Fashion designers from Bamenda, in Cameroon’s North West Region, thrilled audiences at the ongoing second edition of the African Heritage Fashion Week and Awards in Buea, with ingenious outfit designs.
Among them is 25-year-old Nde Vanista, a fast-rising former trainee of renowned Cameroonian fashion house, Nuvi Creative.
Growing up in Mankon, Bamenda, Vanista always had a passion for dressing people up and admired models and fashion designers.
Her dream was to become a fashion powerhouse, not only in Cameroon but in the world at large.
Despite her family’s initial plans for her, she embarked on the brave pursuit of her childhood dream.
After completing high school in 2017, the 25-year-old enrolled to learn dressmaking at a fashion house in Bamenda.
However, in 2020, her boss relocated to Douala, abruptly halting her journey.
Undeterred, Vanista continued teaching herself with a sewing machine and a turning point in her pursuit came when she received a scholarship to further her training at Nuvi Creative, a reputable fashion school in Buea, South West Region.
Today, she is the Chief Executive Officer of Vani-Star, a fashion house in Bamenda, and her designs are gaining recognition.
She was among several fashion designers from Bamenda whose works stood out at the African Heritage Fashion Week and Awards holding at Pinorich Villa in Buea.
She showcased her collection, receiving admiration from the audience for her innovative designs for both females and males.
With all the work she does, she thinks the world needs to know about her collection of dresses.
During the fashion week, she dressed models who were able to portray her designs on stage, gaining admiration from the crowd.
With just three years of experience, she says she designs dresses for both men and women.
“In this business, I am very passionate about it. My aspirations are very high. I intend to grow bigger than this and have a bigger fashion enterprise in the future. I give myself like two years to come because the way I am going in it, I believe I can do better. I will equally have a model agency too,” she told MMI in an exclusive interview.
Dressed in her cowgirl outfit, Vamosta says most of hAer designs can be used for different kinds of events.
“I had casuals, smart casual, and party wear, among others,” she said.
She attributed her success to Nuvi Creative, a Cameronian fashion house founded by Nuvi Gana in 2007.
The African Heritage Fashion Week and Awards is a brainchild of Nuvi Creative, and it aims to valorize Cameronian and African designs and cultural heritage.
“AHF Week 2024 sets out the platform for all fashion actors’ know-how and regard for their creativity. It’s geared at breaking through the walls that have kept designers, models, artists, bead makers, and fashion buyers limited in their success in their respective domains,” Nuvi Gana, organiser of the event, told MMI in an earlier interview.
Nielly Smart, owner of Davido Fashion in Bamenda, is also among Bamenda designers who are making waves at the event. He is there to showcase his designer shoes.
The footwear comprises sandals and cover shoes, among others. They are designed with classic cultural outfits, signifying the culture and customs of the people.
“What made me do shoes is because I believe in this African culture and craft,” he said.
He turns leather material and others into designer shoes. His efforts, aside from just designing, are also about revitalising culture.
That is why the collections he showcased in Buea had design features embedded in them.
Meanwhile, Fouodji Lafoues Gladys from Gladys Fashion House in Bamenda makes all kinds of dresses for both women and men, except suits.
She has been in the industry for more than 10 years and thinks that the African fashion industry still has a long way to go.
That is why she hardly relents each time there is an opportunity like the African Heritage Fashion Week and Awards to showcase her work to the world.
However, she said access to the market and the ongoing Anglophone Crisis remain some of the challenges.
The designers are optimistic about the future of Cameroon’s fashion industry, given the increasing demand for their products.
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