Wednesday 22nd of April 2026

Nairobi, Kenya

Tag: Fashion Designer

The Kenyan Fashion Label Ikeno Clothing Was Inspired By Life On Lamu Island

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Variety of menswear in slow fashion Jemima Bornman founded Ikeno in October 2019, and it was inspired by Lamu Island in Kenya.
The equator sun’s glare is reflected by Ikeno clothes. The clothing trend is made of baggy, worn-out materials and is slow and sustainable.

The spirit of Lamu Island, where company founder Jemima Bornman lives, is immediately reflected in the airy cotton and big cuts. It readily captures the winds that pick up off the Indian Ocean, making it ideal for use in the sweltering heat of tropical climates.

Small youngsters pass by and wave in the village of Shela as young Masai men drift by and laugh together. Donkeys wander aimlessly and without attention. You sweat calm there because it moves so slowly that it almost feels hallucinogenic.

When asked what the focus of her menswear clothes is, Bornman responds to OkayAfrica, “I want to keep things extremely simple. She points to the island’s renowned boats and explains, “My last line of suits were constructed from the Dhow boat sails that you see sweeping by, look.”

One of the largest offshore islands, Lamu is only 60 miles from the Somali border. A place with no automobiles or trucks and a predominantly Muslim population who speak Swahili. Donkeys’ sturdy backs carried an enormous load of creating and maintaining the island, which was still being done today.

Bornman moved to Lamu when she was 3 years old after being relocated from Zambia when her parents divorced.
The neighborhood came together to support a young single mother and her daughters. She feels a strong connection to those who, like her, stay and have known Bornman her entire life.

She reclines in the shade. After spending a long night bringing in bass and barracuda, the fisherman tie ropes behind her. “It makes no sense for Ikeno or me to live anywhere other than Lamu. My house,” she declares. Why even leave Kenya, which has always been such a fantastic creative center for fashion, design, and art? For me, it’s a location where creativity’s magic may be found every minute.

Ikeno relies on recycling items that capture the essence of the island because it uses its rhythms and echoes. According to Bornman, who sources the fabrics for her collections from India, “Ikat handwoven cloth from India has always been exported to East Africa and all the way to Lamu.”

It is impossible to avoid being inspired by the Swahili, Arabic, Persian, and Indian influences of the region’s past given the confluence of art and trade that makes up the culture of the region.
Bornman’s eyes brighten up as she talks about the elaborate and florally carved door frames on the island that inspired the block printing of geometric designs on her brand-new shirts.

Bornman has little desire to expand her brand past where it is now. I definitely shouldn’t admit it, but I’m content to keep things modest.
In fact, I believe it to be crucial,” she asserts. “During the rainy season, Sanga, a tailor I work with, returns to his home in Malindi, which is located near the coast. When it comes to stitching, he is discrete, experienced, and thorough. Not just for Ikeno, I just feel so blessed to have him in my life.

All the clothes Ikeno makes are sewn and tailored by Sanga. Bornman is the less reluctant of the two to serve as the spokesperson in their working business relationship.

Together, they are creating something considerate and innately eco-friendly. A company that is content to be virtually alone and pleased there.

When it comes to presenting the story of Ikeno, Bornman is also picky about her collaborators. To create the editorial for the brand’s most recent collection, she teamed up with the contemporary visual art collective 199x.
When Michael Mwangi Maina, an art director, and Fred Odede, a photographer, founded 199x, they were just two friends doing what they liked. Now, 199x is a highly sought-after agency.

Any customer we work with is aware that we need to handle the creative parts, according to Maina.

“We are skilled in subtlety.” In order to prepare for their arrival on Lamu, Bornman and I exchanged ideas. Photos of desirable sites were looked at, but even though Odede had already visited the island, nothing could have prepared Maina for it.

He says, “I can’t even put it into words.” “The sea was too much for me. the local atmosphere of the location, the hues of the sky, and the mangroves. Although almost too much, it was everything we had anticipated.

Along with three other members of their collective who were chosen to model, they spent seven days shooting. Even though the workdays were long, the evenings had a celebratory atmosphere, and as things started to fall into place, the entire experience turned into an adventure.

Being able to work and have fun, as Odede puts it, “felt like everything an artist needs. Although slow fashion is very important to us, we also wanted to let everyone know that Kenya was present. We intended for that to be felt both locally and globally.

When asked if their company was expanding internationally, Maina smiles and leans back. Both culture and fashion are reflected in our work, he claims.
We are the forerunners of full campaign editorial work in East Africa, therefore we know we can never run out of ideas here. With a serious nod, Odede continues, “Africa currently owns the vision, and we have taken up the role.” Across the globe from Lamu Island.

Content courtesy of Okay Africa & NFH 

African Fashion Show: The Focus Is Back On Fashion Presentations, The Upcoming Season Will Look Like This.

Posted on by Nairobi Fashion Hub

Two years ago, when everything came to a halt, it still seems like yesterday. We couldn’t even go out and get refreshments or go to activities since we were confined to our homes.

Although it was difficult, we had to do it for the sake of our own and others around us. We never anticipated this day would come so quickly, yet two years later, we are able to leave the house without a mask.

Due to spending so much time inside starting in March 2020, the majority of people were forced to pack away their fashionable attire in favor of something more comfortable.

It’s time to dust off those fashionable outfits and display your innovative sense of fashion now that events are open.

As a result, prepare ready for some of the country’s hottest fashion shows, which will take place between September and October.

Durban Fashion Fair 
The Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Center will play host to the 10th annual Durban Fashion Fair from September 21–23 as part of eThekwini Metro. Along with the well-known designers, this year’s exhibition will feature student designers who are a part of its mentorship program showcasing their creations on the runway.

Before showcasing their collections to a larger audience of fashion buyers, the media, critics, and the general public at the fashion fair, the student designers are required to critique each other’s work as part of their weekly assignments under the guidance of Fezile Mdletshe, managing director and founder of the Fezile Fashion Skills Academy.

Mxolisi Kaunda, the mayor councilor of Ethekwini, is pleased with the program’s continued growth.

Our goal was to identify new talent and offer the required mentoring to promote self-employment by honing designers’ abilities so they might in turn produce jobs for others.

