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Fashion Special Africa’s Top 10 Male Fashion designers
Mustafa Hassanali
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“A fashion designer with an entrepreneurial mindset, his advice to young designers
is to always stay focused and work hard.”
has seen him create the Swahili Fashion Week, East and Central Africa’s largest fashion event. Now in its fourth year, it is next due to be held in November in Arusha and is a dynamic platform to gain exposure and visibility for young Tanzanian designers. It also aims to bring seasoned and talented Swahili- speaking designers from other African countries to showcase their creativity, to celebrate their African fashion to an international audience, market their art and network with a diverse array of clientele. A medical doctor by training, Hassanali takes his social
M
ustafa Hassanali is a man for whom fashion is a religion. Esteemed as one of Tanzania’s most revered designers, his flamboyant creations are a fusion of the deeply embedded cultural heritage of Tanzanian society with avant-garde, hip and
contemporary styles. Known for showcasing four collections every year, Hassanali described his 2010, Parfum d’Amour collection as “a sensual collection, inspired by the love of life, aptly timed for St Valentine’s Day. It’s a collection for the women of confidence, power and prestige. The gowns are elegant and exquisite to the core, flaunting the feminine fragrance of sensual spirituality.” Hassanali’s brand has taken him to the Mediterranean
Fashion Festival in Sicily, Italy, the India International Fashion and Arise Fashion Weeks, Durban and Cape Town Fashion Weeks, Kenya Fashion Week and other shows in Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda and Mozambique. Hassanali also participated in Fashion for Relief in 2009, organised by British supermodel, Naomi Campbell. His desire to foster talent within the Tanzania fashion industry
responsibilities to heart, which has lead to the creation of the Fashion4health brand. He uses his platform as a designer to bring much needed awareness to medical challenges through charitable events such as ‘Breast Cancer Awareness’ and ‘Violence Against Women’, held annually to raise funds to help victims in Tanzania. He also supports the Zanzibar Mental Hospital and his interest in women’s issues has led Hassanali to establish Tanzania Women Entrepreneurs Network and Development (TWENDE), with the aim of empowering women. A fashion designer with an entrepreneurial mindset, Hassanali plans to open a fashion school to teach those interested in the industry to learn everything about fashion and design. His advice to young designers is to always stay focused and work hard. He also runs a media and events company, 361 Degree. He hopes the enterprise will become East Africa’s leader in providing creative, concise, customised and cost-effective event, media, PR and social networking solutions.
Belinda Otas
“His flamboyant creations are a fusion of the deeply embedded cultural heritage of Tanzanian society with avant-garde, hip and contemporary styles.”
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