Zen Garden hosted its annual 8th Fashion High Tea event celebrating Haute Couture last weekend. With the seismic pressure currently taking place in the world of fashion, of course comes with great expectation.
The previous Fashion High Tea events have received quiet good reviews and great showcase, so the pressure to deliver each year keeps mounting. The crowd always consist of high profile guests and personalities, you never know who you are going to see.
I got to attend the event courtesy of Be Afrika Discovered Magazine to work with a photographer to bring out their selected theme/concept. I won’t say much about that, Watch out for their coming issue.
Drop me an email in case you need a link to the issue once it’s out. Meanwhile you can have a look at the previous issue here
Surprisingly, I thought the runway would be my favorite part of the event or seeing the chaos backstage. I instead fell for the magnificently set up show spaces for the designers/brands, which gave me an all-important lesson in bustling luxury market.
SHOW SPACE
I visited some of the stands, had a good laugh with Lucy Rao of Rialto Fashions, got very pretty earrings from her, and networked with some amazing designers/brands.
One thing I wouldn’t have predicted However were the models. Most were not the typical skinny models we are used to seeing on our runways. Having gone backstage before the runway showcase began for the magazine shoot, I couldn’t immediately tell who the models were. The only thing that gave some away were their heights.
BACK STAGE
The runway show started with a cast of creative designers parading models down a vast, spot-lit runway to the sounds of great music and beats by the Dj. Majority of the collections were entirely wearable.
The colour palette chosen by majority of the designers offered strength and simplicity. While some had a subtle tone, others had bright hues. Some a mix of sunset stripes and paisley prints. I would have loved to see more menswear though.
Some of the designers who showcased include Koki Designs, Rialto Fashions, Mara +Elle, Zoe Sevak, SABAI, African Classics among others. Overall, impressive designs and craftsmanship.
RUNWAY
The ending was an astounding and unforgettable spectacle of models dressed in African prints dancing to Sauti Sol’s live and die in Africa; A Moet & Chandon’s closing show performance.
I will update once video is up on Eleksie Youtube channel.
To sum it up, it was a great event. Spirits flagged and heels dragged despite the weather. Food and drinks in plenty.
Maybe more runway showcase and more designers next time. Kenya has talented designers that I would have loved to see showcase. Majorly, what everyone would want from a fashion show.
More about the event check here
Photo credit: Phtech Photography via Be Afrika,
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