Free State Fashion Week
After an absence of two years, the Free State Fashion Week is returned. This year, the fashion spectacular will be held at the Naval Hill Planetarium in Bloemfontein thanks to a partnership with All Black Soiree, a high-end lifestyle event founded in 2021.

“As All Black Soiree, we are thrilled and honored that Candy Smith has given us the chance to collaborate with such an incredible company as Free State Fashion Week. one that breaks down historical entrance barriers in an effort to economically, creatively, and socially emancipate young people. According to Rapelang Khati, chief operating officer of All Black Soiree, “We look forward to a long-lasting cooperation that will give rise to various prospects.”

In order to prepare the public for the fashion show, which will take place from September 28 to October 1, the fashion week will organize a Women’s Day Breakfast on August 9.
In order to prepare the public for the fashion show, which will take place from September 28 to October 1, the fashion week will organize a Women’s Day Breakfast on August 9.
According to Candy Smith, CEO of the Free Condition Fashion Week, “The Women’s Day Breakfast will focus on the most important aspect of being a woman and how each and every woman in our midst has weathered the past two difficult years and how they have encountered humanity in its vulnerable state.”

Award-winning TV and radio personality Lerato Kganyago, “Ask A Man” host on Metro FM, “Young Famous & African” star Naked DJ, and world-famous medium and life coach Taz Singh are just a few of the people that are anticipated to attend the event.
Additionally, designers will present collections based on the “Be Human” concept at the fashion show, which was motivated by surviving a global pandemic and moving on after it.

“This year, I want to inspire our fashion business owners to “Be Human,” take a deep breath, and pause for a moment. That is the exact goal of the theme for 2022. Everyone in the world has experienced a great deal in both their personal and professional lives.

We must stop for a moment to breathe, then begin again with renewed vigor. It’s time to recover from the pandemic’s losses and reclaim our rightful positions while still managing to “Be Human.” This year’s designs from various designers will undoubtedly reflect this, according to Smith.

South African Fashion Week

The start of October is typically when South African Fashion Week holds its fashion shows, however, this has not yet been confirmed. The entries for the Scouting Menswear Competition are being processed right now.

The SA Fashion Week Scouting Menswear Competition seeks for the nation’s top up-and-coming menswear designers to showcase them to the media, buyers, and people who helped them break into the retail industry. On July 20, 2022, the competition’s semi-finalists will be revealed.

Content courtesy of IOL & NFH

African Prints: A Celebration Of African Fashion

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

The late Ghanaian fashion designer Kofi Ansah famously said: “Without clothes, we cannot play our parts.” He first made news in the UK in the 1970s after designing an outfit for Princess Anne.

One of the more than 40 designers showcased in the V&A’s exhibition Africa Fashion, from pioneers like himself to the new generation looking to shake things up, is Ansah, a graduate of the Chelsea School of Art who would go on to launch Ghana onto the international catwalk with his innovative styles.

Most of the names will be obscure to anyone who does not follow the fashion industry, and a few are only well recognized in Africa, so this first UK display is long overdue.

The exhibition’s dazzling collection of clothes, along with the textiles, personal testimonies, photographs, sketches, and film that go with them, highlight the diversity and richness of African fashion as well as the difficulty of defining it across a vast continent with 54 distinct countries, each with their own history, culture, and influences. The exhibition’s prosaic title belies this.

According to lead curator Christine Checinska, “Africa Fashion celebrates the vibrancy and originality of a select group of fashion creatives, investigating the work of the vanguard in the 20th century and the creatives at the center of this multicultural and cosmopolitan scene today.”
“We hope that this exhibition will lead to a rethinking of the geography of fashion and affect the course of the industry.”

She cited the exhibition’s opening piece, a 2019 electric pink outfit made of silk and Cameroonian raffia, as an example of Paris-based designer Imane Ayissi’s work at the exhibition’s opening earlier this month. This piece “sits on the crossroads of fashion systems cementing Africa and its diaspora, blurring the borders between craft-making and couture.”

Beyond this striking display, one enters the first section of the exhibit, which is, in my opinion, the more fascinating part. It tells the tale of African fashion’s ascent to global prominence beginning in the middle of the 20th century through the eyes of several important figures, such as Shade Thomas-Fahm, a graduate of St. Martin’s School of Art, who transformed traditional print fabrics for modern wear and Chris Seydou, who combined Malian bògòlanfini cloth with opulent western

It’s also important to note Naima Bennis, who combined Moroccan and French couture textiles to produce, among other things, the female equivalent of the Maghrebi hooded cape.

In the post-independence era, the pioneers’ work matured to signify the political and cultural revolution that was underway.
A picture of Kwame Nkrumah announcing Ghana’s independence from British domination in 1957 while donning traditional kente robes rather than a Savile Row suit and the stylish youths shot by portrait photographers Seydou Keta, James Barnor, and others serve to highlight this period of pride and promise.

The “modern creatives” take the stage upstairs, where the museum transforms into a sort of store, aware of their background but actively upending expectations and prejudices.

Adebayo Oke-use Lawal’s of organza and pleated chiffon as part of his Orange Culture label questioning hyper-masculinity and Lukhanyo Mdingi’s fluffy white mohair ensemble from the legendary Angora goats of South Africa couldn’t be more dissimilar from our conventional perception of what African fashion is.

I really like the flowing elegance of Rwanda’s Moshions brand and the fitted Ankara prints worn by Lisa Folawiyo.
But the focus is no longer solely on design. Awa Meité’s focus is cotton, both in her clothing and in her attempts to promote Malian cotton workers, while Congolese designer IAMISIGO uses his “wearable artworks” to “decolonize the mind.”

Content courtesy of Camden New Journal & NFH

The largest exhibition of ‘African Fashion’ in the United Kingdom will open in London.

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Britain is gearing up to host the world’s first and most comprehensive exhibition on African fashion in London, offering a glimpse into the continent’s cultural heritage and designers.

“Africa Fashion,” which opens Saturday at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, is the country’s first exhibition dedicated to the medium.

The show will provide a “glimpse into the glamour and politics of the fashion scene,” according to project curator Elisabeth Murray.

“Today, we wanted to celebrate the incredible African fashion scene. So, looking at the inspiration behind all of the designers, stylists, and photographers, “According to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Objects, sketches, photos, and film from across the continent are included in the exhibition, ranging from African liberation years in the 1950s to up-and-coming contemporary designers.
Senior Curator Christine Checinska described the exhibition as “part of the V&A’s ongoing commitment to highlighting work by African heritage creatives.”

