Japanese designer Kenzo Takada has died at age 81 after battling Covid-19-related complications. The designer passed away on Sunday evening at the American Hospital, near Paris, France.



Tributes have poured in for the designer, who made his debut in 1970 and over the years grew Kenzo into a globally recognized brand and fashion house.



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/bernard-arnault/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20world's%20ultimate,biggest%20luxury%20brand%20acquisition%20ever.">Bernard Arnault</a>, LVMH chairman, said in a statement that he was “very sad to learn about his passing,” expressing sympathy for Takada’s family and friends, adding, “Kenzo Takada has, from the 1970s, infused into fashion a tone of poetic lightness and sweet freedom, which inspired many designers after him. In this fresh and spontaneous spirit, he also durably renewed the world of perfume.”



LVMH acquired Kenzo in an $80 million deal in August 1993, the year of its acquisition. Kenzo’s sales hit $144 million, according to United Press International. Takada left the group in 1999.



Jonathan Bouchet Manheim, CEO of K-3, Takada’s new lifestyle brand launched in 2020, said, “Kenzo Takada was incredibly creative; with a stroke of genius, he imagined a new artistic and colorful story combining East and West—his native Japan and his life in Paris,” he said in an emailed statement to Forbes.



Adding, “I had the chance to work alongside him for many years, always in awe, admiring his curiosity and his open-mindedness. He seemed quiet and shy at first, but he was full of humor.



“He was generous and always knew how to look after the people close to his heart. He had a zest for life . . . Kenzo Takada was the epitome of the art of living.”



<h4 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading">The Rise of Kenzo</h4>



Born in Himeji, Japan, in 1939, Takada studied literature before dropping out and becoming one of the first male students at Bunka Fashion College, Tokyo, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/04/style/kenzo-takada-dead.html?smtyp=cur&amp;smid=tw-nytimes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York Times</a>&nbsp;profile. He told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/a5eea252-140e-11e9-a168-d45595ad076d" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Financial Times</a>&nbsp;in 2019, “I was once told that it was impossible for a Japanese man to work in the fashion industry in Paris . . . Men weren’t allowed into design schools. Being creative was not accepted in Japanese society in the 1950s. And more than anything, my parents opposed the idea of me working in fashion.”



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1209066807-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48251" width="303" height="202" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1209066807-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1209066807-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1209066807-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1209066807-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1209066807-2048x1364.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-1209066807-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 303px) 100vw, 303px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Anthony Ghnassia/Getty Images For Roger Vivier)</figcaption></figure></div>



His first fashion house was impishly named “Jungle Jap” and was formed after his flat was leveled to make way for the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, the compensation from which allowed him to travel to Paris. After first selling sketches to other designers, he launched his first Paris boutique, later rebranding the fashion label as Kenzo in New York in 1976.



Takada described his own early style as floral patterns, kimonos and textiles, and drawing on the “strong presence of nature in Japanese art,” he told the&nbsp;FT.



As the house grew and grew, Kenzo launched a men’s collection in 1983, followed by a fragrance line in 1988. Kenzo sold the business to LVMH in 1993 following shifts in the industry, and the death of his partner, Xavier de Castella, in 1990, “I decided to sell the company for various reasons . . . It was becoming more commercial. Fashion was changing, the pace was changing,” he told the&nbsp;FT, staying on as designer but stepping away amicably in 1999.



<h4 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading">Tributes</h4>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-908467420-scaled-e1602146194776-1024x936.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48252" width="412" height="376" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-908467420-scaled-e1602146194776-1024x936.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-908467420-scaled-e1602146194776-300x274.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-908467420-scaled-e1602146194776-768x702.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-908467420-scaled-e1602146194776-1536x1405.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-908467420-scaled-e1602146194776-600x549.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GettyImages-908467420-scaled-e1602146194776.jpg 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 412px) 100vw, 412px" /><figcaption>Kenzo Takada and Naomi Campbell attend the &#8220;Azzedine Alaia : Je Suis Couturier&#8221; Exhibition as part of Paris Fashion Week. (Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



Supermodel Naomi Campbell said on Instagram, “So sad to hear of your loss today . . . will always remember your smile and humble demeanor . . . and positivity you shined on us all.” 



Billionaire <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/francois-pinault/#190b8d374d20">François-Henri Pinault</a>, described Takada as “one of the creative spirits who contributed to making Paris the capital of fashion. His fashion resembled him: at the crossroads of cultures, creative, joyful and generous,” <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/kenzo-takada-dies-at-81-of-covid-related-complications-1234621609/" target="_blank">WWD</a> reported yesterday.



