African Heritage Fashion Week: Annie EmpowerWear Summer 2023 Collection Review

By Njulah Solange

Annie EmpowerWear is a Cameroonian-based label run by Matene Annie Chancelle. The fashion brand is dedicated to empowering women to feel confident and powerful in their skin. Through diverse designs, the brand celebrates the journey of self-love and acceptance through unique, stylish, and comfortable fashion designs.

Matene Annie Chancelle released the Summer 2024 collection at the recently concluded Africa Heritage Fashion Week and Award on 15 April 2023, at the Pinorich Villa, Buéa, Cameroon. The Summer 2024 collection, “Bamenda Elegance”, showcased different shades of femininity.

Matene’s standout pieces on the runway, borne out of this most interesting creative process, include the oversized Bubu dress, the elegant Queen Nefertiti dress, and the Hooded Jalabiya.

This collection shows a diverse side of African fashion, so let’s check out our favorite pieces in more detail!

This is the first one and we don’t mind saying that it has captured our attention. It is perfect for women who want something sophisticated but don’t want to give up on sharp colors and designs. This is a black full-length bubu dress with beautiful embroidered multi-colored designs. The sleeves are extremely comfortable and will keep you airy as well. Also, they are easy to pull up and down.

The highlight of this dress is its neckline, which is a combination of green, red, and yellow. This color combination promises to add a vibrant touch to your look. In addition, it has an angled neckline, which is perfect for showing off your beauty bones.

Now, coming to the star of the show, the blue scarf is made of the “Ndop” native Cameroonian fabric.  This scarf adds a much-needed contrast to the dress. Also, it has threaded ends, which gives it a balance. So, this entire look is pretty nice for date night, especially when you wear it with strappy heels.

If there is one thing about this collection, it’s that the designer, Matene Chancelle didn’t hesitate to experiment. This confidence is showing in the clothes as well. The Queen Nerfetiti dress, with a combination of yellow and blue print, has captured our attention. In addition to the color contrast, we love the golden royal design on the upper body.

It has a silver and gold stringy design, which looks incredibly sexy. It has become a promising choice for women who want to show off their curves without compromising on their African heritage. The dress is sculpted around the hips and waist, which gives a very nice shape to your body.

However, this designer has ensured a promising silhouette. That’s because you get the flare, so you will surely feel like an African princess. All in all, this dress has well-chosen colors, so it will look good on every skin complexion.

There are always some women who like wearing modest clothes, and for all such women, the hooded Jalabiya is a good choice. It will help them show off their fashion and stylish side without showing too much skin. The black dress has a vibrant-colored neckline and trimming around the sleeves.

This color combination is pretty amazing for regular use. The good thing is that you can wear it for lunch dates and shopping sprees. Also, the unique touch of this dress is the head cover. This head cover is very fashionable, and there is embroidered lacing on it as well (yes, just like the sleeves).

Matene Annie Chancelle during a quick interview at the show stated, “While the Annie EmpowerWear is a movement that inspires women to express themselves through fashion, the Summer 2023 collection is a statement of empowerment, reminding every woman that she is worthy and beautiful just as she is. I fell just as quickly in love with the brand’s purpose as I did with the collection’s elegant designs.