FIMA Festival: Event attracts fashion experts from Africa and abroad

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FIMA, Africa's largest regular fashion event, has been held in the city of Dakhla, in Western Sahara. The event gathered designers, models and fashion experts from across the continent and from abroad for a week of festivities and shows. CGTN's Yasser Hakim reports.

For the first time in 20 years, the prominent FIMA fashion festival is held outside of Niger. The festival attracts experts from around the world to explore African fashion.

EMILY SWIFT FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER "I'm very excited to learn more about African culture. It's always something I want to learn more about. I'm very excited to see how they use colour versus places like Paris, New York and Milan. Coming here is like a whole new world of discovering different palettes and textures and everything like that."

The backdrop in 2018 is the city of Dakhla south west of Morocco. Dakhla is a small coastal town, with a population of just over 110 thousand people. The locals live off two main industries -- fishing and tourism. The vast coast makes it an attractive beach destination and a major hub for surfers worldwide.

The White Sand, is the main touristic attraction in Dakhla. It's a sandy cliff that leads to a huge lake in the middle of the desert. White Sand is an ideal spot for surf lovers and desert safari adventures. The city itself is also famous for its small bazaars that sell traditional Moroccan and African costumes as well as accessories.

YASMINE GOMAA, JOURNALIST FASHION MAGAZINE "I think the material is perfect, the designs look so creative and perfect. This one is a very good piece."

Aside from the fashion show, FIMA has invited several international artists to showcase their talents and work in Dakhla.

YASEER HAKIM DAKHLA, MOROCCO "More than 50 artists came from around the world to this exhibition. There are paintings, sculptures, home accessories, clothing and embroideries, all in one place."

One exhibition that attracted the most attention is by talented Portuguese street artist Hopare. Hopare lives in Paris but reaches out to African culture as well.

ALEXANDER HOPARE STREET ARTIST "It's another kind of art. It's always very rich and inspiring and being here you have the opportunity to learn about another kind of culture and art."

The continent's culture and heritage has been the inspiration behind a lot of international art work on display. It's a reflection of the beauty of the city of Dakhla and the African continent.

Yasser Hakim, CGTN, Dakhla, Morocco.