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Felipe Oliveira Baptista, artistic director at Kenzo, said, “It is with great sadness that I have learned the passing away of Mr. Kenzo Takada. His amazing energy, kindness and talent were contagious. His kindred spirit will live forever. Rest in peace, Master.”&nbsp;



Takada’s death falls as Paris prepares for Fashion Week 2020 amid a tightening of lockdown measures as the number of Covid cases soars again in France.



-By David Dawkins, Forbes Staff

FRANCE-JAPAN-FASHION-KENZO-PORTRAIT-BLACK AND WHITE

Kenzo Takada Dies After Covid-19 Battle–Bernard Arnault Mourns Designer’s ‘Fresh And Spontaneous Spirit’

FORBES WOMAN AFRICA is
excited to announce the inaugural FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Regional Forum in
association with Mastercard, a Leading Women Summit initiative, to be held in
Kigali, Rwanda, on 9 August 2019.



Coinciding with National Women&#8217;s Day in South Africa, the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Regional Forum in association with Mastercard will bring together 250 powerful women from across East Africa and will follow in the footsteps of the bigger annual FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit, bringing a slice of this sought-after gathering to East Africa. 



READ MORE | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Naomi Campbell Announced As Headline Speaker For The 2019 Forbes Woman Africa Leading Women Summit (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2019/02/07/naomi-campbell-announced-as-headline-speaker-for-the-2019-forbes-woman-africa-leading-women-summit/" target="_blank">Naomi Campbell Announced As Headline Speaker For The 2019 Forbes Woman Africa Leading Women Summit</a>



“The
FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Regional Forum will echo the same fervor and sentiment as the
flagship Leading Women Summit but in hosting it for the first time in East
Africa, what I am very keen on is coming face-to-face with the women who are at
the top of their game in this region – the guests and speakers on the day will
be luminaries you don’t want to miss meeting,” says Renuka Methil, Managing
Editor of FORBES AFRICA and FORBES WOMAN AFRICA.



As an initiative by the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit, the full-day, not-to-be-missed event, which will debut in the East African nation, is to be hosted at the Kigali Serena Hotel and will feature some of the exciting content FORBES WOMAN AFRICA has consistently won awards for.



READ MORE | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Naomi Campbell: Africa Is One Of The Leading Continents In The World (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2019/03/08/naomi-campbell-africa-is-one-of-the-leading-continents-in-the-world/" target="_blank">Naomi Campbell: Africa Is One Of The Leading Continents In The World</a>



Beatrice Cornacchia, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Mastercard Middle East and Africa said: “African women are a force for economic growth and social change, and are playing a critical role in addressing the development challenges faced across the continent. 



 “As cultural and social dynamics shift, we are beginning to see an environment where women can flourish, and demonstrate the value they offer to every industry and sector in the economy. We are proud to partner with Forbes Africa and believe that this initiative will help to create opportunities for women to reach their greatest potential.”



The 2019 FORBES
WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit on March 8 saw Supermodel, Philanthropist, Activist and Cultural Innovator Naomi
Campbell headline the Durban event, alongside some of the most notable names in
business, sports, politics and the arts.



Further details and speaker profiles will soon be revealed in the buildup to the event.



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/arts/2019/04/10/noami-campbell-has-big-plans-for-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Naomi Campbell Has Big Plans For Africa (opens in a new tab)">Naomi Campbell Has Big Plans For Africa</a>



&#8211;The FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Regional Forum in association with Mastercard will be a by-invitation-only gathering and further information can be obtained by following <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="@LWSummit (opens in a new tab)" href="https://twitter.com/LWSummit" target="_blank">@LWSummit</a> on Twitter.



-The FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Regional Forum in association with Mastercard will be managed and produced by ABN Event Productions.

Business people having meeting in modern office

Forbes Woman Africa Announces First Regional Forum In Rwanda

The globally-popular Naomi Campbell was in Durban, in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal, for the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA 2019 Leading Women Summit, to talk about her abiding interest and investment in the African continent.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



As a supermodel who&nbsp;
has scaled stratospheric heights in fashion, Naomi Campbell has graced
global runways and magazine covers, so when she came calling in Durban for a
FORBES WOMAN AFRICA event, the anticipation was bigger than any cover shoot we
have ever done.



