over the moon on the new relationship given the 2010 Arise Africa Fashion Week which would coincide with the 2010 FIFA World Cup games in South Africa. After a relationship that at best lasted for six months, since the signining of the agreement last year, both big wigs have terminated their relationship.

Both camps are silent on the reason for parting ways.

Arise Magazine plans to continue showcasing African designers at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week through its African Fashion Collective. In addition, in increasing the magazine’s brand visibility and also getting African designers directly in the mix of things, Arise plans to debut the African Fashion Collective designers, for the first time, at Paris Fashion Week in March. For AFI, it is on to finding other title sponsors.

~Ladybrille Magazine Staff
Photo: AFI’s Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe & ThisDay/Arise Magazine’s Nduka Obaigbena
Photocredit: Simon Deiner

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