What went down at Black Fashion Week in collaboration with [@WegBara]

By Lauren Dei

What  do  you  get  when  you  mix  an  elite  blend  of  black  designers, a highly respected fashion institution championing equality across the industry, the UK’s  premiere membership  club  for black  women, and an upscale Central London venue fitted out for a full day of paradigm-shifting power-dressing? 

Cue  Black  Fashion Week, hosted by Weg Bara,  the international black women’s private membership club. Founded by mother-daughter team Belle and  Barbara En Wegbara, the club has a  growing sisterhood that spans London,  Manchester, Belgium, and the Netherlands, with Dubai next on these enterprising ladies’ list. Their goal: to give professional black women opportunities to network, share exclusive experiences and be unapologetically fabulous. 

On  September  19^th in the  West  End district of  St  James’,  Black  Fashion  Week united the community in celebrating black creativity.  A roadblock queue of fashionistas gathered in the midday sun outside plush Crown Estates venue, 12 Waterloo Place, with hopes of grabbing front row seats next to major fashion press editors and their favourite influencers. Barbara En Wegbara, rocking a suit from the latest collection by one of the event’s featured designers, Aissata Ibrahima, was seated front row on the day. 

‘Getting the calibre of guests we have here today is an achievement we’re proud of’ said Barbara, the mastermind behind W Events of The Season – a programme of networking,  experiential and luxury party events for both members and the public alike. ‘Support from our partners has made all the difference – people from other backgrounds increasingly want to engage with the community, and we ourselves are much more open to working together. Today is about celebrating the power of collaboration in the fashion business and beyond.’ 

The show unveiled new collections from influential brands across the diaspora: Adinkra, Aissata Ibrahima, Final Cut the Label, Grindshine, Kayadua, Kahindo NYC,  Kiwi  &  Yam,  Shako  The  Label and  Verly  Designs. A shoppable exhibition brought the focus  back  to  supporting  black  businesses, with designers  from Elephant  & Bamboo  and  Adinkra  on-hand  to  mingle  with  the  guests. Legendary  DJs Femi Williams and  Kofi of  The  Young  Disciples closed the night with a soulful afterparty set. 

Partnering with the Fashion Minority Alliance was a no-brainer in bringing this event to life. As an agent for real change,  the  FMA works behind the scenes to promote the progress of  BIPOC  creatives, inspiring long-term shifts towards fashion industry inclusivity.  Branding expertise,  logistical support and digital design pointers are just a  few of the resources the FMA has invested in making Black Fashion Week a success.  

‘It’s been amazing to watch these plans blossom into action,’  said Barbara  Kennedy-Brown, CEO of the FMA. ‘Weg Bara shares our ethos about levelling the playing field in the fashion world; this event has put some more designers on our radar whose work we’ll be keeping up with in the future. Kiwi & Yam’s protest on the runway was a  show-stopping moment. The  brands  represented tonight are  all  so  unique  and  different from each  other  – it’s  great  to  not  only  see  their  work but to also hear their stories.’ 

If you weren’t front row and centre to hear those stories first-hand don’t worry – GUAP  had full  VIP,  front row and backstage access.  So put on your imaginary guest pass,  rock your flyest outfit and sip some rosé from your favourite mug while we bring the show to your screen. Welcome to the after-after party.

Discover more from GUAP’s fashion section here