The Emancipation Support Committee of T&T (ESCTT) boasts of the largest Pan-African Festival outside of the continent of Africa and kicks off its 31st year of celebrations with the fashion extravaganza, Ewa Afrika …. Sankofa Style at the Queen’s Hall today from 4 pm. The event is being directed by celebrated regional production designer Richard Young.
Young posits that “this fashion exposition is a theatrical spectacular.” It will be featuring not only 24 of the country’s leading designers but highlights luminary talents–Vaughnette Bigford, Charmaine Ford, Kyle Hernadez, Abeo Jackson, Conrad Parris, Caribbean Steelpan Connextion, and Wasafoli Performing company.
According to Zakiya Uzoma-Wadada of ESCTT, last year the people of T&T were invited to a Nubian Renaissance, and “this year we embrace our past, as we look toward the future, so get ready for Ewa Afrika 2 … Sankofa Style!”
Designers on the lineup include The Cloth, Heather Jones, Zadd and Eastman, Lisa Faye, Donna Dove, Shaun Griffith Perez, DAWW Creations, Diane Carlton Caribbean, Naballah Chi, Indigenous Designs by Dominique La Roche, Sheldon Warner, Deron Attzs, Cournelius Hector, Anthony Redd, Mark Eastman, Athaliah Samuel, Darianne Phillips, Elizabeth Francis, Carmen Merrique, Kadija Dyer, Nubian Experience, Xoana Designs and Akilah Jaramoji.
The event is a cornucopia of African and Afrocentric fashions. Also being featured are Ghanaian designers Faustina Ansong and Josephine Hayford with leading Caribbean designers, Guyana’s style maven, Sonia Noel, and Dominican-born Antigua-based uber-creative Miranda Askie.