BUILDING BRIDGES — The Afro Trend Affiliation and trend college Istituto Marangoni Milano are teaming as much as assist the LABA Douala Academy in Cameroon.
Aimed toward fueling alternatives for African trend abilities, the initiative entails six masterclasses provided to graduating college students and alumni of the artwork and artistic college within the African nation.
Centered on pattern forecasting, assortment growth, sustainability and digital transformation, the teachings will likely be hosted by Istituto Marangoni Milano professors.
“We’re proud to be supporting this undertaking which isn’t solely instructional however truly builds bridges between African abilities and the worldwide trend panorama,” mentioned Michelle Francine Ngonmo, head of the Afro Trend Affiliation.
“For somebody like me, raised with completely different cultural backgrounds, the significance of translating a multicultural id right into a artistic language may be very clear. This initiative permits Cameroon-born college students from the LABA Douala Academy to discover their roots and reinterpret them by way of a up to date lens affirming their very own voice,” she added.
Enrolled college students will likely be tasked to current a capsule assortment, to be evaluated by a devoted jury which incorporates Ngonmo, in addition to Diana Marian Murek, director of schooling at Istituto Marangoni Milano, amongst others.
The very best undertaking will likely be bestowed with the highest prize, masking the schooling for a grasp’s diploma in trend design at Istituto Marangoni in Milan.
“Expertise is aware of no boundaries, it’s a unprecedented common language,” mentioned Murek. “The synergy with the Afro Trend Affiliation stems from an genuine hyperlink which is able to allow us to develop significant initiatives, led by a typical imaginative and prescient and need to generate a concrete impression,” she added.
Contained in the LABA Douala Academy.
Courtesy of Afro Trend Affiliation
Because it was established in 2015, the Afro Trend Affiliation has been supporting abilities of various backgrounds with an authentic give attention to the African continent. It has through the years championed younger creatives based mostly in Italy and belonging to underrepresented communities who’re lively in artistic and entrepreneurial industries.
In 2023 the group held its first Black Carpet Awards occasion, celebrating leaders of change in fields together with trend, design, meals, music, sport and cinema, amongst others.
