CROSSING CULTURAL COLOR LINES IN THE NAME OF ART AND FASHION: Online Boutique Launches African-Inspired Handbag Collection

BILOTEcouture, an online boutique for African-inspired designs, has announced today its plans to launch a new handbag collection.  Merging culture and art with high-quality style, the line aims to bridge the gap between African-inspired art and mainstream fashion.

For many westerners, African art still conjures up images of tribal masks, headdresses and ritual figures.  The new handbag collection called ZINA sets out to redefine this vision with its unconventional combination of bold patterns and colorful African textiles with Western design elements.  As a world traveler and art lover, BILOTEcouture founder Edith Nkwocha drew inspiration from her visits to exotic destinations around the world to create innovative yet timeless designs.

“This collection evolved out of my desire to produce upscale fashion pieces that would empower women to embrace their innate creativity and individuality,” said Nkwocha. “Haute couture fashions tend to be over the top and sometimes don’t translate well to everyday life.  My mission is to take the glamour and elegance of high-end African fashion and combine it with an artistic perspective, and make this accessible to women across the world.”

A medical translator by profession, Nkwocha began designing handbags and boots as a creative outlet to escape the daily pressures of impossible work deadlines. While she has faced numerous challenges along the way, her turning point arrived when she sold her first handbag online.  Nkwocha is pleased at having finally reached the point where “people are not just complimenting me on my bags and jewelry but actually approaching me and wanting to both buy and promote them.”  In addition to selling her own designs, Nkwocha also features other emerging designers on the company web site as a part of her ongoing commitment to promoting African fashion and art.

The ZINA collection will debut this winter.  Web site visitors can subscribe to the free email newsletter for exclusive discounts and to find out the official date of launch. For more information on BILOTE couture or additional locations where products will be sold, please visit http://www.wix.com/edithnkwocha/bilotecouture

OR

http://bilotecouture.com/

About BILOTEcouture

BILOTEcouture is an online boutique specializing in African-inspired handbags and boots, handmade earrings and necklaces, launched by artist Edith Nkwocha in 2009.  Offering a wide-range of one-of-a-kind, upscale creations, BILOTEcouture provides fashion and art enthusiasts with the ultimate shopping experience; a place where African couture art and high-quality fashion fuse and make a bold statement.

http://www.wix.com/edithnkwocha/bilotecouture| Facebook| Twitter | Website

###

This entry was posted in NIGERIAN FASHION and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>