Meet the first 10 designers of Plus-size Fashion Week Africa 2018

From the UK to New York to Ghana, designers from all over the world are set to showcase their designs on the runway of PFWAFRICA2018 at the Main Banqueting Hall, Oriental Hotel.

Get familiar with our first 10!

1. VonRay

Hailing from Shreveport, Louisiana by way of NYC, VonRay has over 10 years of Fashion Styling, Design, Film, Mentoring and Production experience. The Dynamic Duo is comprised of Dennis R. & Latasha H. The brand has worked with several celebrities & industry officials; their past Accessory & Apparel Designs and Style work has been featured in (covers & editorial spreads included) publications such as Heed Magazine, Marie Claire, Urban Ink, Beyond Classically Beautiful, Stylish Curves, Lane Bryant's Blog, Just Jared, Eclec Magazine, Huffington Post (Style) and more.

2. JPKouture by Hadassah

JPKouture ethos is that every plus size lady is beautiful and their clothes should complement and enhance this beauty, hence building the confidence of a curvy lady. This motivated JPKingdom‎ CEO to birth JPKOUTURE by Hadassah in 2013, a brand dedicated to designing and producing fabulous pieces using Exotic fabrics with Modern and Sultry twist.

JPKouture specializes in creating beautiful couture pieces with blend of ankara, sequin, lace, etc. Each piece is carefully designed to enhance the curves and create elegant silhouette for full figured ladies, making her feel beautiful and flawless. JPKouture by Hadassah is the pioneer of the Plussize movement in Africa and also the founder of PLUSSIZE.

3. O'Saunders

O’Saunders is a fashion brand which completely represents the ideology of modern day woman taste in fashion. The brand started in 2010 by Olabisi Saunders, a fashion graduate with the aim of providing uniquely crafted garments and accessories which give a sense of confidence, luxury, modernity and functionality to women of different sizes and colour. The O’Saunders brand provides both ready to wear and high-end dresses to complement the modern day woman.

4. SGTC Clothing

An SGTC WOMAN is Bold, Confident and not afraid to stand out and make a Statement with Fashion. SGTC CLOTHING is a contemporary Afrocentric, ready-to-wear Fashion Brand that celebrates women of all Figures. In just 2 Years and over 250 designs under its belt, the journey has been that of intense hard work and firm consistency. From a little tribe to building a culture of presenting African prints, especially Ankara, in a unique way thousands of people globally want to be a part of.

5. Modavi Couture

Modavi Couture is a Nigerian Ready-to-wear fashion brand. In business for approximately two years, it caters to women with different fashion styles, dress sizes and shapes. Modavi Couture believes in self confidence, that every woman is beautiful in her own unique way and is eager to add some fabulousity to the already fabulous self.

6. Ashanti Swimwear

Ashanti Swimwear is a Ghanaian owned unique African print swimwear line. Designed this line to tell the story of African culture & fashion, its mission is to see women in all shades and sizes around the world embrace and celebrate the true meaning of traditional African culture & prints in the luxury swimwear industry.

African fashion and culture is evolving around the world and the swimwear industry must evolve with this change and increasing demand because beauty is beyond shade and size. Ashanti's prints and patterns represent timeless African royal culture and every pattern and colour represents a unique meaning of life. Ashanti Swimwear launched in November 2016 and in just over a year the brand built a very strong social media presence due to creative promotional videos and images. Ashanti Swimwear has been worn by Hollywood celebrities Gabrielle Union and Kelly Rowland and has been featured in ELLE Magazine, Huffington Posts, Daily Mail, Yahoo News, Cosmopolitan, CNN, BuzzFeed, Essence, Pop Sugar, Madame Noire, E News, Bravo TV and many more.

7. Scarlett & Jo

Scarlett & Jo was founded by Gifi Fields the veteran — say vintage, designer whose career started in the 1960’s. Gifi has always been an innovator and is credited with designing and producing the first ra-ra skirts amongst many other iconic designs and shapes. Also well known for producing beautiful prints, and soft flowing fabrics, with Scarlett & Jo he has set about designing new fun and feminine cuts and shapes that enhance the full figured woman. There is a consistent illusion of the hour glass that Scarlett & Jo produces that work with women of all shapes. Some say Gifi has invented cuts and shapes that have made all women curvy.

8. Perlicious

Falling in love very early for African fashion, and the miscegenation of cultures, Sarah CODJO, native Beninese and African native decided to put her pearl talent in the heart of her life. After a diversified professional life, she decided to embark on entrepreneurship and put her creativity into her professional life in 2008 in Dakar, then returned to base in Benin in 2009. Since then, she has already realised seven collections, a minimum of one hundred (100) unique pieces made entirely by hand, under the name PERLICIOUS Accessories.

Since 2012, she has represented Benin, her country of origin, at fashion shows, exhibitions and cultural meetings, in the following countries: Benin - France - Ethiopia - Kenya - South Africa - Malawi. PERLICIOUS proposes a creative, personalized, inclusive (all sizes matter) and rich fashion .

9. Areke by Juliet

Areke by Juliet is a jewellery line founded by miss world Kenya 2004, TV producer, Musician, Actor and mother of Two girls — Juliet Atieno Ochieng. Areke is inspired by the bold unapologetic African woman and uses locally available materials like Brass, Leather, Beads, sisal and cow horn to create one of a kind pieces. The brand workshop is based in the biggest slum in Africa KIBERA where talented youths are engaged and helped in the carefully hand crafted needed in designs thus creating employment and empowerment to them.

10. Morin.O

Morin.O is a contemporary leather accessories brand inspired by artistic Innovation and ethnic designs for the sassy,confident and fashionable individual. The brand is known for production of exclusive handcrafted leather accessories to accentuate style, giving a platform of personal expression for that priceless fulfilment.

Founded by savvy contemporary African art collector Maureen (Morin) Obaweya, Morin.O's core strength lies in commitment and ethos of being the best in the leather goods industry through service, attention to detail and strong commitment to customer satisfaction. Using the finest of leather, all Morin.O handbags and accessories are handmade at workshops in Nigeria and are sold at exhibitions and boutiques and stores at home and abroad.