Zimbabwe based fashion house David Alford Harare makes national history by being the first locally based design house invited to showcase at New York Fashion Week 2017. David Alford Harare is a contemporary minimalist Fashion House which brings an exciting notable new dimension to African Fashion.
The house fuses past Fashion influences, Art and Architecture to create modern day clothing and accessories.
Since the launch of the Brands first collection in April 2015, it has enjoyed much recognition at home and abroad. Its founder, 26 year old British born Fashion Designer and Creative Director David Alford left the UK for Zimbabwe where he settled and launched his Fashion ambitions. In December 2014 he set up his own Fashion Studio where he began working to produce his first solo collection, ‘Under the skin Winter 2015’. Shortly after he debuted this collection at the Harare International Festival of Arts (HIFA), which then spurred him on to pursue his own show at Zimbabwe Fashion Week.
David Alford went on to be awarded Designer of the Year in September 2015 just five months after his debut. Fast forward to 2016 while working towards his Winter 2016 collection, ‘Fallen Angel’, David received official invitations to take his work to the runways of Accra and Nairobi Fashion Weeks as well as representing the Zimbabwean Fashion Industry at the UNESCO African Fashion Reception held each year in Paris.
The end of 2016 saw no decrease in pace for the house with them going on to be awarded two Best Designer titles, an invitation to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Cape Town, and another to New York Fashion Week in February 2017.
Saturday 11 February 2017 will go down in Zimbabwean fashion history as David Alford debuts its Autumn/ Winter collection titled ‘On the Precipice’ inspired and influenced by one of the 7 natural wonders of the world – The Great Barrier Reef.
“I think we as humans have and will always be fascinated by the transition between life and death. This collection is not only a banner to raise awareness about the destruction of one of our great natural wonders, but also that power I feel nature has of making something look even more beautiful even when its disintegrating”. – David Alford
Considered one of the four major fashion weeks in the world the New York Fashion Week consists of numerous branded and independent events around the Fashion Capital such as such as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York, Street Fashion Week, Harlem Fashion Week and Fashion Week Online.
Creative Director, David Alford said
“2016 was a tremendous year for the brand to further its reach outside of Zimbabwe, and for our overall team to refine developing collections. 2017 looks set to take the Brand to new heights and give us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in more prestigious Fashion Shows with the hope of our garments being stocked by International stores etc.”
New York Fashion Week definitely seems like a sure fire way to get David Alford Harare started in that direction. The event kicks off from the 9th to 16th of February with predominantly invitation only buyers, members of the press and the general public hosting renowned brands such as Vera Wang, Victoria Beckham, Marc Jacobs and Caroline Herrera. We wish them a kick ass show!
Follow their journey to the ‘Big Apple’ via Instagram here
