Berkeley College Welcomes Designer-in-Residence Kibonen Nfi for Installation and Pop-up Shop during New York Fashion Week
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Senior Director, Communications and External Relations
973-200-1099
KME@BerkeleyCollege.edu
Photo Caption: Designer-in-Residence Kibonen Nfi (fourth from left) presents an installation, pop-up shop, and fashion show at Berkeley College during New York Fashion Week, from September 9 to September 15, 2022. See full caption below.
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Berkeley College welcomed Designer-in-Residence Kibonen Nfi for an installation, pop-up shop, and fashion show during New York Fashion Week, from September 9 to September 15, 2022. Inspired by traditional Cameroonian garments, West African fabric, and New York’s vibrant fashion scene, Nfi’s designs express the influence of African culture in America.
“I can see there is a love for the African aesthetic and what the African vibe is bringing to society right now,” Nfi said. “There is a huge appetite for African creativity. There is no better time than now for African fashion to permeate the global scene.”
Nfi’s designs have been worn by celebrities including Lupita Nyong’o, Gayle King, and Drake, and have been exhibited at Buckingham Palace and The Smithsonian.
Berkeley College students pursuing degrees in Fashion Merchandising and Management, Marketing Communications, Business Management, and other programs, as well as international students, participated behind-the-scenes to prepare for the live event and served as the models for Nfi’s fashion show to close her weeklong exhibit.
“Throughout the week I was able to observe the Berkeley student volunteers participate behind the scenes – from setting up the space to marketing, social media, fashion show model practice, and choosing the looks with industry professionals,” said Linda Mauro, Campus Operating Officer, Berkeley College in New York City. “This is exactly what our students want and seeing them in action is amazing. So many have come from all over the world to New York to have this exact experience. I am thrilled to be able to bring it to them.”
Photo Caption: Berkeley College students (L to R) Germain Brown, Jazmin Peralta, Patricia Acuna, and Phillipa Dos Santos model the latest fashions from iconic designer Kibonen Nfi. Nfi presented an installation, pop-up shop, and fashion show at Berkeley College during New York Fashion Week, from September 9 to September 15, 2022. (Top, L to R) Khanyi Mashimbye, Chuks Collins, Farai Gundan, Kibonen Nfi; Linda Mauro, Campus Operating Officer, Berkeley College in New York City; Rose Aiello; Busie Matsiko-Andan, Berkeley College Board of Trustees; Diane Recinos, EdD, President of Berkeley College; Kevin L. Luing, Board Chairman, Berkeley College; and Dr. Nganje Kinge Monono.
About Fashion at Berkeley College
Berkeley College’s degree programs in Fashion Merchandising and Management focus on the business side of the fashion industry, training students in all aspects of the fashion global supply chain, including consumer behavior, product development, brand communications, marketing, and more.
About Kibonen Nfi
Kibonen Nfi delved into the fashion world with ingenious ideas of producing modern interpretations of one of the most delicate and intricate hand-woven traditional garments of Cameroon’s western highlands region – the “toghu.” Although the pursuit of a fashion career is routinely frowned upon in Cameroon, where Nfi was born, she pursued her dreams and formed a label Kibonen NY. Through her designs, Nfi aims to provide a confluence of cultures through beautifully crafted and stylish garments with a social stand.
Nfi returned home in 2020 with the help of partners to set up a revolutionary manufacturing plant in Buea – the Cameroon Clothing Company, where she employs more than 60 garment makers under fair trade conditions. She serves on the Creative Africa Advisory Group by Afrexim Bank.
Nfi will serve as a panelist for “Big Ideas: The Catalyst for Business Success,” Berkeley College’s annual Women’s Entrepreneurship Week event, on Tuesday, October 18, 2022.
About Berkeley College
Berkeley College, founded in 1931, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College also offers Continuing Education programs to enhance career credentials.
Berkeley College has campuses in New York City and in Newark, Woodbridge and Woodland Park, NJ, with more than 4,000 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, for nine consecutive years. U.S. News & World Report named Berkeley College (NJ) one of the Best Regional Colleges in the North in its 2023 edition of the Best Colleges Survey. Berkeley College (NJ) was recognized among the Best Colleges in the region for social mobility for three consecutive years. The website address is http://www.BerkeleyCollege.edu.
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