It seems as if the fashion industry still has its eyes set on Africa. Known for jump-starting the successful careers of several contemporary designers like Phillip Lim and Zac Posen, GenArt will be casting its talent net outside of the US and onto the emerging markets within Africa. Coming off of L'Uomo Vogue's recent Afrocentric theme, fashion industry incubator GenArt has taken a particular interest in Nairobi, Kenya, where they've recently launched an initiative that involves charity, conservation, and of course, scouting.
Having just sent its new global division to the East African city, the organization plans to make cultural exchange a main priority in markets that show promise and longevity. “GenArt Global aims to be the ultimate connector between cultures, visionaries, artists, philanthropists and entrepreneurs,” GenArt Global Director Martine Bury said.
While in Nairobi, GenArt busied itself donating clothes and hosting a fashion show that spotlighted seven breakout African designers including Adele Dejak, Lalesso, Bella MATATAT, and Katungulu Mwendwa. On top of that, two of the featured designers will receive the opportunity to show at New York Fashion Week for the GenArt Fresh Faces show. In addition to Kenya, GenArt also plans to make future trips to Brazil, China, Australia, and other parts of Africa.
