If you are reading this post chances are you a reader of this blog or an upcoming designer trying to find ways to show his or her collection during some of the most reputable fashion weeks in the world: New York, Paris,Milan,London etc... Let's be real there is no magic tricks to show your collection but  this post can help you think about ways to get there. These questions crossed my mind a few times before and I also always wondered how do designers make the list for New york fashion week for example. Before thinking of showing your collection at any reputable fashion week I would suggest you establish yourself locally first, work on your skills  and work your way from there. I went on the net to find out some info about this question and stumble upon this blog called Search for Style . The blogger of this site Alexandra writes about different ways you can show your collection and also warns the designers about how expensive it is to put fashion show together. Here is a snippet of her post.

After my last outfit post  a few of you were asking about the red lipstick  I was wearing  but before I get into that let me tell you about a little story about my lipsticks.  Until a year or so ago I never ever in my life  wore any type of colored lipsticks. I always wore my black lipstick and that was all. Without even trying I was under the impression that red, pink, orange will never work for me because of my skin color. I even used to tell my mother how I hated her red lips. Then one day I went to Walmart and tried just for the sake of it a red lipstick and it looked really good on me. Anyone that knows me will  really be surprised the first time they see my red lips lol. I learned to love my colored lips and now I am unstoppable. I have a few different brands and slightly different colors but the 2 that I swear by are the following:

 Skirt (fashion-conscience) Jacket (Topshop) Earrings (forever21) shoes (Topshop).

LITTLE CREATIVITY
Here is thing there is no way you will make it in this business without so kind creativity ( noway). I have said this over and over again just because African fashion is taking off does not mean that we can all jump in the wagon. You may think well there are a lot of celebrities such as Jessica Simpson, Kimora lee simmons , Victoria Beckham to name a few that are successful but they are not designers per say. The difference between  you and them is that they have creative directors behind them and are loaded with money. Trying to copy the work of a western designer by using African print will not work. If you want to stand out among others you have to be different. The key is that you can be a designer with no sewing skills  but can't be a designer with no creativity. This does not only apply to African designers but all designers . Unfortunately if you create your business and make the same dress over and over again with different fabrics you will miserably fail. 

When you start your fashion label one of the  most important  thing you should think about is : Who am I going to design for ? or as we call it your  target market. In recent years there are a lot people who are jumping the wagon of designing just because African print has gained a lot of attention. They don't take into consideration the skills required to be a fashion designer. I began sewing a year ago however that does not qualify me as a designer. What baffles me in the African fashion industry is that anyone who puts 2 pieces of fabrics together is called a fashion designer. If you are someone who is just starting is this business then my question to you is where do you fit in ?