Essence Fashion Digest: Industry Africa Launches Afrofuturistic Capsule, Issa Rae Stars in Stuart Weitzman Film, and More | Essence

This week in fashion was full of noteworthy moments, from the world’s leading luxury retailer Industrie Africa teaming up with iconic African cultural destination AfroFuture to nurture the next generation of African designers through a special capsule collection to singer Solange becoming the face of Wales Bonner’s latest fall campaign.

Meanwhile, prolific designer Haider Ackermann was announced as Tom Ford’s new creative director, TikTok fashion influencer Wisdom Kay will host the upcoming LVMH Prize event for the first time, and Coach launched a new campaign starring Storm Reid and Jayson Tatum.

Finally, actress and producer Issa Rae is one of the faces of Stuart Weitzman’s latest campaign film.

Scroll on to learn about what’s happening in fashion this week.

Industry Africa and Afrofuture team up to nurture emerging African designers

AfroFuture has partnered with Industrie Africa, the world’s leading retailer of luxury and contemporary African fashion and a premier destination for all things African culture. Both brands will invigorate the African fashion industry and the partnership will strengthen the next generation of African fashion designers.

The partnership officially kicked off with a curated capsule collection by Afrofuture featuring emerging designers from across the continent, who will also be present at other events in the fashion world, from Lagos Fashion Week to the Afrofuture Festival in Ghana, including a special launch dinner held in New York City last night to mark the start of New York Fashion Week.

“we [fifth] “As we head into our 100th anniversary next year, we are reflecting on how Industry Africa has evolved as a platform for the continent’s most dynamic designers. It is our greatest honor to serve as a platform for these creators and to showcase the level of meticulous craftsmanship and unparalleled storytelling that goes into the art they produce,” said Nisha Kanaver, Founder and CEO of Industry Africa.

Kanabar added, “As our partnership with Afrofuture takes shape, both brands share a belief that the foundation of this collaboration must live in our joint efforts to continue nurturing the next generation of creators. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to represent the industry through an edit of this impressive designer and look forward to seeing how this partnership unfolds.”

Designers taking part in the product launch included Papa Oppong, Fruché, Moshions, Onalaja, Orire, Rendoll, Something Good, Romaria Knitwear, HAWII, Gozel Green and Lalela Scarf. The products will be available on Industrie Africa’s website until the end of the year.

Shop emerging designers’ creations at industrieafrica.com.

Coach Launches “Unleash Your Courage” Campaign

Coach’s latest campaign, titled “Unlock Your Courage,” tells short stories about having the courage to choose self-expression over perfection and features ambassadors dressed in punchy looks from the brand’s Fall 2024 collection, the company said in a statement. The newly announced ambassadors, including Storm Reid, Elle Fanning, Charles Melton and Nahza, star in energetic images by British photographer Elaine Constantine. Coach bags are a running theme throughout each character’s transformation.

The campaign also features a film shot by Camille Somers-Valli. Campaign ambassadors include Jayson Tatum, Kōki, and Yongji Lee. Reid makes his Coach eyewear debut, Tatum wears the eyewear and watches, and Kōki models the new Times Square Tabby.

Solange stars in Wales Bonner’s latest Autumn/Winter 2024 campaign

If there’s one star who most closely aligns with the Wales Bonner aesthetic, it’s Solange Knowles. The singer’s latest endeavor is being the newest face of the Wales Bonner Fall/Winter 2024 campaign. She appeared in a beige suit at the label’s previous runway show, and wears another tailored ensemble in the campaign. She also wears an open knit dress surrounded by warm, glowing lights, and in another image, she’s smiling and up close and personal. Solange’s style is similar to Wales Bonner’s design codes, being very chic and effortless.

Influencer Wisdom Kay hosts LVMH Prize event

On September 10th, the LVMH Prize event will be held in Paris where the finalists will be announced. Wisdom Kaye will be hosting the event alongside fashion social media expert Derek Blasberg. This is a big event not to be missed as this is Kaye’s first time participating in the show. He is known for his fashion content on TikTok showcasing different themes of clothing and styling. His career is on the rise and we can expect to see more opportunities like this in the future.

Issa Rae stars in Stuart Weitzman’s latest campaign film

Stuart Weitzman has released a new fashion film titled “How Lovely To Be A Woman,” starring Issa Rae, Aly Raisman, Christy Turlington, Lucy Liu, and Ming Xi, who are current ambassadors for the beloved brand. The film touches on both the professional and personal achievements of the women as they juggle them throughout their careers. Themes of self-confidence and self-love are explored in this short film.

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The film’s soundtrack, taken from the 1963 musical “Bye Bye Birdie,” underpins the dramatic black-and-white vignettes of each woman, redefining the song as an anthem for female empowerment.

Haider Ackermann is Tom Ford’s new creative director

Creative directors continue to play a game of musical chairs at luxury and mainstream brands, but this move seems more deliberate: Haider Ackermann was announced as Canada Goose’s first creative director in May, before moving to Tom Ford to take on the role, succeeding Peter Hawkings, who left the position in July.

“I’ve been a huge fan of Haider’s work for a long time,” Ford said in a statement. Boff“He has a great sense of color, his tailoring is sharp and, above all, modern.”