Bellafricana published in africa, Articles, Clothings, News, Textiles

Kenyan Company Green Nettle Textile won a major fashion award for making fabric from nettles

Organic fibers made from nettles has bagged a Kenyan company one of the world’s top sustainable fashion prizes.

Green Nettle Textile was this year awarded almost $170,000 as part of the $1.1 million Global Change Award, a fashion innovation challenge initiated by H&M Foundation in collaboration with management consulting firm Accenture and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. Described by some as the Nobel Prize for sustainable fashion, the award seeks to disrupt the fashion industry by choosing early stage ideas and incubating them towards the goal of an environmentally-conscious, circular fashion instead of a wasteful, linear model.

This year, the competition received 6,640 entries from 182 countries, with a tremendous increase in entrances from emerging markets. Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa were among the top 10 nations that submitted entries for the award.

Green Nettle won the award along with four other firms that made expanding children’s clothes (United Kingdom), a biodegradable vegan leather (Peru), a digital system that helps make garments recyclable from sketch to scrap (Germany) besides a toxic-free membrane for outdoor wear (Switzerland). Besides financial support, the winners will also get access to a mentorship program that will take them to markets including Sweden, Hong Kong, and the United States.

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Using nettles in producing fabric was astute given that the plant grows in Kenya and is used for nutritional and medicinal purposes. After the Kenya Bureau of Standards certified the plant in 2009, farmers in Kenya started betting on its newfound commercial capabilities. Green Nettle Textile is now proving an extension of that dynamism, hoping to grow the stinging plant in barren areas to make an environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional fabric and create income for farmers.

As clothes become cheaper and more disposable, the fashion industry has explored how to create clothes for rapidly growing populations while protecting the planet. The overproduction and overconsumption of fast fashion have especially come under criticism—including how eco-friendly is clothing from the chief GCA award sponsor H&M. There have also been concerns about how much energy and water clothing production consumes, besides how much industrial waste factories release into oceans, rivers and natural habitats. Environmental groups like Greenpeace have, for instance, advocated for companies to change their customers’ mindsets and to design clothes for long life.

In Africa, where there’s a nascent manufacturing and fashion industry, local designers are not just challenging reductive ideas of what makes up “African” fashion but also where to source materials from. Last year, Rwanda raised tariffs on used clothing and footwear from the US as it positions itself to become a significant exporter of clothes. Yet funding has proved critical for these designers and manufacturers, an issue creative funds like HEVA want to change.

To further support companies like Green Nettle, H&M Foundation this year partnered with crowdfunding platform Indiegogo to not only get more people to back the winners but also raise awareness about sustainable fashion worldwide.

This article was originally published on qz.com

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Bellafricana published in africa, Articles, bellafricana, Destinations, Resorts,

Tourism The Beauty Of Africa : Top 8 Wildlife Safari Parks In Africa

An African safari trip is an experience of a lifetime as you get to satisfy your wanderlust in the wild and marvel at nature at her absolute finest. Each destination is as diverse as the culture and people so visitors always have a wealth of options for their adventure.

Some travelers come in for the amazing scenery, while others flock to get some outdoor action like hiking and hot air balloon rides. As such, it pays to have an idea of which locations offer what experiences you seek. If the highlight of your safari is to witness majestic wildlife in their natural habitat, however, then consider these top eight wildlife safari parks on the continent:

1. Kruger National park

This is one of the largest wildlife reserves in Africa and is located in the northeastern parts of South Africa in the province of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The park occupies a 19,485 km square and is regarded as a world heritage site by UNESCO. The Kruger National Park is a beautiful wilderness that is home to the ‘Big Five’, as well as hundreds of mammals, including antelope, wild dog, jackal, giraffe, and Blue wildebeest.

2. Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti National Park is located in Tanzania, stretching all the way to the East Masai Mara regions in Kenya. It is a world famous safari park spanning over the 30,000km square with an unparalleled panorama of vast rolling plains. The Serengeti boasts a variety of wildlife including the famous ‘Big five’ – Lions, African leopard, African bush elephant, eastern black rhinoceros and African buffalo. There are over 500 species of birds and carnivores like cheetah, hyena, honey badger, and African wild dogs.

