The return of fashion to Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast's sixth Afrik Fashion show ended over the weekend in the commercial capital, Abidjan - a city still pock-marked by an armed conflict which ended in April, after the deaths of about 3,000 people.

Ivorians are hoping they have turned their back on a decade of internal strife and conflict and will now retake their place as one of the richest and most developed countries in West Africa.

“There's no doubt that after the crisis we've had, it's fantastic to give people a chance to relax and as a sector make our contribution to the return to normal life,” said a make-up artist, Dieudonne Senato.

Around 150 African designers took part in the fashion week including Pathe'O, Gilles Toure, Angy Bell and Michele Yakice.

Most of the events were held at the headquarters of the country's cocoa board, the industry which forms the economy's backbone - although the new government also wants to make the fashion industry an important money-earner. The prolonged crisis not only damaged the cocoa sector but also Ivorian fabric manufacturers.

The long existence of a rebel zone in the northern half of the country encouraged the smuggling of counterfeit Chinese cloth - exact copies of designs produced by firms like Uniwax. But the country is now reunited. “With the elections over, sales of cloth with printed politicans' photos have dropped and little by little sales of our normal patterned prints are picking up,” says Ange N'Dri from Uniwax.

Each evening the packed crowds watched fashion shows based around a different theme; wedding wear, embroidery and traditional clothes like boubous and African sarong-like garments known as wrappers or pagnes.

Ivorian jewellery firm Afle Bijoux found the crisis really hit sales. “The shop was open but with shooting in the streets, no-one was buying,” said Oukassa (pictured above). “Most of our clients are abroad; there's still not enough money circulating and Ivorians here tend to prefer investing in modern Western products, while it's those in the West seek a link back to African culture.”

Wafa, a Lebanese Abidjan-based designer pictured on the right who specialises in wedding and evening dresses, said: “The sector is still struggling after the post-election crisis. We were closed for two months, but the shop wasn't damaged or looted and it's great now to have big events like this to raise our profile.”

Event organiser Isabelle Anoh said it was important for the apolitical fashion sector to give a different image of Ivory Coast after the political problems.