Global anti-racism movements, such as Black Lives Matter, have compelled the United Kingdom to reconsider its contentious colonial past, from museum collections and public monuments to history education in schools.
The V&A was founded in 1852, as Britain expanded its global empire under Queen Victoria, including in Africa in the decades that followed.

Checinska, on the other hand, claimed that African creativity had been “largely excluded or misrepresented in the museum, owing to the historic division between art and ethnographic museums arising from our colonial roots and embedded racist assumptions.”

Celebration
The scene is set with a section on “African Cultural Renaissance,” which highlights protest posters and literature from independence movements that evolved alongside fashion.

The central attraction is “The Vanguard,” which features iconic works by well-known African designers such as Niger’s Alphadi, Nigeria’s Shade Thomas-Fahm, and Ghana’s Kofi Ansah.

Beadwork and raffia, among other African textiles and styles, are used in innovative designs with cross-cultural influences.
For example, Thomas-designs Fahm’s reinvented traditional African-wear for the “cosmopolitan, working woman.”

Other exhibits, such as “Afrotopia,” “Cutting-Edge,” and “Mixology,” look at fashion alongside issues like sustainability, gender, race, and identity.

The centerpiece, created especially for the exhibition by Moroccan designer Artsi, is a highlight.
It’s a work inspired by the British trenchcoat and Muslim hijab that explores how to “present Africa in England,” he told AFP.

Artsi emphasizes the beauty of African fashion, which “doesn’t come from a source of commercialized clothes,” in her “meditation on our common humanity.”
“It comes from a place of heritage and culture,” he added.

Content courtesy of Daily Sabah & NFH

African Fashion: David Ochieng, A Kenyan Fashion Designer, Uses Fashion To Make A Positive Impact On Kenyan Communities.

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

As an up-and-coming fashion designer, David Ochieng is creating waves. Ochieng, who put Kenya on the fashion map, remains in the community’s orbit, using fashion as a platform for social change.
David Ochieng, alias Avido, is an emerging fashion designer who mixes African designs with modern, airy tailoring. He was born in Nairobi’s enormous urban slums.

Lookslike Avido, his label, is commercial enough, with the option of customizing garments on the website. More than that, the label is devoted to Kibera, the community from which Ochieng hails.

It wasn’t simple for him to break into the fashion industry. Ochieng’s childhood was difficult because he was the firstborn in a family of four. His mother was the only breadwinner in the family.

She would do other people’s laundry and work odd jobs to help support him and his siblings. His condition was made worse by a lack of school payments.
He eventually dropped out of school while he was in form one.
Later, in order to support his mother and siblings, he would go from one construction site to the next, looking for odd jobs. He sought comfort in the new acquaintances he had made.
Unfortunately, the majority of those pals met disastrous ends: some began taking drugs, others were killed, and a significant number began to engage in criminal activity.

Ochieng’s soul searching was prompted by the fate of the majority of his companions. He would practice unheard sentences in open and lonely areas. He also moved to the Olympic area from Silangi.

Ochieng claims that this was his way of confronting his problems and beginning a new life.

“I didn’t know who to turn to for help. “You’d confide in someone, and then they’d start telling other people about your troubles,” Ochieng explained to OkayAfrica. “As a result, I began conversing with nature. I used to talk to myself all the time, even repeating my issues, and it was via this that I was able to join a dance crew.
We practiced every day in Kibera at an establishment called Olympic, which performs spoken word at weddings, political rallies, and other events. Many of the young people here are in great need.
“Drugs and criminality claim the lives of the majority of them.”

The dancers wore dreadlocks and dressed up in trendy clothes. They had no idea that their newfound pastime would be short-lived. Some of the dancers were mistaken for gangsters, resulting in their deaths.
As a result, his mother encouraged him to change his mind. She gave him two bucks from her paycheck one day. He chose to put the money into fabrics and thread for sewing.
That’s when his life took a change for the better, and he started his fashion design profession with the founding of Avido Fashion House in 2018.

“My dancing crew was a huge inspiration to me.” For our costumes, I would sketch them out.

“I discovered then that as much as I was expressing myself through dance and spoken word, I felt like I could express myself more through colors,” Ochieng explained. “I learned that depicting a person’s journey via fabrics while also displaying life lessons and hardships is magnificent.” In a sense, dancing propelled me into the fashion world.

“Fashion has allowed me to discover myself and gain a better understanding of life,” Ochieng concluded. “Fashion has also become a form of therapy for me as a way of recovering from my childhood trauma.”
Ochieng is now one of Kenya’s most well-known fashion designers. The streets of Kibera, he claims, inspire his creativity.

He also feels that Africa is a vibrant continent, and he wants the world to know that crime isn’t the main problem in urban slums.

“I’m trying to show folks how great Kibera is.” I’m not the only one with talent here; I’m sure there are some who are far more talented and superior to me, but they don’t have the opportunity to show it off “Ochieng explained. “What I’m trying to convey through the fabrics is the positivity and hope that we have here so that I don’t lose sight of my roots.”

Ochieng’s vocational training program, which he started, teaches tailoring skills to young moms and people with hearing impairments.

He feels that by empowering a woman, you are empowering the entire nation. He’s begun mentoring fifteen trained women, eight of whom have hearing impairments and seven of whom are young moms.

He has taken it upon himself to cover the education tuition of the brilliant students in his community in addition to the vocational training. He mostly targets orphans whose parents have died of HIV/AIDS infection.

He claims that if these pupils are not treated, they will wind up on the streets, succumbing to peer pressure, resulting in misidentified identities and possibly losing their lives.
“I needed someone to pay for my school costs, but no one was willing to help me.

“Paying school fees to the poor is a type of therapy for me,” Ochieng explained. “It feels like I’m healing the younger version of myself.”

He also sews school clothes for Kibera’s poor pupils. So far, Ochieng has given out 786 uniforms to students from various schools. The process begins with the identification of the recipients, in which he goes to schools at random and looks for students who have tattered uniforms and provides them with new ones.