One unique feature and a must-see for every tourist is the annual migration of wildebeest. Over 2.5 million wildebeest, zebras, Thomson’s gazelle, and antelopes migrate here between June and November to find better grazing. This phenomenon has been categorized as a world wonder.

3. Hwange National Park

Formerly known as Wankie game reserve, Hwange National Park is the largest wildlife reserve in Zimbabwe today. The park spans an impressive 14,651 km square and was named after a local Nhanzwa chief. It became a national park in 1961 and is located in the northwestern part of Zimbabwe between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. Hwange offers an amazing variety of wildlife, such as impalas, African buffaloes, lions, as well as one of the largest population of elephants on the planet, and more than 400 bird species.

4. Masai Mara National Reserve

Recently ranked as the number one Safari Park on the planet by World Travel Award(WTA), the Masai Mara Game Reserve is indeed a wonder to behold. It is located in the southwest of Kenya, running along the Tanzanian border and occupying a 1,510 km square area. The park is named in honor of the famous Masai tribe and is famous for its exceptional variety of wildlife including the ‘big five’ and the Great Wildebeest Migration.

5. Chobe National Park

This breathtaking wildlife park is located in the northern parts of Botswana. It is the first national park in the country and third largest park after Kalahari and Gemsbok national parks. Covering up to 12,000km square of land, Chobe National Park plays host to concentrations of diverse wildlife including lions, giraffes, antelopes, cheetahs, zebras, wildebeest and over 450 species of bird. The Park is divided into four areas: The Serondela area, the Savuti march, the Linyanti March, and Hinterland.

6. Kibale National Forest Park

Kibale forest national park is located in western Uganda and spans across 776 km square. It is regarded as having the highest concentration of primates in all of Africa because of its impressive array of chimpanzees, red colobus monkeys, and L’Hoest’s monkeys, as well as other endangered species. Visitors here will also be amazed by the lush rainforest and scenic landscapes.

7. Etosha National Park

Located in the northwest region of Namibia, Etosha National Park covers more than 20,000km square and is famous for its ease in spotting varieties of wildlife. Unlike other African safaris where you have to drive round to see the animals, the animals at Etosha national park usually come to you. Simply park your vehicle near one of the many water holes and enjoy viewing animals in their hundreds — lions, elephants, gemsbok, springbok and various bird species.

8. Luangwa National Park

Several wildlife enthusiasts have dubbed Luangwa National Park as one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world. This is because the concentration of animals around the Luangwa River and oxbow lagoons is among the most intense in Africa. The park is situated in the eastern part of Zambia and covers 9,050 km square area. The river is filled with hippos and crocodiles, while the land supports over 60 species of mammal, including Thornicroft giraffe, cape buffaloes, elephants, and leopards. It also supports a large population of bird species.

Article culled from africa.com

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Bellafricana published in Articles, Clothings, Fashion, Fashion

EONL’s New Work Wear Collection Is Definitely A Stunner

Make way! Eyiyemi Olivia Nigeria Limited (EONL) is coming through with some banging work wear pieces for our corporate chic. And as a sharp girl that I am, I decided to give you a sneak peek at some of the amazing pieces in this HOT new collection.

EONL is a women’s wear design outfit with a strong bias for The Real African Woman who is confident in her curves and loves her African Print. EONL has a ready to wear line made for the real African woman, to supersede her expectations in terms of quality, price, comfort and aesthetic. The mission of EONL is to promote, wear and invest in Africa.

Whatever your size, shape or structure, EONL has what you need to make that body pop! EONL creates pieced for the discerning African Woman, and helps to boost their confidence.

It is definitely a breathe of fresh air that you can now rock amazing, properly fitting, timeless pieces to work, and slay like a boss all through your activities!

This new collection will be available for purchase from the 14th of April 2019. To ensure that you do not miss out on this, follow @eo_nl on Instagram, or connect with the  via email on [email protected]

For now, here’s your sneak peek. See something you like? Feel free to pre-order by sending an email to [email protected] or send a DM to eo_nl

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Bellafricana published in Articles, Fashion, Fashion, Life Style, Textiles

Why Naomi Campbell believes Africa should guard its fashion and fabrics jealously

Africa should guard its fashion and fabrics jealously to stop the western world coming in and making a fortune from them, says one of the world’s best known supermodels.

