Dakar Fashion Week in Senegal, one the continent’s oldest fashion exhibitions, revealed stunning looks by designers from across Africa during a runway show on Thursday.

A total of 11 designers from Senegal, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, and Guinea-Bissau showcased their collections during the fashion week’s street event in the Niary Tally neighbourhood of the Senegal’s capital.

The public show attracted a young crowd of Senegalese who proudly looked on as five local designers took turns sending their collections down the catwalk, including Dakar Fashion Week creator Adama Ndiaye.

Ndiaye, better known by the name of her clothing line, Adama Paris, presented an array of glittering gowns and jumpsuits.

She was followed by a Dona Pen Design collection from Gabonese designer, Dona Pen who added a splash of colour to the runway as 50s throwback music blasted from the speakers.

“Yes, it’s my first time tonight, and I hope it won’t be the last because I really enjoyed it,” said Salimata Faye from Senegal.

“They were all gorgeous. I loved Lahad because I know him personally, but I also liked the guy with the shiny stuff, I don’t remember exactly (his name), but it was really nice. Yesterday it was at the Pullman (hotel). It was great too, the originality. You see, here it’s in the street. It’s different from what we’re used to seeing actually. Often, it’s in hotels, in stylish places, but here it’s open to everybody and it helps to highlight Senegalese culture and fashion,” Kevin from Benin said.

Designer, Linda Dikongo from Cameroon created a men’s collection in tan and black.

On Friday and Saturday, June 1 some of the designers and more will debut their collections at the stylish and contemporary Radisson Blu Hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Tickets for these events start at 15,000 West African Francs (25 U.S. dollars).

Nigerian fashion designer Ejiro Amos Tafiri started ready-to-wear label E.A.T. (Ejiro Amos Tafiri) in 2010 to cater to modern women.

Tafiri is inspired by the joie de vivre and cultural diversity of her hometown Lagos. She developed a love for fashion from her grandmother who was her tailor growing up.

“It’s in progress. It’s still going to a bit different when you see it on the runway eventually. So the collection as a whole is inspired by underwater creatures and things. So I’m playing with a very soft palette of sealight colours. You have peach in there, you have lavender, you have soft blues, just really nice soft colours all blended together. But then I’m using fabrics – either it’s hand-dyed or it’s hand-woven, just stuff that i’ve tried to build up myself, and we have different elements of fabrics in there,” Tafiri said at her workshop in Lagos.

“It’s just a really nice matchup and I hope that you enjoy. I look forward to showing it to you as a collection, telling the story fully. I don’t want to reveal too much right now, so see you on the runway,” she added.

Senegalese designer Lahad Gueye, who is taking part for the third time, closed out the night with a black and gold collection of evening gowns from his Al Gueye label.

He is scheduled to reveal his colourful new collection on the final Radisson runway show on Saturday.