For the 2019 Leading Women Summit held in the coastal South
African city for the first time on International Women’s Day, the British-born
supermodel, activist, philanthropist and cultural innovator exuded her
signature grace and glamor in a sea-blue Marianne Fassler dress.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 



In 2017, Campbell was named contributing editor of British Vogue by its&nbsp; Editor-in-Chief, Edward Enninful. 



When I complimented her March 2019 cover for British Vogue, she said, considerately: “I wish I could have brought you one, I could have grabbed a copy for you from the airport [in London] yesterday.”



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2019/03/08/naomi-campbell-africa-is-one-of-the-leading-continents-in-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Naomi Campbell: Africa Is One Of The Leading Continents In The World (opens in a new tab)">Naomi Campbell: Africa Is One Of The Leading Continents In The World</a>



Campbell caught her break as a fashion model when she was
just 15 years old, and has featured in advertising campaigns for luxury houses
including Burberry, Prada, Dolce &amp; Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton,
Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino. 



Beyond her work in fashion, she has used her celebrity for fundraising and non-profit initiatives across the globe. In 1997, South African President Nelson Mandela named Campbell an “honorary granddaughter” for her activism. She also now has a YouTube channel, Being Naomi. 



Campbell aims to integrate African and international luxury
markets “bringing storied retailers to countries such as Nigeria, South Africa
and Morocco, as well as introducing African artists to global audiences”.



“The strongest woman I have met come from Africa,” she told
an audience of 500 during an on-stage interview at the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA
Leading Women Summit. 



“There’s many great women. I was very blessed and lucky to meet Miriam Makeba when I came to South Africa. I didn’t know her story but it was just her presence. Then Winnie Mandela… I met many powerful and strong women with inner strength and I am very much attracted to women with strength. You learn from them, you take from them, you observe them and how they speak. I have always considered myself a work-in-progress.” 



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2019/03/13/in-pictures-leading-women-summit-2019/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="IN PICTURES | Leading Women Summit 2019 (opens in a new tab)">IN PICTURES | Leading Women Summit 2019</a>



She added: “For me, modeling has been a blessing in my life.
I am very grateful. It led me to meet the most amazing people. Where I am at in
my life today, is to use the almost 33 years that I have been in this business
to help make awareness, to open the minds to the brands that I work with and
have worked with all these years. 



“They need to come to this continent, not just come in and
out and take, but [invest] in the infrastructure and make a commitment to the
communities in Africa.” 



A day before the event, when FORBES AFRICA caught up with
Campbell, and before settling down for our brief interview, she began with a
disarming: “What do you think is a good restaurant to go to in Durban?”



“I am tired but excited,” she had laughed. More from the
exclusive interview: 



You have said that you are investing in communities and infrastructure in Africa. Can you tell us more about your Africa plans?



My plans are to start serving my industry, brands and the continent. And seeing that we are such big consumers [of brands] in the rest of the world, yet we don’t have it ourselves on the continent… And it’s what works in all businesses, like fashion, architecture and technology. We are big influencers so why don’t we have these things? It’s mind-blowing, so now is the time. 



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2019/03/11/the-businesses-of-the-future-20-new-wealth-creators-on-the-african-continent/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Businesses Of The Future: 20 New Wealth Creators On The African Continent (opens in a new tab)">Businesses Of The Future: 20 New Wealth Creators On The African Continent</a>



You are working a lot with African designers?



I want to take them out into the western world and bring the
western world in&#8230; so vice versa.



Are African designers in demand in the West?



Yes, because of the textiles. I don’t want to see that their
textiles are copied and they don’t get credit for what they have done. 



For me, the workmanship, the textiles, this is what we need
to keep on the continent. We cannot allow other brands and designers from the
West to come in and take your textiles. 



What are some of your best memories of Nelson Mandela since your first meeting in 1993?



I have many great memories here in South Africa, and undoubtedly
always with ‘grandad’, when he would send me out to the people, to different
townships and villages and just put things in perspective for me. 



Yes, I was coming from a fashion background, but I am a
human being too and coming from a middleclass family, it’s something you feel
to do, it’s not something anyone can push you to do. I am not sure what he saw
in me and thought that I could do it, but I really love him and miss him.



Lending your celebrity to important causes, you have worked for global health, women’s rights etc… is there any passion project that you are working on right now?



My passion project is Africa. It is such a beautiful rich
culture, with minerals and so many natural resources. 



The narrative and perception also have to change. It is
understood in the wrong way.&nbsp; 



All through your career, how have you managed to be so versatile across diverse industries?



