OUT & ABOUT AT THE HUGELY SUCCESSFUL AFRICAN ARTS & FASHION BANQUET IN LONDON AN AFWL PRODUCTION

ALEXANDRA BURKE & PRINCESS FIFI EJINDU

AFWL FOUNDER, RONKE ADEMILUYI & NTDC DG Ms. SALLY MBANEFO

MRS. OBIOMA LIYEL-IMOKE, 1ST LADY OF CROSS-RIVER STATE

NADIA BUARI

 Date was Sunday, August 4, 2013. Venue was the very prestigious Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane, Mayfair, Central London. Some say this is London most prestigious and most expensive Hotel in London. It used to serve the Queen of England very well in times past and we heard that the late Michael Jackson and many other stars/celebrities have stayed there before.

The event was the Inaugural edition of the African Arts & Fashion Banquet. It was the crowning glory of the 3 days fashion extravaganza known to all as the Africa Fashion Week London, which had clocked 3 this year. It is the 3rd edition of the annual catwalk & exhibition showcase. For 3 days, from August 1st till the 3rd, 2013 at the massive Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane, in the Shoreditch area of East London, 100 designers and a large number of exhibitors showcased their talents and exhibited their wares, while many thousands of fashion enthusiasts, guests, buyers, media people etc converged at the venue to feed their eyes and buy or make orders.

On Sunday, August 4, 2013 the grand-finale of the whole past 3 days held at the Dorchester Hotel, grand ballroom. Big kudos to the AFWL team led by the founder Ronke Ademiluyi, a really big one to the AFWL Life patron, Princess Fifi Ejindu, who is also the President & Founder of the African Arts & Fashion Initiative. These 2 great Nigerians and their hardworking team with the support of GLO Communications delivered an A-class showcase worthy of several encores. A big thank you to Otunba Mike Adenuga for helping to make the 4 days a reality. 

Just slightly above 200 great guests from all over Africa and supported by other guests from the UK were gathered at the venue. We saw the likes of High Chief Edem Duke, who has gradually shown that he is an orator par excellence, Mrs. Obioma Liyel-Imoke, the first lady of Cross-River State, looking gloriously elegant, fine artist of International repute Yinka Shonibare, Senator Grace Bent, Bianca Jagger, the wife of Rock star Mick Jagger, Alexandra Burke, Shingai Shoniwa, Biola Okoya, Nadia Buari, Billie Lee, a top UK architect, Alexander Amosu, June Sarpong, Professor Reverend Julien Ciakudia, who delivered a powerful speech about the re-integration of Africa & Africans, top model and philanthropist Noela Coursaris-Musunka, Adebayo Jones, DG NTDC, Ms. Sally Mbanefo, Kemi Adewunmi just to mention a few.

The AFWL life patron & chairperson of the advisory board, who is also the President/Founder of The African Arts & Fashion Initiative Princess Fifi Ejindu, delivered a powerful speech, where she expounded on the need for Africa & Africans to rise up to the challenges of youth unemployment. She went on further to explain that the banquet is in support of the African Arts and Fashion Initiative, and the purpose of which is to drive an African Arts and style renaissance to motivate, sensitise and most importantly, empower Africa's talented array of upcoming designers and artists. Supporting and promoting African exhibitions globally.

In all it was a glorious night, spiced with excitements of all kind. There were fashion shows by the likes of Adebayo Jones, Thula Sindi, Ella & Gabby, Zizi Cardow, Moofa, Kitoko & Sally Intiego. And truth be told they all did very well.  Apart from the fashion showcase there were a couple of musical performances-Debra Dee did so well, a duo also performed and not forgetting the trio of the CEO Dancers who dazzled all with their very well choreographed moves.

We have for you, some of the images for the night.  Event was supported by GLO.

OVER A HUNDRED PICTURES FOR YOUR VIEW. PLS CLICK ON READ MORE BELOW

BIOLA OKOYA SHINES AT THE AFRICAN ARTS & FASHION BANQUET IN LONDON..........

