Three models strut on the runway at African Fashion Week London in Diane Carlton designs. (Photo: Simon Deiner/SDR Photo & Lola Grafix Photography)

The Caribbean region was well-represented

at the 9th edition of Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL) with Trinbagonian

fashion brand, Diane Carlton Style. The annual fashion event, which took place

at the historic Freemasons’ Hall in August, is Europe’s largest in promoting

and nurturing African and African-inspired design talent.

This year’s affair saw throngs of style

influencers, public officials and some of the most popular designers from the

African diaspora community in attendance to mix, mingle and celebrate the

beauty and vibrancy of Afrocentric contributions to the global fashion scene.

Humbled by the opportunity to showcase for

the first time ever in London, Stacy Weekes-Benjamin, Creative Director at

Diane Carlton said that it was an honour to represent the Caribbean on such a

well-respected fashion platform. Ironically, the invitation for AFWL came

shortly after she was rejected by organizers of an Emancipation Day fashion

show in Trinidad, who felt as if her designs were not “African” enough.

Creative Director at Diane Carlton Caribbean, Stacey Weekes Benjamin (Photo: Simon Deiner/SDR Photo & Lola Grafix Photography)

Motivated by one door closing,

Weekes-Benjamin explained, “This was a moment for me to stay true to my

creative point of view, but to also celebrate the global African connection

that has certainly influenced so many types of expression both in and outside of

our culture.” She made the decision to apply to the AFWL showcase after strong

encouragement from her husband and family and was pleasantly surprised to learn

that she was given the nod of approval.

Diane Carlton Style was the only designer

from this region to be officially selected to showcase at this year’s AFWL

event, and she wanted to use that opportunity to sell Trinidad and Tobago to

those in attendance – including HIH Princess Adewmimo Shijuwade of Nigeria.

Final Walk: The brand new Diane Carlton resort collection incorporates vibrant, mixed prints in an ode to the Caribbean (Photo: Simon Deiner/SDR Photo & Lola Grafix Photography)

“Having the opportunity to promote on such

an important stage is really a wonderful opportunity. I learned a lot from my

debut European runway showcase in Germany last year and I wanted to make sure

that I was fully prepared for this event, especially with having such

prestigious guests present. I spent lots of time putting together this

collection – sketching, selecting fabric, preparing samples, the full works.”

With all eyes set on next year’s roster of activities, Diane Carlton is already gearing up to return to the AFWL franchise in 2020, along with other new opportunities that have formed as a result of her successful showing a few weeks ago.

— Written by Tenille Clarke (@tenilleclarke1 on Instagram/Twitter)

Tenille Clarke is an avid wanderlust,Carnivalist and cultural enthusiast who pens about her ongoing love affair withtravel, culture and entertainment through a Caribbean lens. She is thePrincipal Publicist of Chambers Media Solutions and Managing Director ofIndustry 360.