Present at the event was His Majesty the King Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Mrs Dianne Hawkins JP LLB, ably represented by Mrs Lisa Yam DL. Other special guests were Pamela Aluko-Olokun, Director, House of Prints; Olubunmi Kolawole, CEO, BKAfrican Fashion; and Khlada Ali, Consultant, Wonderfully Made Woman.
The event hosted attendees dressed in bold, bright, and colourful Ankara fabric interwoven with the history, artistry and identities of Africans in the diaspora that has forged a major part of our cultural heritage. Speaking at her opening address, the CEO of Wonderfully Made Woman, Mrs Ehinor Otaigbe-Amedu, reminded guests of the importance of connecting with the Ankara fabric as a representation of our identity, culture, and heritage
She said: "Ankara in Diaspora is a way of expressing both individual and collective identities through our Ankara fashion. It is a symbol of our strength and identity in the face of oppression, and it reminds us of repositories of ideas, memories, traditions, and histories."
African music, food, dance performances, a fashion show, and the opening of the Wonderfully Made Woman charity shop, which sells Ankara-brand clothing and accessories, added flavour to the occasion. All the proceeds from the sale of the Ankara items will be used to support women and young girls in our community to live impactful lives.
We thank our funders, The Heritage Fund, for making this event possible and for their support in helping us promote our cultural heritage and give back to our community.