BIOLA OKOYA

BIOLA OKOYA WITH FRIENDS

The gorgeous daughter of the billionaire industrialist Chief Razaq Akanni Okoya, in the person of Biola Okoya seems to be back with a bang! After hibernating all this while away from the prying eyes of the media before resurfacing at her niece's wedding a few months back looking all rested and gorgeous. We caught up with her at the Dorchester Hotel venue of the African Arts & Fashion Banquet on Sunday, August 4, 2013 looking cool & very collected. 


Apparently she was one of the pillars of support that made the event a glorious success. She is one of the AFWL 2013 Goodwill Ambassador, so she was involved from the word go with the planning & execution and the delivery of a great event. 

So we say kudos to her & welcome back to social platform. We have really missed you. She had on this beautiful lace ensemble at the event and was up & about moving graciously as she welcomed guests.

'BOOBALICIOUS' GHANAIAN BOMBSHELL NADIA BUARI & MOM AT THE INAUGURAL AFRICA ARTS & FASHION BANQUET 2013 IN LONDON

NADIA BUARI & PROUD MOM

NADIA

Many would not forget in a hurry this GLO sponsored event at the very prestigious Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane, Mayfair area of Central London on August 4, 2013.

The event was the inaugural edition of the Africa Fashion Week London Grand finale banquet tagged the Africa Arts & Fashion Banquet 2013. Africa & Africans were made proud on the day of the event. Kudos to Princess Fifi Ejindu, Ronke Ademiluyi, the AFWL & GLO for a good job well done

It was a gathering of stars, celebrities, top Government officials of many countries, business people etc. One of those that shown like a bright star at the event, was the glorious & ever gorgeous Ghanaian top actress & beau of our own equally handsome actor Jim Iyke, in the person of Nadia Buari. 

Truth be told after standing in very close quarters with her for a while at the event, it's obvious why her beauty is so well celebrated. Nadia is flawlessly beautiful or so it seems. Jim Iyke truly has got a good eye, not only is she beautiful, she's also very pleasant and very respectful;  combinations you don't necessarily get to see or notice from acts (stars) like her. 

She was one of the awardees of the night, she like Genevieve Nnaji, Richard Mofe. Damijo, & Ms. Dawa Noga-Lemberger (Founder of Malawi Fashion Week) were honored with the African Fashion Ambassador Awards. Whilst she was around to pick up her plaque, the other trio were absent, but that didn't take the shine off the awards at all. The delectable one who showed off her equally very beautiful 'twin-peaks' to the delight of all, came to the event well dressed like a very beautiful African Princess with her gorgeous mom in tow. The proud mama, sat inconspicuously by her daughter, not wanting any attention whatsoever to herself.

LONDON GETTING READY FOR AFWL 2013 & AFRICAN ARTS & FASHION BANQUET 2013 WITH THE SUPPORT OF GLOBACOM

PRINCESS FIFI EJINDU

THE DORCHESTER

Two of the best things to happen in London this year are set to happen come August 2013. The Africa Fashion Week London 2013 is going to be far much bigger and far better than the previous 2 in 2011 & 2012.  This year's edition is the 3rd in the series of the yearly event. Dates for the biggest Africa inspired fashion event of the year is from August 1 till 3, 2013, so African designers from all over and even those inspired by the motherland would all be converging in the Queen's Land and the venue is the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane Road, E1 6QL

This year's showcase catwalk/exhibition would have about a 100 designers & close to another hundred exhibitors. Undoubtedly the past 2 editions of the annual event have been unparalleled great successes. Come August 4, 2013, just a day after the grand-finale of the AFWL 2013 at the 5-star Dorchester Hotel, the very gorgeous Princess Fifi Ejindu, who is AFWL Life patron, would play host to the cream of the London society mixed with other top guests from around the world to the inaugural edition of the African Arts & Fashion Banquet 2013. 

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