Season: S4/2018
Introducing “Bold Romantics”: Three women are the stars in Vlisco’s new campaign.
Romantic because they dream high, and bold because they achieve even higher: Three daring women embody our new campaign in a fanciful domestic scenario, projecting how change begins with the day-to-day. Every morning they scrutinize their wardrobe to choose the best possible outfit for the journey ahead, be it a business meeting, a celebration, or a family occasion.
The vintage atmosphere of the backdrop evokes a nostalgia that resonates with the romanticism of the season and the longevity of the Vlisco fabrics that are often passed on from one generation to the next.
The women
Anita Erskine
To Anita Erskine, change truly starts at home.
“Presidents won’t change the country, it is you and I who will change the country”
says Anita to explain why she set up the Women’s Elevation Fund, which grants scholarships in Ghana to outstanding female students with no financial means. The TV host and communications entrepreneur, renowned for her unstoppable energy, dresses accordingly in vibrant Vlisco prints and body-enhancing silhouettes.
Fafa Gilbert
Fafa Gilbert puts Ghanaian cuisine on the world map via social media.
“Have a legacy, be a legacy and leave a legacy in the making”
she claims from her Instagram feed. Coming from the Volta region in Ghana but living in London, she skillfully interweaves both cultures in her recipes as well as in her unique fashion approach.
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Wax Hollandais
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Wax Hollandais
Ayokunmi Abdul
Ayokunmi Abdul impacts on women through her textile business. With a lifetime passion for clothing, she left an office job to pursue her dream of developing the fashion industry in Africa and founded LKA Fabrics in Nigeria. In the process, she has learned that constraints are not obstacles, but opportunities:
“Time or money shortage drive creativity and focus, so embrace them!”
The talented creatives
The house of Anita Erskine’s parents in Accra is the setting for the photo-shoot. Its opulent details and vintage feel match perfectly with the new fabric collection, while the chimerical paintings from Ghanaian artists Jasper Arts, Heavy J., Fakira, and Stoger, create a surreal atmosphere. Four different African designers created the outfits for our muses, from the body-flaunting gowns of Yartel to the modern cuts of Jewel by Lisa, and the fantasy additions of Lumière and Sadia Sanusi.
The new collection
Opposites coexist in Vlisco’s new fabrics collection, named Bold Romantics. The patterns feature baroque flowers and trimmings, but also bold cars and boxing gloves, all in a sophisticated palette that includes pink, blue, mint, and a brand-new hue of purple, inspired by a fairy garden of hyacinths. Romantic yet powerful, the woman in our lookbook is a force of nature, a heroine overcoming trials in order to fulfill her dreams. So are the designs she chose to wear, where soft ruffles and frills are juxtaposed against structured silhouettes.