Black Silver’s Ethiopian beauty show

By Alemayehu Seife Selassie

Lili Assefa has been in the international fashion and beauty scene for the past decade. Modeling and working as a beautician she has gotten herself acquainted with the London fashion world. But she said that it has always been her dream to take the Ethiopian models dressed with traditional costumes and present a show going around the world. She has however chosen her motherland, Ethiopia to be the first venue to present a show at.

Linked with charity for HIV/AIDS orphans however, Lili’s show was not just about glamour. “I have a wish that every Ethiopian who lives abroad would sponsor one child. And I am currently working on collecting their bios to send for sponsors” , she said.
She also explains why she chose the Tena Kebena orphanage, “I like the Tena Kebena orphanage center because they don’t just linger around waiting for something to happen, they plant trees and plant some flowers and they are creative”, she explains.
The venue for Lili’s fashion show was the newly renovated Club Deep. But the one thing the show lacked was enough spectators. And she explains as a beginner she did not set her expectation high. “I did not expect to raise some money from the event. I did not know anyone in the business, but I know that I would do something good and people would come for my show next time”.

The organizer also stated that she has lost over 32,000 Birr [~3,600USD] but she would not let that hold her back from organizing another one. “We have had a problem with the promotion and some inexperience, but I took my lessons for my next show. I know that there are things that take time here, so I will have to start early.”
Lili expects that her next show will be held at a larger venues of either the Sheraton, or Hilton Addis.

“I was advised by the owner of Club Deep Jo and the interior designer Ezana that I should start with a smaller venue first and they were right”, Lili explains. “Have I had a bigger venue, I would have probably lost ten times the amount I did, I would have been frustrated and never come back. But Jo has sponsored me the venue and has given me some advice and assistance.”
Working at the Sara Beauty Salon in London, Lili has stayed in England for 11 years and she has spent seven years of that decade working as a model.
“I am always into fashion and beauty. And I have the opportunity to go to fashion school, so I went to King’s Way and City fashion colleges.” This former model has had showng of her work at her graduation and different fashion shows. And she explains her reasons, “I wanted to bring that fashion show business to Ethiopia.”

Coming back to her motherland a couple of years ago after nine years stay in abroad, Lili has opened her boutique Black Silver Fashion located on Bole Rwanda last year. Her former experience did not however let her down, as she tries to bring designer items here through that channel. “I am a member to some designer’s groups and I get the samples of new products”, Lili said.
Trying out some designs herself, two of the dresses that were displayed on the fashion show were made by herself. And she has put those dresses available for buyers at the Black and Silver.

Coming back and forth to Addis Lili made four trips to Addis within this year. And she has set a plan to bring designer items on demand through the ordering program she has set in the future. But first thing is first, she wants to have another show soon.

July 21, 2007