Nairobi Fashion Week 2025: Leading a Regenerative Fashion Renaissance
Nairobi Fashion Week, Kenya’s premier fashion event, is set to return for its seventh edition under the groundbreaking theme, Regenerative Fashion Renaissance: Restoring Culture and Nature. Scheduled from January 29th to February 1st, 2025, at the Sarit Center, this year’s event aims to redefine the future of fashion with a focus on sustainability, cultural preservation, and environmental restoration.
This visionary theme represents a pivotal shift in the global conversation on sustainability. While traditional sustainability practices emphasize reducing harm, regenerative fashion seeks to restore and renew ecosystems, communities, and cultural heritage throughout the fashion supply chain. By embracing a circular fashion economy, the event will highlight how designers, brands, and consumers can actively contribute to a more responsible and restorative industry.
“The theme aligns with our vision of positioning Africa as a global leader in sustainability. We are working to establish a platform for sustainable designers across Africa, rooted in the region’s cultural values. Our goal is to promote organic fabrics and sustainable fashion, and we believe this platform will help us reclaim and celebrate our story,” said Brian Kihindas, Creative Director of Nairobi Fashion Week.
He added, “Throughout history, African communities have embraced sustainable fashion by crafting garments from locally sourced, natural materials and utilizing traditional techniques that prioritize longevity, cultural significance, and environmental harmony.”
“The theme aligns with our vision of positioning Africa as a global leader in sustainability.We are working to establish a platform for sustainable designers across Africa, rooted in theregion & cultural values. Our goal is to promote organic fabrics and sustainable fashion, and we believe in
— Nairobi Fashion Hub (@nairobifashionhub.bsky.social) 2025-01-21T12:01:20.278Z
The Urgency for Regenerative Fashion
The global Textile and Apparel (T&A) industry, the third-largest manufacturing sector, generated $2.4 trillion in revenue in 2019 and employs over 300 million people worldwide. The sector’s growth has been exponential, with production doubling since 2000. Current consumption trends reveal that people now purchase 60% more clothes than they did 15 years ago. If this trajectory continues, clothing use could increase by over 60% between 2019 and 2029.
However, this rapid growth comes at a significant cost. The fashion industry is responsible for approximately 10% of global carbon emissions, surpassing the combined emissions of all international flights and maritime shipping. Additionally, the sector generates around 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually, equivalent to a rubbish truck full of clothes being discarded every second. In Kenya, the impact of second-hand clothes, or mitumba, exacerbates the crisis. An estimated 300 million items of damaged or unsellable synthetic clothing are imported annually, with much of it ending up in landfills or burned, intensifying plastic pollution.
Nairobi Fashion Week: A Platform for Change
With these challenges in mind, Nairobi Fashion Week 2025 will spotlight designers who are redefining industry norms through recycling and upcycling practices. The event will also feature discussions with industry leaders, environmental activists, and sustainability experts on the broader potential of a circular economy in fashion.
“Recycling in fashion isn’t just about turning old clothes into new garments. It’s about creating a system where fashion becomes a regenerative force, where nothing goes to waste and everything has a second life. Nairobi Fashion Week 2025 will showcase the exciting possibilities that circular fashion holds for the future, not just for Africa, but for the world,” said Lisa Kibutu, Sponsor and Production Lead at NFW.
About Nairobi Fashion Week
Dynamic Race PR established Nairobi Fashion Week (NFW) in 2013 to advance East Africa’s fashion industry. The event connects emerging and established designers with local and international buyers and stockists. In 2023, NFW launched the JUST Fashion campaign, advocating for responsible sourcing, eco-friendly materials, and ethical production practices. NFW also introduced the Fashion Frontier Africa (FFA) incubator program in partnership with European e-tailor Cultrite. This initiative supports African designers with mentorship and business development, with the goal of reaching 500 designers after successfully completing its first cohort.
Now in its seventh season, Nairobi Fashion Week continues to be a trailblazer, pushing the boundaries of creativity, sustainability, and innovation while cementing Africa’s position as a leader in the global fashion landscape.
Theme: “The Regenerative Fashion Renaissance” Restoring Culture and Nature
Nairobi Fashion Week’s seventh edition will be held from January 29th to February 1st in Nairobi,Kenya
Venue: Sarit Center
Content courtesy of Nairobi Fashion Week & NFH Digital Team
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