Guess who is back ? I know, I know, I have such a bad blogger. I've been busy working on my personal blog, but y'all know Ciaafrique is my baby.I wanted to stop by and introduce you to a new brand I've discovered last month. When I shared a picture on Ciaafrique's facebook page a few of you wanted to know a little more about the brand, so here we go.

  FURAHA which  means “happy” in Swahili is a socially-conscious East African brand created in 2010 to combine delight in TheirAfrican heritage with the joy of providing meaningful work for local artisans.They are best known for their “Kikapu”, a traditional hand-woven raffia palm basket adorned in vibrant African prints and hand-woven textiles. The raffia palm baskets are hand woven by rural women weavers from villages in Central Uganda. Because their weavers derive 100% of their income from production of the baskets, FURAHA started an initiative called “Weave Out Poverty” to promote the common traditional skill of basket weaving into a home-based industry. The ultimate goal of “Weave Out Poverty” is to provide income-generating opportunities, as well as reliable and sustainable employment for the weavers. FURAHA women entrepreneurs can go on to eventually create their own small businesses and secure loans that allow them to expand their workshops and weave a proud future. Check out more photos below and on Facebook 

I first saw the collection of Tanzanian designer Evelyn Rugemalira during the Swahili fashion week. I was delighted to receive her latest collection a few days by a fellow blogger. According to the Swahili Fashion Week website Evelyn was an operations manager for a family-owned business is Dar Es Salaam when she opened a clothing fashion label called Eve Collections after an inspiring trip to Nigeria.

 Click to Shop similar dresses 

Eve Collections features pieces of luxurious fabrics of Kitenge, fused with a wide range of high quality of linen, cotton, chiffon, raw silks together with sequined beads. Eve Collections caters for the needs of creative, risk-taking women who share the same desire for sensuous, feminine fabrics in fresh, luscious colors. Eve Collections does not just design but also pays attention to detail and works with the client for ultimate customer satisfaction. 

 I was  and still a big fan of Chichia london but I am just not to fan of this made by Africa collection much . Although there are a few pieces that I like I cannot relate to the style of model. Maybe its because I am still stuck with the image of previous collections. Anyhow what do you guys think ?

Pooja Jeshang is an upcoming talented fashion designer who graduated from Birmingham City University in England last year. She is currently a freelance designer who has used her time effectively to launch her own brand Saffron which specializes in Ready to Wear and evening wear. Pooja takes her inspiration from a range of sources in her everyday life whilst also being inspired by culture and society across the globe. She was named a top eight emerging designer for Swahali Fashion Week 2010.She currently has two collections in her portfolio, the first Military Power which she worked on in her final year at university and the second Jambo Afrika which she launched with her label Saffron at Swahili Fashion Week 2011.

             
Mustapha Hassanali    7 pieces  collection during the  fashion Business Angola was very simple. The models walked in Black flawy  dresses  with a touch of the signature Maasai  fabric. Mustapha will be heading to Joburg  for Africa fashion week  next week so my guess is that more of this collection will be unveiled then

What is the name of your fashion label and its designer? 
Anna Luks is the design label and my name is Anna Lukindo

When was it established? 
I started the launch of Anna Luks towards the end of 2010

Where are you based? 
London

Tell us about your fashion background, how you got started, why you got into fashion and the type of designs you do.
 I guess I got into fashion from my mum and older sisters but it was always in my nature to create. Apart from my architectural back ground, I also was very much into performing arts and into design and won first prize in a design competition too back home in Tanzania. After I had my family, I got back into clothes designing and drawing. As I always loved working with a variety of textiles a lot of my work in Anna Luks uses recyclable materials such as ropes, cords, and yarn. My clothing designs and accessories are at present mainly for women.

How hard was it to get started? 
As anyone who runs their business can tell you it’s not easy to set out on your own, especially in the fiercely competitive world of fashion. You just have to be determined and have great support networks in place.


What has been your greatest success to date within the fashion industry? 
Launching Anna Luks, receiving positive feedback and from within the industry (creative peers, photographers, models) and general public supporters.

What is the future vision and aim for your label?
More collections from Anna Luks, expansion and international recognition. Check out 

http://www.annaluks.com/ for the rest of the collection.