There’s no plan to me, I just do what I feel. I [go with]
gut instinct really of each thing I commit myself to doing, and I always follow
through.



Where do you see yourself in five years?



Hopefully, in the continent of Africa. 



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/arts/2019/01/04/the-material-of-life-according-to-textile-queen-nike-davies-okundaye/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">The material of life according to textile queen Nike Davies-Okundaye</a>



What’s it like being a contributing editor on British Vogue?



It’s great working with Edward Enniful and fun to be an
editor. I travel anyway but I get to travel and interview people from all walks
of life. 



It’s interesting to hear other people’s lives, their
experiences, strengths and their hopes to get them on their journey. It’s not
really like interviews but more conversational. 



What is the best part of being an African woman in the 21st century?



African women have always been extremely strong. On the
African continent, people are really smart… I have always had high respect for
them. 



They are so smart and educated, and yet what do they do with
it once they have got it, and this is where it needs to change.

naomi-lr

Naomi Campbell Has Big Plans For Africa

Naomi Campbell makes her first appearance at the Forbes Woman Africa Leading Woman Summit saying that she is passionate about promoting the continent. 



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



In the coastal city in Eastern South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province, it is all hands on deck at the International Convention Centre (ICC), in Durban.



There’s a buzz in the air, and it is not the sound of the warm summer waves hitting the coast line, it is the chatter of Forbes Woman Africa’s most anticipated event, the annual Leading Woman Summit.



It takes place on March 8, in celebration of International Women’s Day.



It is expected
to host over 500 people and on the agenda, women are in the forefront.



The headlining
speaker is supermodel, philanthropist and cultural innovator, Naomi Campbell.



She has just traveled in straight from Paris and told media at the ICC that she couldn’t wait to be part of the Summit.



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LWS2019KZN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LWS2019KZN</a>: Tune in on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CNBCAfrica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CNBCAfrica</a> DStv 410 for the live broadcast of the Forbes Africa Leading Women Summit or watch it here &gt;&gt; <a href="https://t.co/wDaq0mdIYk">https://t.co/wDaq0mdIYk</a> <a href="https://t.co/y6VWYpe53s">pic.twitter.com/y6VWYpe53s</a>&mdash; Forbes Woman Africa (@ForbesWomanAfri) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForbesWomanAfri/status/1103912297674682368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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“This is my second time at a Forbes Woman Summit, but I am especially happy to be here,” she said.



Campbell who is
very passionate about the African continent said that she is all for supporting
Africa.



“Africa means a lot to me, and right now I feel that it is a time where in my industry that this continent is recognized by the fashion industry in having their footprint here,” she said.



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Earlier, the mayor Zandile Gumede suggested that <a href="https://twitter.com/NaomiCampbell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NaomiCampbell</a> takes a Sho&#39;t Left &amp; visit the Inanda Heritage Route, just outside Durban. Gumede added that Campbell&#39;s visit to the city would not be complete if she did not visit the route. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LWS2019KZN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LWS2019KZN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DoKZN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DoKZN</a> <a href="https://t.co/9zK1WgcCEp">pic.twitter.com/9zK1WgcCEp</a>&mdash; Tourism KZN (@TourismKZN) <a href="https://twitter.com/TourismKZN/status/1103711720051277825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Campbell said
she is particularity interested in the tech, fashion, business, music, culture,
architecture industries.



“[I’m] not
afraid to approach anyone on these subjects in trying to open their minds to
see that they need to recognize that this continent is one of the leading
continents in the world,” she added.



When asked what makes the Summit different, Methil Renuka, FORBES WOMAN AFRICA and FORBES AFRICA editor said the event is much bigger this year.



“In terms of scale and magnitude it is big, and also in terms of both the panelists, the speakers of the day, and also the audience. So we have the best people coming, the CEO’s and all the top women from the industry,” she said.



The event, which is hosted in Durban for the first time, also has a lot to offer the coastal city. 



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Welcoming <a href="https://twitter.com/NaomiCampbell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NaomiCampbell</a> at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lws2019kzn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#lws2019kzn</a> press briefing with that radiant smile. It&#39;s her second time in Durban she says.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dokzn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dokzn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LWSummit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LWSummit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/dbntourism?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dbntourism</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ForbesWomanAfri?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ForbesWomanAfri</a> <a href="https://t.co/fe60E3KP0g">pic.twitter.com/fe60E3KP0g</a>&mdash; X (@its_karenM) <a href="https://twitter.com/its_karenM/status/1103718421139722240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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MEC for the
Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Sihle
Zikalala said that he welcomes Campbell with open arms and noted her as the
honorary granddaughter of Nelson Mandela.



