After more than 15 years of celebrating Ankara across Los Angeles and other major cities in North America, Ankara Festival is expanding to the continent with the launch of Ankara Festival Africa (AFA) in Lagos next year.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the convener of the Ankara Festival in Los Angeles, Lentini, explained that the forthcoming festival was conceived to promote African culture and indigenous fabrics while also enhancing tourism potential.
Lentini noted that the festival, billed to hold in Lagos, would incorporate not only fashion but also music and art.
He said manufacturers and small businesses would have the opportunity to rent booths to showcase variousAfrican prints.
He stressed that the decision to launch in Lagos reflects the city’s central role in Africa’s creative, fashion, entertainment, and commercial energy. “It is a fitting home for a platform that intends to celebrate where Ankara has come from while exploring where it can go next,” he said.
The founder of Ankara Festival, stated: “For over 15 years, Ankara Festival has provided a platform for people to celebrate Ankara and the culture, creativity, and community that surround it in North America.
‘‘Bringing the festival to Africa is a natural and exciting next chapter for the platform. Africa is at the heart of the Ankara story, and we are delighted to have the right partners to take this vision forward on the continent.”
Also, Laura Udoh, Isi Atagemen, and Xavier Akinyemi, Franchisees for Ankara Festival Africa, said: “We have come together because we believe there is a story around Ankara that deserves to be preserved, celebrated, and told from the African perspective.
‘‘This is about tracing its journey through our generations, tribes, occasions, creativity, and commerce, while allowing today’s and tomorrow’s generation to interpret what Ankara means to them. We are starting in Nigeria, but our ambition is to build a platform that speaks to Africa as a continent.”
