African fashion magazine Arise hosted its fifth show at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week earlier in September.
(CNN) -- In the heart of London, one of the style capitals of the world, African fashion has found its new home.
Based in the UK capital's bustling center, Arise calls itself Africa's first and foremost global style and culture magazine. The bimonthly publication, which has so far been printed 16 issues, first hit the newsstands in 2009 and is now sold in 26 countries across the world.
Its illustrious pages are striking a chord with what the magazine calls Afropolitans -- a new generation of young and urban "Africans of the world" who breathe fashion and are fascinated by arts and culture.
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Dakar Fashion Week 2012
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Penny McDonald, international managing director at Arise, says there was a gap in the market for a quality offering that would showcase the wide-ranging talents of African designers while breaking stereotypes about the continent's culture.
"There were lovely designers out there who never got a look into the traditional markets and the traditional outlets," she says. "We want to show the other side of the vast continent and that's what this does."
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The large-format magazine, which was initially published every four months, was determined to be competitive amongst other fashion heavy-hitters right from the start.
For its first cover back in 2009 it landed some of the fashion world's most glistering stars, including supermodels Alek Wek and Liya Kebede. Since then, a wide array of African and international icons, including Charlize Theron, Alicia Keys and Denzel Washington, have all been featured in Arise.
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According to McDonald, convincing readers and advertisers about the magazine's quality was the biggest challenge at the beginning.
"A lot of people in the past thought 'oh, another black publication, oh God, I've seen it all before, it's full of hair and make-up.' And then they suddenly sat back and realized 'my God, actually the content is pretty solid.'
"We have phenomenal journalists, phenomenal models and now they do want to participate. The brands are following us and that journey has been very slow, but the brands are there. The hardest battle of keeping a publication like this alive is to get the commercial viability working and that's what we do and we push everyday to find sponsors, advertisers, just everyone to support us."
Bur apart from highlighting African style and culture through its pages, Arise is also bringing the continent's fashion to catwalks across the world -- over the last few years the magazine has held a series of international fashion events, helping established designers and inspiring young talents to showcase their creations.
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More recently, Arise hosted its fifth show at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. Dubbed African Icons, this year's show featured the glamorous and chic collections of five African designers: Ozwald Boateng, Tsemaye Binite, Folake Folarin-Coker of Tiffany Amber, Amaka Osakwe of Maki Oh and Gavin Rajah.
"Our aim is to create an international audience and platform for the best African fashion talent," says Helen Jennings, editor of Arise.
"We always choose different designers who have different aesthetics, so together you get a really nice broad spectrum -- five different voices, five different perspectives of African fashion," she adds.
"That's the joy of it," she adds. "We promote Africa, but we break those barriers and those assumptions that people have that it's all going to be wacky, overly colorful wraparound dresses or whatever".
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Nigerian designer Binite, who is based in Britain and has also worked for Burberry and Stella McCartney, made his second appearance at the September 6 event. His show was dominated by "marl grey jersey tracksuits with silver embossed branding, leather bomber jackets worn with denim shorts, flesh-toned panelled illusion dresses and a floor-sweeping, blood-red evening gown," according to Jennings.
Binite says international events such as the New York show are crucial in helping the world understand what it really means to be an African fashion designer.
"I hope it will broaden people's expectations of what African fashion is supposed to mean," he says. "We're all very global in the way that we think, the experiences we've had, the things that we do," he says. "I called myself a juxtaposed reality of a New Nigerian -- so I'm very Nigerian to the core, but global in my reach and my exposure."
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Helen Jennings is the editor of Arise, "Our aim is to create an international audience and platform for the best African fashion talent," she says.
Ozwald Boateng, a British designer of Ghanaian descent, takes to the runway at the September 6 event.
Ozwald Boateng's collections included "somber black suiting, casual sand and salmon linen shorts and blazers and some riotously colourful shirts and trousers made from Vlisco wax prints," according to Jennings.
Nigerian fashion designer Folake Folarin-Coker, of Tiffany Amber.
Folake Folarin-Coker's creations for Tiffany Amber "offered up floaty resort-wear with decadent 1970s overtones," according to Jennings. "Entitled The Rhythms Of Africa, jewel-coloured silks were hand printed with drum motifs and formed waist-cinching maxi dresses, jumpsuits and rompers."
South African designer Gavin Rajah walks the runway at the Lincoln Center.
"Gavin Rajah veered between pearl and sequin encrusted, bias-cut dresses in silk and lace featuring cherry blossom and cameo motifs and rude girl drop-crotch tracksuits in pinks, golds and creams," says Jennings.
Nigerian designer Tsemaye Binite made his second appearance at the New York event.
Tsemaye Binite's show was dominated by "marl grey jersey tracksuits with silver embossed branding, leather bomber jackets worn with denim shorts, flesh-toned panelled illusion dresses and a floor-sweeping, blood-red evening gown," Jennings said.
Amaka Osakwe of Maki Oh focussed on African textiles and sensual silhouettes, says Jennings. "Her key shapes -- pencil skirts, loose tops, blouses, wide trousers and shifts -- were realized in indigo-dyed adire, aso-oke and raffia fringing."
A model takes to the catwalk in an outfit by Lebanese-Ivorian designer Elien Kuame.
Models applaud Niger fashion designer Alphadi -- shown holding the Senegalese flag -- at the end of the opening day on June 12.
Bright colors dominated the week, such as these playful outfits from Senegalese designer Mamta Lopy.
Old Hollywood glamor met traditional African fashion in this piece from Benin designer by Dasha Nicoue.
Colorful creations from Senegalese designer Adama Amanda Ndiaye -- the name behind the Adama Paris label -- during the opening day.
Senegalese designer Amdou Diop, center, thanks the crowd following his show.
Modela Couture designer Bayo Adegbe said: "This looks like the forest ... I have these kind of ideas that are unusual but I love them, I believe in them."
A model poses in the wares of South African designer, Stiaan Louw.
Louw's androgynous, multi-layered collections explore male sexuality and the culture clash between social tribes, says Jennings.
A model walks the catwalk wrapped in a coat from the Black Coffee fashion range.
Osakwe's Maki Oh range explores African textiles to create intricately constructed, sensual pieces, Jennings says.
A model displays a butterfly shaped head piece from the Maki Oh collection of Nigerian designer, Amaka Osakwe.
Obuobi says she was motivated by her seamstress grandmother, whom her label is named after, to devote herself to fashion.
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