EThekwini Mayor
Zanele Gumede said “the agenda is clear, this summit is a platform to celebrate
female excellence while we inspire, empower and unite as women.” 



Gumede also told
Campbell to visit more tourist attractions around the province.



One notable site would be the Mandela Capture site, where he was captured 56 years ago.



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">My experience visiting the Mandela capture site where he was captured 56 years ago<a href="https://twitter.com/LWSummit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LWSummit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TourismKZN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TourismKZN</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LWS2019KZN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LWS2019KZN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dokzn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dokzn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ForbesWomanAfri?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ForbesWomanAfri</a> <a href="https://t.co/ui2ApHsIn0">pic.twitter.com/ui2ApHsIn0</a>&mdash; X (@its_karenM) <a href="https://twitter.com/its_karenM/status/1103617773077520385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Coincidentally, KZN
also happened to be the province where Mandela first cast his vote.



There for it is
only fitting that Campbell, the honorary granddaughter is to speak at the
Summit for the first time hosted in the province.



For many, it is
one of the most anticipated part of the Summit.

Naomi2

Naomi Campbell: Africa Is One Of The Leading Continents In The World

Supermodel, Philanthropist, Activist and Cultural Innovator Naomi Campbell, will headline this year’s FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit, hosted by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, taking place at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre on International Women’s Day &#8211; Friday, 8 March.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



“We are truly honoured to be welcoming Naomi Campbell to the fourth
annual FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit,” commented Methil Renuka,
Managing Editor of FORBES AFRICA and FORBES WOMAN AFRICA, and host of this
year’s event. “Having established herself as a global powerhouse in fashion, Naomi
Campbell has used her fame to benefit vulnerable communities, with much of her
charity work also focused on the African continent. We look forward to engaging
with her at this year’s ‘New Wealth Creators’ summit.”



British-born Naomi Campbell was one of five
original supermodels that revolutionised the fashion industry during the 1990s.
Her work on the runway has seen her grace countless magazine covers, as well as
featuring in numerous television shows, music videos and films. Naomi Campbell has used her unique
position in the spotlight to draw attention to several international charities,
among them the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, Made in Africa Foundation,
amfAR, and Breast Health International. 



Her charity work started
alongside Nelson Mandela in 1993, with Madiba bestowing her the title of
‘Honorary Granddaughter’ for her ongoing activism. In 2005, Naomi Campbell established her own charity,
Fashion for Relief which has presented shows in New York, London, Cannes,
Moscow, Mumbai and Dar es Salaam, raising millions of dollars for various worthwhile
causes. 



Sihle Zikalala, the KwaZulu-Natal
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, said: “We
extend a warm welcome to this year’s headline speaker, Naomi Campbell. We look forward to engaging with her on topics
that will extend the positive impact women in this country, and on the
continent, are having globally. Her involvement in this event indicates the
calibre of this summit, and the strides being taken by African women. We are
proud to have been selected as the host venue for the fourth FORBES WOMAN
AFRICA Leading Women Summit as this gives us an opportunity to showcase the
incredible business opportunities and inviting natural beauty of the place we
call home.”



Attendees to the summit, hosted in association with the IDC, will get
the chance to engage with a selection of the continent’s most influential women
through keynote addresses, panel discussions and personal interviews. In
addition to the daytime networking, attendees to the summit are invited to the
FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Awards’ – a glamorous gala dinner celebrating those who
have made a remarkable impact in the business, sports, science, entertainment
and leadership categories. The gala dinner will take place at Durban’s Inkosi
Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.



Ticket sales for this dynamic day are now open and includes full access
to the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit from 7am to 4pm and the FORBES
WOMAN AFRICA Awards’ Gala Dinner. Tickets are limited so book now!



&#8211;For more information, visit <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="www.leadingwomensummit.co.za (opens in a new tab)" href="http://www.cvent.com/events/invitation-2019-forbes-woman-africa-leading-women-summit-and-awards-8-march-durban/event-summary-0282df9e080844008d92cc3319de7b9f.aspx" target="_blank">www.leadingwomensummit.co.za</a> or follow <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="@LWSummit (opens in a new tab)" href="https://twitter.com/LWSummit" target="_blank">@LWSummit</a> on various social media platforms (#LWS2019KZN).