Naomi Campbell– draped in an elegant gown, in the colours of a peacock with a flamboyant head wrap crowning her towering six foot frame, took to the stage Friday at the Durban International Convention Centre, South Africa for the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit.

“Africa needs to keep its fabrics to itself,” said Campbell.

Campbell is known as one of the longest working supermodels in the world and she hopes the continent can make more out of her fashion world. She believes that African prints and designs can be but exported profitably.

Campbell was the epitome of fashion on stage and appeared to practice what she was preaching.

“It’s Marianne Fassler,” said Campbell proudly of her frock. Fassler is one of South Africa’s pre-eminent fashion designers, who has worked with Campbell before. Elevating African fashion and its designers is a passion of Campbell’s, who has spent 33 years strutting down the catwalks of the world.

“My passion and drive is to see this continent of Africa be as great as it should be,” said Campbell.

The self-styled rebel, Naomi Campbell, was in Durban, South Africa to address leading women from across the continent and the world over.

Today marks the 44th celebration of International Women’s Day. The official date, March 8th, was recognised by the United Nations in 1975 and is a public holiday in many countries across the world.

“We should have more than just one international women’s day, because we do so much,” insisted Campbell.  As well as fine jewellery, Campbell wears many hats. She has spent over a decade working on charitable causes with organisations such as UNAIDS and says that other than empowering women’s health, making sure young girls are educated and self-reliance is very important to her.

Culled from CNBC Africa

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Bellafricana published in African Food, Articles, Local, People & Culture

African Platter Map – 6 Mouth Watering African Rice Dishes You Should Try

Rice can be considered a staple food in Africa, because majority of people in African countries eat this meal in a variety of ways. I think we have more rice recipes than the Asians who first cultivated this crop. My mum is a caterer, and I remember eating different types of rice meals while growing up, and my favorite used to be coconut rice. Still is actually.

The most common way rice is served in African homes, is usually with stew made from tomato puree and any protein of choice. But all over the continent, there has been an amazing rice evolution and we have seen rice dishes made with the craziest ingredients. The fun part however, is that they always taste sooooo good. Today, I will be taking you away from the ”conventional rice world” and I will be showing you some amazing African rice dishes you should definitely try. Lets get started!

WAAKYE

This is a Ghanaian delicacy made with rice and beans, which can be served on its own, or eaten alongside the famous Ghanaian pepper sauce, fish, or spaghetti. This dish is one thing to look forward to on your next trip to Ghana.

KENYAN/SWAHILI BIRYANI

A speciality of the Coast of Kenya, this biryani is one of my absolute favourite kind! The masala is cooked separately and the rice separately, then the two are served together. Some ingredients used in this dish are potatoes, fresh tomatoes and yogurt, to name a few.

MUPUNGA UNE DOVI (Peanut Butter Rice)

I’m pretty sure you have never thought about using peanut butter for anything other than toast. But here in Africa, we make it a point of duty to change the game. This rice dish is prepared with Dovi (peanut butter) and can be eaten plain or served with beef sauce and best cooked with Basmati.

PALM OIL RICE

This rice dish is popularly known as concoction rice, mostly because all the ingredients are put in at the same time. It is an alternative of Jollof, and is prepare with palm oil and other local ingredients such as, dry fish, scent leave or pumpkin leaves.

COCONUT RICE

Have I said that this is my favorite? Oh yes! This dish is made using the milk from the coconut and garnishes with dried fishes, crayfishes, prawns etc. Trust me. this dish is divine! I can make some for you if you like.

JOLLOF RICE

The most popular! This rice dish has caused very interesting twitter and Instagram wars. I don’t even want to go into that right now. This dish is a West African favorite that generated from the Wolof people of Senegal. This dish is used in almost every celebratory gathering, ranging from birthdays to weddings and so on.

What are some other African rice dishes you have tried out and would recommend? let me know in the comments. I just may try it out.

