Africa-born ‘Fab Five’ designers open Milan Fashion Week

Five designers of African origin opened Milan Fashion Week’s “We are Made in Italy” virtual show on Wednesday, as Europe’s fashion world seeks to highlight long-marginalized voices. The virtual show aims to support Black creators by giving a platform to designers with diverse backgrounds. Dubbed “the Fab Five”, many of the the Africa-born designers moved to Italy at a young age. They faced considerable obstacles on their road to recognition, with some working in low-paying jobs to finance their passion. DW takes a look at the debut designers and their journeys to Milan Fashion Week. ‘I’m not an ethnic designer’ Joy Meribe, a 43-year-old designer who was born in Nigeria, said she decided to leave because “designers have no status” there. After coming to Italy, Meribe said she faced an uphill battle to gain recognition. “As a woman and an immigrant in Italy, I had to work twice as hard to prove that I have the same skills as the others,” the designer told news agency AFP. A model walks down the runway wearing a creation from designer Joy Meribe She studied for her master’s in international business in Italy, where she worked as a cultural mediator. “I’m not an ethnic designer, I… Read full this story

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