Source: www.whatblackmenwant.com.

Written by: Ivy Prosper (ivyprosper.com)

Most people can talk about the craftsmanship of Giorgio Armani’s suits or the classic tailoring of Calvin Klein. But, ask them to name a Black male designer and some people can’t come up with one except for urban hip hop labels likeRocawear or Sean John. From 2007 up until he was recently fired, black designer Patrick Robinson was The Gap’s Executive Vice President of Design. One Black man who has received numerous accolades is Sean ‘P.Diddy’ Combs for his non-urban Sean John men’s collections. Some would argue he’s not a real designer but a celebrity using his name to push a label. Can you name one?

In men’s fashion, one of the most respected Black designers is Ozwald Boateng. He has dressed celebrities including Will Smith, Laurence Fishburne, Jamie Foxx and Keanu Reeves. He even created a suit for the most powerful man in the world, President Barack Obama. Despite not being a household name, Boateng is one of the fashion industry’s most successful Black designers.

Based in London, England and of Ghanaian descent, he has been in the design business for over 20 years. He assisted other designers with their work before he officially launched his own label in 1995. Boateng was the first Black to open a shop on London’s historicalSavile Row. Since then he has continued to marvel the world with his ability to create clothing that brings together his love of culture and his desire to create clothing that embodies the essence of a man.

Boateng is known for his use of colour, texture and refined fabrics. He mixes the contemporary with traditional style details. The quality of craftmanship in his work is highly recognized in the industry. It truly represents the image of a modern man who appreciates well made clothes. He credits Giorgio Armani as a source of inspiration. Boateng says it’s because of what Armani has done on a global scale that inspired him to become an international designer. In the BBC documentaryfilm about his life ‘Why Style Matters‘, he said “Style is personal and is a reflection of who you are and your character…colour has a lot of meaning because colour can also be very spiritual.” He went on to discuss his ability to understand the male form and how important cut is to creating the illusion of a slimmer body no matter what a man’s jacket size is.

For his winter 2011 collection he remains true to his vision of fine tailoring and perfect details. This teaser looks like his colours are more subdued with hues of grey, black and charcoal. But, Boateng was quoted as saying that even when he uses black, he still has the ability to create colour with it.

Watch the short video clip below for a peek at his collection for this season.

Visit his website for more information about where you can find his clothes.

http://www.ozwaldboateng.co.uk/

In order to increase brand awareness ODF clothing has hosted events such as ‘Rip the Runway UK’, which was launched to raise money for charity and gathering awareness using up and coming designers and artists, and ‘Roots of Fashion’, which is related to black history month, both events were huge successes with future shows being inevitable.

The clothing designs are contemporary yet highly fashionable and embrace the idea of simplicity. The initiative behind the designs is to create tasteful street wear which attracts a diverse market, the alternative meaning for ODF – original, diverse and fresh reflects how the creators want the brand to be perceived. The latest clothing range features a new embroidered emblem, which helps to make the product stand out and gives the designs more of an appeal. This is especially visible on the polo shirts making them both a smart and casual item of clothing for both a male and female audience and ideal for any wardrobe. Smile for the haters was another popular range from ODF with previous customers. Through constantly creating new slogans and designs this allows ODF to remain up to date and the next step for the brand is to generate more awareness, hosting more events around the UK, and keep producing highly fashionable designs. The brand has already worked closely with a number of charities and hopes to branch out as charitable foundation in the future.

Glimpses of the clothing range can be found on their website which is due to launch at the end of September In the meantime more information about the brand can be found on their facebook page or twitter.  @ODFClothingUK

www.odfclothing.com

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Also, the African print materials used are “your grandmothers” prints. These same African print materials used for the hats is what is being used for the collection.

Click for more on Akua Sarfo, the designer and IyZaiah Collections

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Akua Serwaa-Sarfo (born 1 June 1988) is a Ghanaian-born aspiring fashion designer, producing apparel for both women and accessories for men. She is a full-time student at the University of Ottawa. Although Serwaa enjoys Public health and charity work, her true passion has always been in fashion. She took an interest in fashion at a very young age and began designing outfits for her dolls as well as herself. Her friends realized that they can’t let this talent go unnoticed so for her 21^st birthday they chipped in and got her a sewing machine. In about a month time Serwaa taught herself how to sew. She designed and sews every piece of IyZaiah’s collections.

About IyZaiah

“My line represents a channel for my expression of life; being the best YOU, you can be but never forgetting where you come from. IyZaiah epitomizes sophisticated fashion forward couture fusing African culture with contemporary flare,” said Serwaa.

