“It’s a natural event for us to support and Africa Fashion Week gives us a platform to showcase our destination and its unique fashion aesthetic to a world of stylish, trendsetting travelers and people” Roshene Singh, Chief Marketing Officer of South African Tourism

(TRAVPR.COM) SOUTH AFRICA - October 12th, 2011 - Move over London, Paris and New York - the city of Johannesburg’s love affair with fashion will reach fever pitch this month as it hosts Africa Fashion Week. South Africa is the continent’s undisputed fashion capital and all of Africa is heading to Johannesburg for Africa’s most influential fashion week.

South African Tourism once again supports Africa Fashion Week as it works to establish South Africa as a premier fashion, design and lifestyle destination in the world. This year, the Africa Fashion Awards will include the premier South African Tourism Designer of the Year Award.

“Africa Fashion Week is going to be a bold, exciting event, drawing visitors from all over the continent and all over the world, too. It’s a natural event for us to support and Africa Fashion Week gives us a platform to showcase our destination and its unique fashion aesthetic to a world of stylish, trendsetting travelers and people. South Africa is unique, colourful and sophisticated. And our fashion reflects this. Africa Fashion Week generates excitement the world over,” says Roshene Singh, Chief Marketing Officer of South African Tourism.

Joburg will provide the platform for African designers to showcase their designs inspired by the continent. Besides the cream of local design talent, designers are flocking to Joburg from Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, the UK, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, United States and Zimbabwe to show off their wares. Many of the fashion stars who will be featured at Africa Fashion Week have already made a name for themselves in the other style capitals of the world.

“We welcome everyone who is coming to Africa Fashion Week,” Singh says. “We South Africans are a trendy, strongly individualist lot. We also love receiving visitors and showing off our cities, , scenic beauty, culture and lifestyle influences that make us who we are and that influence us as a fashion tourism destination and ultimately as an all encompassing lifestyle destination,” says Singh

Africa Fashion Week promises to be an event like no other. It will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre. Organisers have a number of very special surprises in store. They include a show by a massive-name South African designer at an unexpected location in Gauteng. This year an Africa Fashion Trade Expo will take place alongside Africa Fashion Week. It will provide a platform for the fashion industry to engage with local and international buyers.

The Africa Fashion Awards will conclude the runway show at Africa Fashion Week on October 22.

Africa Fashion Week takes place from October 20 to 23.

###