Nigerian designer leads masterclass in Rome on World Cotton Day

Nigerian designer, Alphadi, marked World Cotton Day with a masterclass at Rome’s Academy of Fashion, celebrating African cotton and design, reported Africa News via FAO on October 7.

Nigeria joined the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) for their World Cotton Day events, alongside hosting an eco-friendly, electric boat racing competition on October 4.

Alphadi, also known as “the Magician of the Desert”, led the FAO’s fashion event in Rome with his two-day masterclass. He taught 14 students at the Academy of Fashion to blend African and Italian fashion traditions, and they created seven original cotton-based designs together.

As Nigeria struggles to tackle its plastic pollution problem, promoting sustainability and eco-friendly practices becomes increasingly crucial.

The General Assembly of the United Nations recognised October 7 as World Cotton Day after an appeal from African cotton-producing countries, eager to promote cotton in August 2021. Since then, the day has been recognised worldwide by the FAO and its partners to create awareness about the cotton sector’s role in economic development, international trade, and poverty alleviation.

This year’s theme was based on fashion to highlight how cotton goes from field to fashion, serving as an important avenue of growth for the new generation.

Alphadi, who is also a Goodwill Ambassador for African Innovation and Creation at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), sees the event as an opportunity to pay tribute to the African continent and highlight its strengths.

Cecilia Marchesini, a student at the Academy of Fashion, told Africa News: “This experience is really interesting for us because it’s the first time we work directly with a culture very different from our own. And we thought it would be a fun to be part of this – the idea to challenge ourselves to blend two very different cultures that, in the end, we realised had many similarities.”