With gratitude, Ochieng recalls the first person for whom he designed clothing: the late Ken Okoth, a member of parliament from his district. He went to parliament dressed in his clothing, bringing celebrities and other lawmakers to his work.

After that, Don Carlos, a prominent reggae artist, came to Nairobi to perform, and David approached the event’s organizer to ask if he could produce a custom shirt for him. Carlos was ecstatic when he spotted the shirt and offered Ochieng a partnership to promote his work in the Caribbean.
Ochieng has collaborated with musicians such as Romain Virgo, Usain Bolt, Bruno Mars, Ghanaian Stallion, Tarrus Riley, Connie, Inge-Lise Nielsen, Everton Blendah, and others as a result of that encounter.
His biggest break occurred when he was included in Beyoncé’s album Black King, which helped him launch his career.

Ochieng’s garments are now worn all over the world, from Africa to Europe, as well as the United States and the Caribbean. But, for him, African identity is paramount, as evidenced by his work and designs.

Content Courtesy of Okay Africa & NFH

Top 10 Black Fashion Designers: The Most Fashionable African American Designers

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

African attire is lively, life-affirming, and colorful. There are so many things to adore about fashion from this area of the world, and the fabrics made in Africa can be turned into almost any type of garment.

African American fashion designers are bringing a sense of life and vibrancy to other regions of the world through brilliant colors and attractive patterns. Many minorities’ voices would be suppressed and unheard if African American designers were not there.

Items like this African print Tunic are exactly what you’d expect from the top African American designers, and you’ll appreciate having this much color and flair in one piece of apparel.

D’IYANU African dress is akin to sending a statement out into the world. You must continue reading if you want to learn more about the most fashionable African American designers.

1. Kerby Jean-Raymond

Kerby Jean-Raymond is the creative force of Pyer Moss in New York. Jean-Raymond creates fabrics and apparel that use showmanship and innovation to discuss the black American experience.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7oYAtVHxSO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Jean-Raymond draws on his Haitian-American roots to create vibrant and unique apparel that makes a statement about social issues and the history of minorities all over the world. The capacity of African American designers to create their brands for generations has been harmed by cultural appropriation and other concerns.

All of this experience, as well as the true nature of what it means to design for minorities today, is discussed by Jean-Raymond.

With this work in film, street art, and fashion, Jean-Raymond has brought attention to societal issues that affect African Americans and has made references to the Black Lives Matter movements.

Jean-Raymond was just chosen the global director of Reebok, and he will continue to use this media, as well as his other creative endeavors, to bring the voice of African Americans to fashion.

2. Aurora James

Aurora James is the creative director and founder of the fashion label Brother Vellies. This brand is dedicated to preserving and sharing indigenous African design principles and techniques with the rest of the globe.
James has worked in the fashion, media, art, and photography industries.

All of these abilities come together to create the unique and moving apparel that James is known for.
James is also concerned in supporting the ingenuity behind African designs and their style by generating and sustaining handmade jobs.

James’ efforts to combine sustainability with fashion design in her work are unique and special in the fashion world.

If you’re looking to invest in African culture and the voices of African Americans, this is the brand to go with.

James’ brand is usually associated with celebrities such as Beyonce, Meghan Markle, Serena Williams, and others. The brand’s mission is to make one-of-a-kind fashion goods that spread the African design message over the world.

James has a very unique and meticulous attention to detail, and her work is transforming how people around the world perceive African culture and fashion.

3. Dapper Dan

Daniel Day’s socially minded brand, Dapper Dan, is his creation. Since 1982, Daniel Day has owned and maintained this store, and he has worked with a wide range of celebrities, including Salt-N-Pepa, LL Cool J, and Jay-Z.

Daniel has also collaborated with Gucci to produce a fashion brand, and he has made a name for Harlem fashion around the world. Harlem has always had its own distinct sense of style, and there is no shortage of incredible inspiration in this Harlem-inspired apparel collection.

Dapper Dan is the fashion world’s voice for Harlem, and the business aims to make an impact in the areas of poverty reduction, crime prevention, and spiritual enlightenment.

This is a brand that is inspired by everyone who has struggled to overcome social injustice, as well as those who have been told that their culture is irrelevant and that they have no right to speak up.

Day’s personal life has been marred by sorrow and hardship, and his voice and vision, which tell the experience of African Americans through the centuries, communicate to everyone in the globe.

4. Carly Cushnie

Carly Cushnie is one half of the Cushnie design house’s founding team. Knitwear, tailored corporate clothes, and elegant and attractive female clothing were all celebrated by this brand.
Michelle Obama, the Kardashians, and Blake Lively have all been photographed wearing Cushnie.

This is a company that honors both the African-American experience and women’s empowerment.

Due to the pandemic’s impact on retail enterprises, Cushnie was forced to close its doors in late 2020.
That isn’t to say Carly hasn’t continued to design clothing and advocate for women’s and minorities’ rights.

Cushnie’s voice will not be hushed, and her talent and ability to create designs that allow women to embrace their femininity without compromise will continue to fuel her efforts in the fashion world.

5. Romeo Hunte

Romeo Hunte has his own lifestyle business that he runs and designs. This is a New York-based company that aims to develop both simple and complicated style.
Hunte started out as a buyer and personal shopper in the fashion industry.

As a result, he realized the need for a street-style brand that reflected African-American history and experience.

Hunte is constantly developing and curating his brand, with the goal of creating timeless styling. This is a free-spirited brand that clothes clients for black-tie events as well as casual daywear for work or lounging around.

Hunte’s designs have such a strong voice, and the brand’s colors, design choices, and styling vary and evolve with the social fabric of the United States.

Check out Romeo Hunte’s work if you’re looking for clothing that speaks to the heart while still creating a bold style statement. There are few brands that manage to be both edgy and restrained, and this brand’s careful balancing act of social commitment and style awareness is truly unique.

6. Laquan Smith

Laquan Smith had a successful year in 2021, with several celebrities wearing his designs on the red carpet. From celebs like Ciara, who look great in every outfit, to many accolades and magazine covers, there’s something for everyone.
Laquan Smith is a talented Black fashion designer to watch in 2022.

As a child, Laquan Smith observed his grandma and many other female role models.
His family sent him to art school in high school, and it was a life-changing event for him. He was turned down by FIT and Parsons when attempting to break into the industry.
Laquan e established a company called “LaQuan Smith 3D Leggings” and became known as the “leggings” person.