-The FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit and the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Awards’ Gala Dinner will be produced by ABN Event Productions.



-Picture: Laspata Decaro

Naomi1

Naomi Campbell Announced As Headline Speaker For The 2019 Forbes Woman Africa Leading Women Summit

Every designer has a list of celebrities they’re dying to dress. The star-studded names on Tanzanian fashion designer Mustafa Hassanali’s list included: Princess Diana, Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Oprah Winfrey and Naomi Campbell, who he worked with in 2009 for her Fashion for Relief campaign.
Working with Campbell was one of the highlights of Hassanali’s career, one that began more than 15 years ago.
“She’s awesome; she has the most amazing skin. When you do fittings, you normally leave it to your staff, but for that one I had to be there.”
Campbell is infamous for her tantrums, punching cameras, hitting housekeepers and throwing cellphones at her assistants. So, before she arrived, Hassanali made sure he was prepared.
“I was planning how I was going to catch the phone if she threw it at me. I decided that, if she did, I was going to keep it and I wouldn’t sue her,” he says.
Luckily the British supermodel was on her best behavior.
As a young boy, Hassanali would rather stay indoors and make clothes for his paper dolls than play outside in the mud with the other children. As he got older, his skills with the needle and thread improved and he began making prayer mats with matching handbags for his family.
Hassanali was the only boy in a conservative Indian household. Although he had a great passion for fashion and design, society did not perceive it as a proper career. He was expected to become a doctor, get married and carry on the Indian family traditions.
Everything seemed to be going according to plan. Hassanali was studying medicine at the University of Dar es Salaam and to make extra money he made clothes for his peers.
His breakthrough came in 1999 when the 19-year-old made a dress for Hoyce Temu, one of the finalists for the Miss Tanzania pageant. Temu was crowned in Hassanali’s design and suddenly everyone wanted to work with him.
Then tragedy struck.
“My parents died, one after the other,” he says.
Hassanali began designing more frequently and used the money to continue his medical studies. At the end of his studies, he chose fashion over medicine.
In 2002, he had the chance to show his work at Kenya Fashion Week. But his lack of formal training in fashion made him feel like a fish out of water.
“It was like taking a person from a village and placing them in the middle of New York’s Times Square. They’re from a village with no cars, no light, no electricity, no running water and they go crazy.”
Since then, Hassanali pledged to learn everything he could about the industry, from telling a story with his designs to constructing his own stages. Over the years, he has worked hard to keep the essence of his designs the same. He works with a lot of traditional Tanzanian fabrics with kitenge colors.
“I do a lot of structure, silhouette gowns and a lot of flowy gowns. There has to be bling and most of my gowns have trains,” he says.
In 2007, Hassanali created Swahili Fashion Week as a platform for younger designers from Swahili-speaking countries to launch their careers. He wanted to give them opportunities he never had.
“It took me so long to build the brand. No money, no resources, nobody to guide me. So you basically fight your own battles. Your family does not support you and the people in the community do not support you. You could say my marriage broke because of it,” says Hassanali.
In his entire career, he has never won a single award and often finds it hard to see how quickly the young designers receive so much recognition and praise these days.
“[For the younger designers] if you can put your resources together, showcase a collection and if you’re good, then suddenly everyone will start noticing you. But the older designers really struggled… They might be big names today but the journey took so long.”
During difficult times, Hassanali stays grounded in his seven life philosophies: passion, patience, persistence, productivity, professionalism, principles and prayer.
Being a well-known African designer who has showcased in 27 cities and 18 countries, he still feels he has much to learn. One of his biggest dreams is to work with internationally renowned designer, Elie Saab.
“I wish I could have him dress me, that would be a dream come true. I hope I will have the chance to just work with him or even sweep floors for him for a month or two, just to know what’s happening and how they work in the global world.”
Before he expands into the global market, he wants to make sure he has fully catered to the Tanzanian market.
“East Africa has about 150 million people. If you get 0.001 percent of it in East Africa you still have 15,000 clientele. Their needs have not been satisfied. The thought of going outside the country doesn’t make sense, first you have to satisfy the needs of the country.”
In the next few years, Hassanali hopes to open a few stores and launch a shoe collection.
“Nothing less than six inches,” he says.
Having spent six years at medical school to receive a degree he never used, Hassanali’s advice to the youth is simple: Find what you love to do, make a career out of it and the money will follow.

Tag: Naomi Campbell

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