Africa Fashion Week Middle East (AFWME) was recently held at Gate Avenue in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), one of Dubai’s most sought-after lifestyle destinations. AFWME featured established African fashion designers, such as Ade Bakare, the Nigerian-British fashion designer; Palesa Mokubung (Mantsho), the first African designer to collaborate with global fashion retailer H&M in 2019; Papy Kaluw’s (Urban Zulu), a Congolese-South African designer; Kiza Bespoke, an authentic signature brand based in Dubai by Joe Osawaye; and Zimbabwean Thando Magumise (Ntombi Couture), one of Dubai’s first African designers and a founding partner of AFWME.

AFWME’s first runway show featuring Spring/Summer 2023 collections will be created by an all-female powerhouse with the vision to reinforce gender diversity and advocate female empowerment.

At the event, AFWME also officially announced its entry into the metaverse through the virtual platform, Semblance World, making it the first-ever African Fashion Week to own a virtual and digital space in the metaverse.

Semblance World, Dubai’s leading virtual platform for fashion, retail and lifestyle in the metaverse, is a space where consumers can explore, experience and shop from the brands they love. With events, collections and brand stories that can immerse and engage audiences anywhere, anytime, thus enhancing global access.

The metaverse collaboration will play a pivotal role in supporting the upcoming AFWME’s first…