Things ‘took off’ once he modeled them, handed them around, and celebrities began to wear them.
Beyonce, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Kim Kardashian were all early fans of his unique work, which piqued the curiosity of fashion icons and risk takers.

The company has received acclaim for its never-ending archive of unique clothing and details since its formal launch in 2013. Smith has developed a thriving private order clientele that stretches from Lagos to London.

7. Christopher John Rogers

It’s simple to see why Christopher John Rogers is one of fashion’s most fascinating new names. The designer’s voluminous designs, crisp tailoring, and unashamed use of color have already garnered him a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award and a legion of followers, including Zendaya, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Michelle Obama, after founding his eponymous label only a few seasons ago.

Rogers got the best of the year early after designing the much-discussed purple inauguration coat for Vice President Kamala Harris. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awarded Rogers the “American Womenswear Designer of the Year” honor, and his beautiful designs clearly speak for themselves.

Rogers’ high-end collections, which may sell for hundreds of dollars, are recognized for being vivid, flamboyant, and monochromatic.
He also has a Target limited-edition brand, Lime green, amber orange, and teal blue are among his favorite hues.

“One of my favorite tales is about a friend who was recently wearing a sweater I designed a few seasons ago. And it was just a striped, color-box jumper, to be honest “He was willing to share. “And I assumed it was nothing out of the ordinary, something I’d always wanted to witness.

“However, she stated that she had never received as many praises from any other piece of clothes in her life.

And I guess what I like about what I do is the way we use color and apply it to something that feels very practical.”
Rogers’ artistic vision has made him one of New York City’s most sought-after designers.
His climb to the top, however, has not been simple.

8. Jason Rembert

Jason Rembert, a celebrity stylist based in New York, has styled a slew of superstars on the red carpet and on magazine covers over the years.

Zendaya was photographed in one of his captivating designs for her Netflix feature, Malcolm & Marie, earlier this year, and his luxury fashion label, Aliétte, exploded.
John Boyega, Rita Ora, Issa Rae, Winnie Harlow, Michael B. Jordan, and Odell Beckham JR. are among his celebrity clients.

Vogue, L’Officiel, Paper, Essential Homme, GQ UK, Sports Illustrated, Variety, New York Times, and Billboard Magazine have featured Rembert’s work, as well as major campaigns for Samsung, Adidas, Moncler, Penshoppe, Giuseppe, and Google.

Rembert is noted for his ability to combine classic sensibilities with current components, a unique technique that gives his editorial, celebrity, and advertising collaborations a fresh perspective.

Jason Rembert was nominated Stylist of the Year at the 2018 Harlem Fashion Row Awards, in addition to being recognized to The Hollywood Reporter’s “Most Powerful Stylist of the Year” list.

9. Fe Noel

Big things usually start small, and Fe Noel was no exception. What began as a tiny experiment in Brooklyn has grown into a globally famous brand.

Noel’s creative and airy outfits have graced the silhouettes of powerful women like Beyonce and Michelle Obama. Some attribute Noel’s toughness and creativity to her New York and Grenadian roots, but we attribute it to her tenacity and creativity.

Fe Noel is a womenswear designer from Brooklyn, New York, who is inspired by travel, brilliant colors, and strong prints. She began her career at the age of 19, when she opened a brick-and-mortar boutique in Brooklyn for vintage enthusiasts and trendsetters.

That boutique sparked her ambition to help women embrace their femininity, which led to the creation of her namesake clothing and lifestyle fashion business, ‘Fe Noel.’

Fe Noel is a womenswear designer from Brooklyn, New York, who is inspired by travel, brilliant colors, and strong prints. She began her career at the age of 19, when she opened a brick-and-mortar boutique in Brooklyn for vintage enthusiasts and trendsetters.

That boutique sparked her ambition to help women embrace their femininity, which led to the creation of her namesake clothing and lifestyle fashion business, ‘Fe Noel.’

Fe’s Caribbean ancestry and large, close-knit family have had a big influence on her. She regards her mother and grandmother in particular in great regard, crediting them with demonstrating what hard work, determination, and humble hearts can achieve.

She enjoys assisting other young women start their own businesses in addition to creating, which she is able to do through the Fe Noel Foundation, a program for young girls who are interested in entrepreneurship.

10. Savage x Fenty

Business tycoon Savage x Fenty Think of Rihanna’s Midas touch: she constantly trying her hand at new entrepreneurial initiatives and blowing them up into empires.
Rihanna introduced a lingerie collection in addition to her Fenty cosmetics line, and it has been a huge success.

We may not know what’s next for Rihanna, but we do know that there’s no room for downward as long as Savage x Fenty continues to incorporate diversity into every creation.

The lingerie industry has been shaken, and sexy has been redefined, thanks to Savage X Fenty. The company encourages fearlessness, confidence, and inclusivity with affordable pricing ranges and a wide range of fashion-forward styles.
Savage X Fenty has something for every mood, vibe, and BODY, from everyday essentials to daring pieces.

“We want to make people look and feel beautiful,” Rihanna says, explaining that she approaches Savage X with the same mindset she applies to all of her projects: to create something new and fresh that everyone can relate to and be confident in.
“We want you to feel sexy while having a good time doing it.” Savage X Fenty has underwear for every mood, with everything from everyday necessities to more provocative items.

 

African American fashion is one-of-a-kind, These designers are always pushing the boundaries in order to create designs that effectively express the African American experience in the United States and around the world.

The challenges that affect African Americans are important enough for everyone to care about. Every design created by African American fashion artists is based on social justice and the ability of minorities around the world to speak up for their rights.

You support distinctive voices with essential tales to tell when you invest in African American designers. African American designers in the United States provide unique, remarkable, and authentic clothes and aesthetic aspects.

If you enjoy fashion and want to ensure that minorities have the same opportunities as others, you should invest in African American fashion.
One garment at a time, these designers are transforming the world.