The name IyZaiah, meaning “the Lord helps me”, has been one that has always been close to the designers’ heart. It is the name she wants to give her first son therefore the line is named after him.

Serwaa is a huge supporter of independent women who are strong, confident and proud of their heritage. Her designs represent the way in which she views women. Sophisticated! IyZaiah for women is designed to enhance the natural beauty of a woman while pushing the limits of African fashion.

Shows

In October 2009, IyZaiah debut their first collection, An Ode to Africa, at Carleton University’s Akwaaba Showcase.

In February 2010, IyZaiah had a fashion show at the Carleton University Black History Month Show.

In October 2010, IyZaiah released its new collection, The Gold Coast Collection, at Nigeria’s Independence Day Celebration.

What the Future Holds

There is a lot in store for the future. Serwaa is currently working on her 3^nd collection, which is set to debut in November 2010

In Spring 2011, IyZaiah will launch the men’s collection so please look out for that.

IyZaiah shoe collection will also debut in Spring 2011 along with the men’s collection

Contact Information:

Website: www.iyzaiah.com

The Gold Coast Collection Description

IyZaiah has released its second women’s collection called The Gold Coast Collection. This collection is dedicated to the beautiful and diverse personalities in the country of Ghana, where the designer was born and raised.  This collection comprises of 12 pieces; 6 cocktail dresses and 6 gowns. The pieces in this collection are very diverse, just like the characters of those in Ghana. The pieces range from, serene and mellow gowns, to punk-like cocktail dresses, to girly embellished dresses to bold backless gowns. In every ntoma piece used for this collection, there are intricate traces of gold in it, which symbolizes the richness of these personalities.

(Below are pictures of this collection)

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THANKS FOR ALL THOSE WHO PRE ORDERED. THE SHIRTS ARE NOW SELLING AT REGULAR PRICE OF $20 FOR WHITES AND $30 FOR COLORED SHIRTS (red, yellow or green).

This merchandise will be distributed in yellow, red and green as well.

Shipping

Local GTA – No Shipping $20.00 Canada $25.00 US $30.00 Worldwide $40.00

Sizes

Medium Large X Large XX Large

Shipping

Local GTA – No Shipping $20.00 Canada $25.00 US $30.00 Worldwide $40.00

Sizes

Small Medium Large

Kustom Looks is an independently owned and operated custom apparel company. We specialize in creating customized apparel for both men and women. Our expert haberdashers and master tailors employ a precise calibration system to design clothing that perfectly compliments your dimensions. With over 3,000 fabrics to choose from, our extensive inventory affords you the highest quality designs at affordable prices.

Your consultation with our dedicated haberdashers means that you don’t only get a suit–you get a way to project any image you choose to everyone who sees you. From the tiniest detail to the overall appearance, your desired image is born of careful consideration and expert craftsmanship.

President/CEO, Kwab Asamoah

Corporate Services

Kustom Looks works with a variety of corporate clients to solve their image and dress code challenges through the manufacturing of quality, polished, effective apparel for employees, customers, and prospects.

What can we offer to your company? Here’s a sample menu of what we can offer your company:

Executive Wardrobe Service – Bringing Kustom to You Like most executives today, your time is at a premium. That is why we have created a comprehensive wardrobe building service designed specifically for individuals who have a need for business clothing attire, yet little or no time to shop.

Dress Smart Workshop – The Kustom Looks Dress Smart training program helps your employees to gain a competitive edge by significantly improving their visual impressions in personal and professional situations. This program can be customized to meet your particular business needs.

CLICK TO GO TO THEIR OFFICIAL WEBSITE

For more information on how to get your own ghanalinx tee, email us at: ghanalinx@gmail.com

UNFORTUNATELY THIS LIMITED EDITION IS SOLD OUT. CHECK OUT OUR NEW DESIGNS COMING OUT FOR THE WORLD CUP

Check them out

www.blueicegear.com – website currently under construction
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Clothing is customised to provide YOU with the ability to print YOUR traditional name at the back of YOUR tops, with one of the Adinkra Symbols (e.g. Gye Nyame).

We are NOT just trying to jump on the self-made-clothing ban wagon; this is more than a clothing line…

The aim is to not only make individuals look stylish and unique, but to also educate and showcase to the world that we Ghanaian’s are more than what people stereotype us to be. We are unique individuals with deep rooted culture… hence the customised clothing

So whether for an event, a fashion show, or general wear, the idea is to make YOU feel proud of YOUR country, to REPRESENT YOUR Culture, to REPRESENT YOURSELVES and to let people know who YOU are and where YOUR from

Click on icon to go to official website