GOMA, Congo (AP) — This Congolese fashion designer takes needlework, sewing, and cutting as a way to send a message to the world. Conflict in eastern Congo has been raging for decades as several warring factions battle for control of precious mineral resources. Frequent killings and violence have led to an exodus of refugees. On Saturday, organizers launched the ninth edition of the Liputa Fashion Show, which they said was an opportunity to inspire peace and unity across Africa. The Goma exhibition showcases designers, models, and artists from Cameroon, Senegal, Burundi, France, the United States, and others.
“Through art, all the colors that we will express, through our clothes, it will be full of emotions, trying to explain what we are going through in our country," Flore Mfuanani Nsukula says in her Goma workshop. “Africans must be one, be united. It is true that we have a very wide cultural diversity, but this diversity must bring us together,” Cameroonian fashion designer Délia Ndougou said. She presented a collection inspired by her nation’s flag. “We really wanted to convey joy in the clothes, peace in the clothes, very cheerful styles, a question of making the world smile,” added Chadrac Lumumba, a creative stylist from Kinshasa.“We think we have sent a message to say that all these people who have come from elsewhere, that means that the situation is already improving,” Nsukula said after debuting her new collection on the runway. “We had those who came from the Central African Republic, Cameroon, USA, France, to come and present their collections. That means that there is hope, security, with time, it will improve.” In addition to highlighting Congo's fashion industry, the show also aims to promote a more positive view of the continent. “We presented these collections, not only to sell the visions of these creators, but to show that in Africa, in (Congo), the areas that are considered ‘red,’ we can do things there that we see in other countries that have peace,” says organizer David Ngulu.