Content Courtesy of EDM Chicago & op 

Red Carpet Dresses: Best Dressed Kenyan Celebrities And Beauty Influencers At L’oréal Paris Launch 2022

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Without saying anything, fashion is the only way to express yourself. It reflects your personal style, elegance, mood, and personality.
Celebrities play a large part in shaping our society when it comes to fashion inspiration.
Nairobi fashion hub compiled a list of the top 10 most fashionable Kenyan women who rocked the red carpet at the L’Oréal Paris Kenya Launch.
On Instagram and YouTube, the majority of the trendy Kenyan female celebs and beauty influencers included here have a sizable following.

Taking a look at the best and boldest ensembles from the L’Oréal Paris Kenya Launch gives you a good idea of where the red carpet stands right now. The winning looks were elegant yet unique, and they should continue to inspire fashionistas for years to come.

1 Catherine Kamau

Catherine Kamau Karanja, better known by her stage names “Celina” and “Kate Actress,” is a Kenyan actress who has won numerous awards.
She rose to prominence thanks to her portrayal as Celina in the Citizen TV drama Mother In-Law. Sue na Jonie, Plan B, and Disconnect are just a few of the films she has been in.

2. Maureen Bandari

The Funshion Mistress, Maureen Bandari, is a passionate fashion blogger who has expanded into hair and beauty care to become a household name in Kenya

3. Sarah Hassan

4. Joyce Maina

5. Shely Sophisticated

6. Pearls and Loaf

7. Maureen Lwanga

8. Lydia Karleen Mukami

9. Anita Nderu

10. Jackie Matubia

 

As the month of June approaches, the temperatures begin to increase, allowing us to break out our summer staples. There are plenty of style ideas to steal from the celebrity set when it comes to designing your summer wardrobe, whether you’re a fan of a summer maxi, simple slips, or classic white dresses.

 

It never hurts to look to the stars for some fashion inspiration, whether you’re stuck in a style rut or simply want to treat yourself to some new investment purchases.

Content Courtesy of NFH Digital Team

Black Fashion Designers: Taubman’s Color Luxury Boutique For African Americans Designers In Los Angeles Has Opened.

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Emerge in Color, a premium fashion shop at Taubman’s Beverly Center in Los Angeles, will sell only products designed by Black designers and Black-owned fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands from around the country.

The specifically created room, which will be open from June 17 to July 23, will be positioned on level seven of the mall, adjacent to Tiffany & Co. and across from Ferragamo, along the mall’s luxury row.
Lori McGhee-Curtis, vice president of specialized leasing at Taubman, created Emerge in Color to help Black entrepreneurs increase their retail prospects.

According to Taubman, despite the $1.7 trillion in Black spending power in the United States, only about 10% of fashion and accessory firms are owned by African-Americans, and only about 1% of Black-owned brands are carried by American retailers.

Tori Nichel, the New York-based founder of the online retail platform Maison Black, which has popped up at Shinola in Detroit and GSTQ in New York, and Frenchye Bush Harris, who founded The Black Fashion Movement in 2020 as a grassroots social media campaign to promote Black-owned brands online and eventually via in-person luxury shopping experiences at Galleria Dallas and other properties, are curating the brands.

The store will carry more than 50 labels, including garments from Kevan Hall, In Earnest by Byron Lars, and S. Magee, as well as footwear from Salone Monet, eyewear from Tribal Eyes, and jewelry from Jam & Rico.

A panel discussion regarding Black spending power will be held on June 19, a Crown Act Day beauty panel will be held on July 3, and a shopping event with L.A. designer Hall, a founder of The Black Design Collective, will be held on July 3.

During COVID-19, McGhee-Curtis launched the Emerge idea as a weekend pop-up at Twelve Oaks Mall in Detroit to help local entrepreneurs. She understood the notion might grow and become a platform for Black designers as a result of its success. She found Nichel and Harris, who happened to know each other, after searching for curators.

“It’ll be a location for exploration.” Shoppers will be wowed by a stunning caftan by Kevan Hall, and then meander through the store to view a coffee-table book by Marcellas Reynolds, who they may meet at an event.

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They will see some gorgeous pieces from Undra Celeste New York’s capsule, and they will be able to purchase Salone Monet if they are seeking for a nice pump that complements their beautiful melanin skin tone. … Then they may come across a plant they like and wonder whether they may purchase it.
You certainly can! We formed a collaboration with Tansy, a beautiful local woman who is supplying the plants… “The plan is to make as much of it as shoppable as possible,” Nichel explained.

“One of our missions is to solve findability, so this was the ideal marriage of us being 100% digital and having a physical space to support emerging, established, and unknown designers who need a stepping stone to grow in the retail environment and gain exposure with other retailers and even potential manufacturers,” Nichel said.

“It’s critical to support these companies because their survival means money will flow into our community, and our neighborhood will begin to look different,” Harris explained.

Designers meeting consumers, according to the curators, is also beneficial. “It’s incredibly affirming…it instills pride in me,” Harris remarked.

“We’ve been the only ones in the studio for so long as designers.”

It’s amazing to see each other… “You don’t feel as though you’re alone anymore,” Nichel continued. “It’s customer-facing, as well as getting to know one another in the Black designer community.”

If the concept is a hit, McGhee-Curtis plans to repeat it during the holidays and possibly expand it to additional Taubman locations.

According to her, she chose L.A. first because of the large number of Black designers available. “Because we’re right in the middle of everything at the Beverly Center, I thought it would go over well.” We may visit Short Hills, a suburb of New York, at some point.

“These are our future retailers,” says the designer. This is something new and different after COVID-19, store closures, and bankruptcies.

We’ve begun collaborating with a number of direct-to-consumer firms that are coming to our shopping malls. It’s also a good time because we’ll be commemorating Juneteenth.”

Content Courtesy of WWD & NFH

Africa Fashion Designers: Designers From Africa Are Making Waves Around The World.

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Designers from Africa are making waves all over the world. Africa has a wealth of talent, and the fashion business is one of them. Many designers have achieved fame both at home and abroad, and this decade has been no exception.

These designers make Africa proud with every stitch, from inventing new ways to bring the runway to the people during a worldwide pandemic to winning important accolades.

Here are some designers from Africa and the diaspora who are forging their own paths in the worldwide fashion world.