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Bellafricana published in africa, Articles, News, Textiles

CBN To Set To Revive Nigeria’s Textile Industry

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced plans to revive Nigeria’s textile industry, unveiling measures that will see the development achieved. To this effect, the CBN has placed a restriction on forex access to importers of textiles and other clothing materials into the country. Henceforth, importers of textile and textile materials will not be able to purchase foreign exchange from banks and Bureau de change as well as other operators in the official foreign exchange market.

The announcement was made by the CBN Governor, Mr. Emefiele, at a meeting with textile industry stakeholders which held in Abuja last week.

“Effective immediately, the CBN hereby place the access to FX for all forms of textile materials on the FX restriction list. Accordingly, all FX dealers in Nigeria are to desist from granting any importer of textile material access to FX in the Nigerian Foreign exchange market.”

According to Mr Emefiele, the restriction will boost the domestic textile industry as well as create jobs for Nigerians. He noted that the apex bank would initially support the importation of cotton lint for use in textile factories, with a caveat that such importers will begin to source their cotton needs locally beginning from 2020.

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Bellafricana published in africa, Articles, Fashion, People & Culture, Textiles

Cultural Appropriation: Should Western Brands Use African Prints?

What is Cultural Appropriation?  According to the Cambridge dictionary, it is ‘the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture’ So my question to you guys is, is it appropriate for western brands such as the Stella McCartney to use Ankara/ African Wax prints in their designs or is it cultural appropriation? Where do we draw the line between appreciation and appropriation? And who decides this? But most importantly, does fashion have a cultural appropriation problem?

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 21: A model walks the runway at the Gucci Autumn Winter 2018 fashion show during Milan Fashion Week on February 21, 2018 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Catwalking/Getty Images)

Since I began blogging in 2015, many top designers have faced accusations of cultural appropriation.  In 2015 Isabel Marant was accused of plagiarising the traditional costume of a Mexican community, in 2016  Gucci faced a backlash for showing white models in Sikh-style turbans, in 2017 Vogue was criticized for a shoot in which model Karlie Kloss was dressed as a geisha and in 2018 Zara copied the designs of the famous brand Maxhosa by Laduma. I think it is pretty evident that we have a problem with cultural appropriation but would there be an industry without designers taking inspiration from other cultures? It’s a tough debate.

Dr Delice says  “We are still living in a world where white people and institutions are much more powerful than black and brown people and their institutions.”

As much as I hate to say it this statement is 100 ad 10% true. The fact that it’s 2019 and POC are still underrepresented in the fashion world – particularly the luxury fashion world is extremely sad and heartbreaking. My problem with the fashion industry when it comes to the topic of cultural appropriation is the fact that they choose to hire Caucasian models rather than models of the culture that they’re appropriating. To me that is where we draw the line between appreciation and appropriation. I’m sure you would all agree. Why are the people that inspired your collection not representing it? To me it makes no sense. Second of all I believe that some sort of acknowledgement should be present such as donating a percentage of the profits to organisations in that area that inspired the pieces, it’s only fair.

Should Western brands use African Prints?

Personally I don’t see the problem with it AS LONG as they use BLACK AFRICAN MODELS. I feel like the world is so focused on becoming westernized that we’re constantly looking for approval from these countries yet when it comes to fashion they never ask for ours. Its so sad to me that we live in a society where African Designers are not given enough credit or recognition for their work and it is becoming so incredibly frustrating to see designers consistently working hard and pushing boundaries only for their work to be copied and stolen by much bigger global brands. But I can guarantee you that very soon Africa is going to take over the world and I ensure you I will have a front row seat in the changing of history in this thing we call the fashion industry.

This article was originally published by Ivis for CheckOut Africa on the 11th of February 2019

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Bellafricana published in Articles, bellafricana, Fashion, Hats, Jewelry

The Rosa Collection By Zivanora Is A Must Have For Every Elegant Woman

I am not too big on jewelry, but it is very important to me that any piece of jewelry I have to put on, is elegant and has just the right amount of lustre. It is very important to understand how jewelry works with your outfits, as they can either overshadow your entire look or may be covered by the design and color of the clothes. Continue reading

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