Afrodyssée 2019 brings Africa’s newest wave of trendsetting designers to Geneva

IT’S Spring in Geneva and along with it the Afrodyssée African Style Market will be back in town for its fifth edition introducing the latest, exciting batch of trendsetting African fashion, beauty and design influencers to the European continent.

Some 40 designers of men and women’s fashion, accessories, jewellery, cosmetics, decor and design will present their unique, high-quality creations, some for the first time. An evening fashion show profiling the most audacious and popular brands promises to be an event highlight.

Trendsetters at home and abroad

These brands draw on the beauty, richness, diversity and traditions of their native lands: the colors, textures, patterns, fabrics, techniques, as well as the aesthetics of the landscape and by-products of nature to create unique creations that set trends at home and will undoubtedly find fans on this continent as well.

Take, for example, the cowry shell, which has been favored by the kings and queens of the Ivory Coast since the 15th century and which has a long tradition of having been used as ornamentation on the garments of the African middle class.

They can now be seen in the meticulous ‘cowry crowns’ of Ivoirian jewellery designer Lafalaise Dion, whose collaborative work with the Ivoirian/Malian/Nigerian fashion brand Fekhanti you’ll be able to discover at Afrodyssée 2019.

Roundtable talks on important social issues

In addition to the Style Market and evening fashion show, the event will also play host to three afternoon roundtable debates on issues pertinent to Africa today, including, “The return of cultural property and African heritage”; “Recognising the status of the creator in Africa”, and “Cultural Appropriation”.

Distinguished participants will include Marie-Laure Croiziers de Lacvivier, a Senegalese art collector, activist and a UNESCO moderator  for 28 years, who created the Fondation Fenêtre Sur, an institution that works to raise awareness of African art and artists in the West.

Food Village offers popular African dishes

Visitors will also be given the opportunity to have their portrait taken by renowned African photographer Marc Posso in a unique decor designed especially for the occasion.

Throughout the day and until midnight, a Food Village will offer the best culinary trends to be found in African cuisine today, with the organizers having chosen four caterers for the quality and presentation of their dishes. While Afrodyssée is a paid event, there will be free access to the food market from Rue Henri-Christiné.

Style Markets are hugely popular in Switzerland and among them Afrodyssée certainly stands out for its unique theme, content and quality. Attendance numbers have grown with each successive edition and Afrodyssée 2019 can only win over more enthusiastic fans. ♣

Afrodyssée 2019 – African Trends Market
Saturday, 15 June 2019
Food Village: 13h00 – midnight
Roundtable talks: 13h00 – 16h45
Photo Studio: 15h00 – 20h00
Fashion Show: 20h45 – 22h15
After Party: 22h30 – 04h00
Maison Pitoëff, Geneva
Rue de Carouge 52, 1205 Geneva
For full information on the day’s programme of events and ticket options/prices, please consult the Afrodyssée 2019 homepage.
Tickets: online purchase.
Afrodyssée on Instagram.

Caption main photo: SELLY RABY KANE from Senegal has just collaborated with nine other African designers to create IKEA’s Överallt special collection under the patronage of the Design INDABA agency. Her unique and lush style is deeply rooted in her Peuhl culture.