Fashion grad Prudence Mekongue showcases design work at Afrofest
In a celebration of Black heritage and expressions, School of Fashion alum Prudence Mekongue showcased her designs at Afrofest from July 8-10. Her exhibition, titled The Town Crier Collection, showcases how fashion can be used to create awareness about topics related to race, history and Black excellence.
Afrofest is an annual flagship music festival organized by Music Africa, a not-for-profit community-based organization that promotes African music in Toronto. The festival seeks to showcase the richness and diverse expressions of African music and culture in a positive, vibrant and inclusive festival setting. By bringing together a diverse audience to appreciate and celebrate these different cultural expressions. Afrofest ignites the spirit of African culture in the heart of Toronto.
Afrofest seeks to showcase the richness and diverse expressions of African music and culture in a positive, vibrant and inclusive festival setting
“I felt honored to be able to showcase my work at this year's Afrofest. Through this experience, the public was able to have a close look at the collection and its details,” Mekongue said. “It also gave me the opportunity to have the audience and public’s feedback, which I consider priceless.”
The designs encompass five distinct styles which take the viewer on a journey of Black cultural references and symbolic expressions. Sustainability is also a prominent part of this collection, through upcycling and recycling of notions and fabrics to create one-of-a-kind beadworks.
Expressions through artistry
The inspiration for this collection stems from lived experiences, cultural heritage, history and injustices in Africa and across the world. The collection is also an expression of West African heritage and the works of American poet, essayist and civil rights activist James Baldwin.
Mekongue originally designed her collection during the COVID-19 lockdown, when the University switched to a completely virtual format. As a result, her collection could not be featured in Fashion’s annual year-end showcase.
“Because of health and safety concerns, fashion students in my class were not able to showcase their five-look graduation collection in the traditional Mass Exodus runway show,” she explained. “Afrofest was an opportunity for me to present my collection to a wider audience that I wouldn’t have exposure to otherwise.”
Image courtesy of Prudence Mekongue
Image courtesy of Prudence Mekongue
Mekongue also credits the fashion program for providing her with knowledge on event planning, space structure and curation, which were all implemented while preparing her collection for Afrofest.
Reflections after the event
The experience of showcasing at Afrofest taught Mekongue the true power that fashion holds and how it can be used to express different stages of one’s life.
“For me, fashion is a form of expression,” she said. “Through my graduation collection I wanted to express where I am from in combination with where I am at currently.”
Image courtesy of Prudence Mekongue
Image courtesy of Prudence Mekongue
Mekongue also provides advice for current fashion students looking to make a stride in their careers. She says that if an idea is there, you should not hesitate to pursue it.
“I would say if you are thinking about it, you should do it,” she said. “Think about the information you would like to pass across to your audience and what you want to achieve at the end of the day.”
To keep up with Prudence Mekongue’s work and designs, follow her on social media (external link, opens in new window) . 
About The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University
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