Designer Alphadi returns to Timbuktu with a “Caravan of Peace”

Renowned Nigerien designer Alphadi, celebrated across Africa as the “Magician of the Desert,” returned to his birthplace of Timbuktu this week to stage a vibrant fashion show aimed at rekindling hope, peace, and pride in the historic city.

Through his initiative, “La Caravane Alphadi,” the 68-year-old designer brought his creations — and his message — to northern Mali, where years of violence by armed groups have torn…