Six students will exhibit physical and digital designs based on traditional Nigerian fabric

Manchester Metropolitan is collaborating with the largest showcase of African design for a heritage-focused catwalk show.

African Fashion Week London (AFWL) is the longest-running African design showcase, now in its 15^th year.

Six students impressed the AFWL representatives this week with their collections based on the Nigerian heritage Adire fabric. Three students will have their designs expertly made for the physical catwalk, while a further three will have their designs created for a digital catwalk. They will be showcased at AFWL’s fashion show this summer.

The project also illustrates the University’s commitment both to traditional fashion design and cutting-edge digital methods, with the students focusing on Adire fabric, an indigo-dyed cotton cloth with distinctive patterning that has been the focus of preservation projects in order to protect Yoruba culture and history. 

Katie Greenwood, Lecturer in Fashion Design at Manchester Met, said: “Our students worked with samples of Adire to produce new interpretations using different textile approaches. Some crafted knitting inspired by Adire or transformed the Adire through innovative construction techniques. Their designs aim to bring Adire to a new audience who won’t have heard of it.”

As well as using Adire as a focus, the students also took inspiration from a wide range of influences such as Savile Row tailoring, the Winter Olympics and youth-subcultures. 

Anna Marie Benedict, Press and PR Director for AFWL, said: “I’m really pleased that the students got their hands stuck in. I’m loving the quilting, the embroideries and the fact that they’ve taken a Nigerian -heritage fabric and transformed it into a fabric that can be worn for colder climates.”

Samson Soboye, Head Stylist at AFWL, said: “Manchester is an industrial city. Tech and sport are more represented here and many of the designs are true to its industrial heritage. It’s good to see how young people have been encouraged to work in different ways. Manchester Met has a huge campus and there is room for creativity to just blossom and be encouraged and sprout to new forms of delivery.” 

“Adire is a heritage product. Sustainability is at the core of what Adire is. It’s great to see how designers of the future are thinking about that in their processes.”

The student creations will be exhibited at African Fashion Week London which runs from August 9 – 10.