Philly Fashion Week Welcomes Tesslo’s Vision of Sophisticated African Fashion
Following the resounding success of her “Africa to the World” debut at the 15th anniversary edition of the Ankara Festival in Los Angeles, Washington D.C.-based Nigerian designer Tessy Oliseh-Amaize returned to the runway with an expanded vision at Philly Fashion Week 2024. Oliseh-Amaize, the creative force behind the brand Tesslo, presented an extended 16-piece collection in line with her mission to elevate African prints on the global stage.
“Outside Africa, when people hear ‘African prints,’ it is as if the expectation is that it’s not truly African unless it looks primitive or poorly made. I’m rebelling against that.”
“I want to change stereotypes around African fashion,” said Oliseh-Amaize in a statement after the show. “Outside Africa, when people hear ‘African prints,’ it is as if the expectation is that it’s not truly African unless it looks primitive or poorly made. I’m rebelling against that. African fashion is rich, diverse, and deserves to be seen as sophisticated and high-quality. You can call me a cultural rebel. But I believe it’s time to redefine what people expect from African fashion and to normalize expecting the highest level of craftsmanship from African designers using these fabrics.”
The collection presented at Philly Fashion Week is an evolution of Tesslo’s acclaimed “Africa to the World” line, which made waves at the Ankara Festival in Los Angeles earlier this month. For Philly Fashion Week, Oliseh-Amaize incorporated bold new elements into her menswear designs, blending African cultural motifs with contemporary, avant-garde aesthetics that reflect her African roots and global ambitions.
The show attracted some of the biggest names in fashion, including Mickey Boardman, editorial director of Paper Magazine, Nicole Fischelis, international fashion consultant, Project Runway star designer Prajjé Oscar, as well as Philly Fashion Week CEOs Kelvin Parker and Kerry Scott.
Oliseh-Amaize’s designs elevate African fabrics to new heights, reimagining them through the lens of sophistication and panache. Her Philly Fashion Week collection featured structured, tailored coats and jackets with intricate detailing, high-neck capes over sharply tailored trousers, and unconventional cuts inspired by African royalty such as the Oba of Benin and the Emir of Kano; the masquerade traditions of southeastern Nigeria; and the Guérewol festival of the Wodaabe tribes of the Republic of Niger.
The show’s enchanting atmosphere was enhanced by a stellar cast of models, including model and actor Sergio Delavicci, known for his role in John Wick 3. The models’ flair, combined with an Afrobeat-inspired runway soundtrack, reinforced Tesslo’s intriguing style of fusing Western and African aesthetics.
“I want to see Africans in diaspora and non-Africans whether in Tokyo, Paris, or São Paulo wearing Ankara outfits not just because they are colorful or it’s culturally correct to wear them, but because they are timeless, functional, and well-made,” said Oliseh-Amaize. “That’s my vision for this collection: fashion that starts with African inspiration but speaks to the world.”
Through her designs, Oliseh-Amaize is not only challenging perceptions but opening doors for other African designers, showing the world that African fashion can stand shoulder to shoulder with any other on the global stage.