1. Hanifa 

Anifa Mvuemba launched her contemporary ready-to-wear label ‘Hanifa’ ten years ago, but her first presentation was only in 2021. Last year, during the height of the pandemic, the Congolese designer stunned the fashion world when she showed her range on Instagram Live using 3D models of her designs, establishing herself as one of the industry’s newest innovators.
Mvuemba’s designs use vibrant, bold colors to highlight the feminine form, with silhouettes and materials that look rich even in print. Many female celebrities have been photographed wearing Hanifa’s designs on a regular basis.

2. Maxhosa 

Since its inception in 2011, Laduma Ngxokolo’s ‘Laduma by Maxhosa’ has become not only a household name in South Africa, but also one of the continent’s most recognizable knitwear companies.

While studying Textile Design and Technology at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Ngxokolo won the international Society of Dyers & Colourists Design Award in London in 2010 for his recognizable men’s knitwear design inspired by Xhosa beadwork.

He’s also been published in publications like as Fader US, Wallpaper UK, and Vogue Italia, as well as exhibiting his work in Paris and London Fashion Weeks.
He is one of Africa’s most innovative exports because to his distinctive utilization of South African mohair and wool in strikingly contrasting colors. In Switzerland, Paris, Japan, Nigeria, the United States, and the Netherlands, ‘Maxhosa by Laduma’ is accessible.

3. Kenneth Ize

Kenneth Ize is a designer from Lagos. He was born and raised in Austria, where he studied fashion and design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna before starting ‘Kenneth Ize’ in 2013. Two pieces with daring prints and colors, certain statement outfits that convey a story, and reinterpret West African textiles are his distinctive creations.

In 2019, Ize was a finalist for the LVMH prize. This designer is one to keep an eye on in 2022, and his work continues to improve.

4. Thebe Magugu

Thebe Magugu is without a doubt one of South Africa’s most successful emerging designers in the last decade. In 2016, the Kimberly native launched ‘Thebe Magugu,’ which has since grown to tremendous heights both locally and globally.

Magugu, who was born a year before apartheid in South Africa was abolished, uses his clothing to represent his connection to South African politics and the after-effects of such an oppressive government, while also advocating for the decolonisation of African design.

Magugu’s global awareness has been obvious since receiving the renowned LVMH prize in 2019. It’s difficult to ignore this designer’s talent, which has been recognized by British Vogue and celebrities such as Rihanna.

5. Imane Ayissi

Imane Ayissi has devoted his entire life to the arts and fashion. He is a world-renowned designer, but he is also a dancer, performer, and model who has collaborated with fashion houses like Dior and Givenchy.

In his creations, the Cameroonian haute couture designer combines the dualities of African and French culture. This is reflected in his clothing, which features an unusual brilliant color and texture combination.

Ayissi has had an 18-year career in the fashion industry and was the first black African designer to walk the Paris haute couture runway. A-list actors like as Angela Bassett and Zendaya have worn his creations.

6. Ahluwalia

Priya Ahluwalia, an Indian-Nigerian designer from London, created the ‘Ahluwalia’ collection. ‘Ahluwalia’ is one of the newest menswear labels on the scene, but it has already made a big impression.

Priya was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list and was a co-winner of the LVMH Prize in 2020. Her mix of African designs and Indian weaves gives streetwear a fresh look. Furthermore, this firm is environmentally friendly because it prides itself on reducing waste by employing used and deadstock goods.

African fashion is, without a doubt, in capable and talented hands.

7. Evelyn Akinyi Odongo

MEFA Creation is co-founded by Akinyi, who is also the creative director. Her career began in 2002, and her designs have grown in popularity both locally and globally since then. She was also one of the fortunate designers to have her collection on display during President Barack Obama’s 2015 visit to Kenya.
Margret Kenyatta, Kenya’s first lady, was also dressed by her.
She also asked Martha Karua, a previous presidential candidate, to wear one of her designs during her most recent presidential debate. For Ms Karua, she created a black dress with a green jacket with an African print.

Ms Odongo’s mother was a home-based tailor, thus fashion was a huge part of her childhood.
The future designer would see her mother sewing and then learn how to do it herself. But she had no idea that fashion would be her career at the time. She enlisted in the military after high school, only to learn midway through that it was not going to lead her to her dream.

Before enrolling at the Evelyn College of Design, she took a gap to focus on her family. Ms Odongo, who is a member of the Association of Fashion Designers of Kenya (AFAD), has participated in the annual Safari Fashion Week and recently represented the organization at the Source Africa Trade Show in Cape Town.

8. Deepa Dosaja

Deepa Dosaja is a well-known Kenyan fashion designer. Nature does, in fact, inspire her fashion creations, as evidenced by the patterns, colors, and materials she uses. Deepa uses natural textiles such as cotton, silk, and wool to produce her works.

In fact, she was named Kenya’s Most Influential Woman in the Fashion Industry in 2013. Furthermore, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o wore her designs in 2015, achieving international notoriety.

Deepa strives to honor and empower women via her creations and company. Deepa has built a business that honors her soul by producing attractive, clean, and ethically manufactured clothing.

Deepa has spoken at a number of events regarding the impact of fashion on both the environment and the people who make it. Her strong love for the environment and the people who live in it is shown in the fact that she has never used synthetic textiles in any of her collections or during her fashion career, and she values her crew as the lifeblood of her firm.

9. Sika’a

John Tchoudi, the founder of Sika, is a promising fashion designer. The Sika’a ambition to create stylish and imaginative handmade clothes is blossoming just two years into an African fashion adventure.
The focus is on manufacturing excellent high-end clothing from sustainable textiles, and the company is based in West Cameroon. Sika’a is ahead of the curve in an industry that needs to change to more environmentally friendly practices.
The passion and variety at the heart of the Sika’a ethos are a winning combination. And a perusal of the impressive portfolio is absolutely enthralling.

10. Ann McCreath

Ann McCreath is a Kenyan fashion designer and the originator of the KikoRomeo brand. McCreath has worked in the fashion industry since 1996.
Ann is also the founder of the Festival of African Fashion & Arts (FAFA), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting peace through fashion. She is the Kenyan Coordinator for Fashion Revolution Day right now.

Award-winning fashion designer with more than two decades of experience in fashion and development in Africa, as well as in Europe.
Expert in the East African fashion sector who is widely regarded as a pioneer. Multilingual connection, motivator, teacher, and creative thinker.

Ann McCreath is passionate about design (see out the KikoRomeo brand), as well as passing on her skills of design, production, marketing, and brand growth to future generations. Everything in my life is connected to the arts in some way.

11. Duro Oluwo

Duro Oluwo is equally well-known in the art and fashion worlds. His discriminating clientele stimulates the same stylistic muse as he does. He’s a master of the mixed-media look. He creates one-of-a-kind ensembles using a variety of materials and patterns that delight and astonish.
In general, evening silhouettes are his go-to, but his works also stray into more unusual assemblages. Oluwo, who primarily designs for women’s clothing, has drawn inspiration from people and places in his varied life.

His 2021 collections are expected to be as groundbreaking as we’ve come to anticipate from him. Here you may see the most recent African fashion collection.

Content Courtesy of NFH

 

8 South African Tribes Are Honored In Thebe Magugu’s New Dresses.

Posted on by Oscar Alochi

Designer Thebe Magugu was exposed to a number of African tribes and traditions as a child growing up in the South African cities of Kimberley and Johannesburg. His design work has always been influenced by the unique beauty of his homeland. Magugu adds, “I’m always focusing on topics that are relatively specific but run the risk of being forgotten.”

Magugu sought to keep this attitude alive in his latest effort by designing a clothing for each of South Africa’s eight major tribes: Zulu, Tswana, Swati, Vhavenda, Pedi, Xhosa, Tsonga, and Sotho. “I wanted to commemorate the primary eight cultures that we have here in South Africa because I value my own so much,” says Magugu, a Tswana tribe member.

“While we’re recognized for our storytelling and handiwork, all of the other countries have their own customs and peculiarities that I wanted to capture in a dress.”

Each tribe was designed in collaboration with South African cartoonist Phathu Nembilwi. “I urged her to paint her own abstract depiction of the eight tribes,” Magugu recalls. The illustrations by Nembilwi were then printed on crepe fabric and sewn into “bohemian-style garments with exposed necklines,” according to Magugu. “It’s a proportion that flatters everyone.” I wanted everyone who saw the outfit to recognize themselves in it.”

Despite the fact that each outfit in the collection is graphic and summery, Magugu wanted each one to have its own distinct personality. For example, the Tswana-inspired outfit displays two individuals drumming on a drum that they made themselves, a tribute to the tribe’s beadwork and craftsmanship history.

Magugu incorporated the Soto tribe’s traditional attire into the outfit. “They wear a really particular triangular hat, and they’re often clad with these incredibly enormous wool blankets surrounding them,” Magugu explains.

Magugu was able to transmit the collection’s message clearly and with care with the support of South African photographer Aart Verrips, writer Vuyolwethu Reoagile, and stylist Chloe Andrea Welgemoed. The models, all of whom are Magugu’s friends and South African creatives, were photographed wearing the gowns and coupled with unique South African things.
The conch shells, baskets, and other items would be found in a normal South African home, according to Magugu.
Reoagile also penned tribe descriptions that will be posted on Magugu’s website.
“I truly wanted it to be some form of education,” Magugu adds. “Vuyolwethu offered a quick review of the cultures, including where they’re found in South Africa and what they’re most known for.”

Magugu learned a lot while putting together the compilation. “I knew a lot about South African culture from friends and family, but seeing each culture in detail gave me an even greater appreciation.”
That, according to the designer, is why he enjoys fashion: he wants to continue to share the beauty of his homeland with others.

That, according to the designer, is why he enjoys fashion: he wants to continue to share the beauty of his homeland with others. “I might want to look at another field if I was only doing clothes for the sake of doing clothes,” he says. “I’m not a particularly outspoken person, but I feel heard when I make garments and engage with fashion’s cerebral side.”

Content courtesy of Vogue Magazine, Thebe Magugu & NFH

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Kigali Highlights

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Rwanda’s fashion sector is constantly rising, as the country positions itself to become Africa’s next fashion powerhouse, as evidenced by the recently concluded Mercedes-Benz fashion week.
Over 100 international guests, including 27 fashion designers, arrived in Kigali ahead of the six-day event.

A fashion school has been advocated for in Rwanda. Chris Vitj, a Belgian fashion designer who was in Rwanda for the second edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, urged Rwandan designers and business leaders to establish at least one fashion school in the country.

She was speaking at the Fashion Forum, which took place last week in Norrsken, Kigali, and brought together Africa’s top designers and others to discuss the industry’s evolution from a commercial standpoint.

“I hope that eventually, starting with a few people here, a school like that will exist. That is my desire,” stated the designer, who lectured on fashion for ten years till 2021.

 

Young Rwandan designers are given a forum to display their work.
Young up-and-coming designers were given a platform to display their collections to 27 prominent designers from around the world at the just finished Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Fashion houses such as Jarah by Linda Muhoza, Inkingi Designs, Fashion Forward, A&M Kigali Urban, Ntare Gitare, Koni Clothing, and others showed their collections on the catwalk on May 19 at M-Hotel.
A total of ten young designers were given the opportunity to showcase their talent.

Music meets fashion
Renowned Rwandan artists and top Rwandan music bands delighted attendees at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Kigali last week.
Mike Kayihura and Christopher performed live music with the Target band on the second day of the fashion week at M-hotel Kigali, while several collections were displayed on the runway.
Selecta Copain, a well-known disc jockey, also performed a live set of afro music at the fashion week’s grand finale.

Top designers participate
This year’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was bigger and better than the debut edition held in 2019, with over 15 local and international designers on the runway.

During the fashion week’s grand finale, renowned designers like as Malawi’s Lilly Alphonso, who showed Dessert pieces, Uganda’s Kais Divo, Somalia’s Qaal designs, Ghana’s Arshia Wilson, and South Africa’s Thando Piliso, among many others, showed their collections.
Georges Malelu, the South African designer who dressed Beyonce in 2018, also attended the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Show.

On the runway, top models such as Grace Akeza, Honorine Uwase, Kentha Kirezi, Aisha Uwase, and others showcased various designers.

The fashion scene in Africa is thriving.
African collections dominated the runway at the just concluded Mercedes-Benz Fashion Show, which ran from May 16 to 21.

Ten of the 15 designers who took part in the fashion presentation wore Kitenge couture garments.

Content courtesy of News Times Rwanda & NFH

10 African Fashion Designers Changing the World That the World Should Know

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

African fashion, like African music and art, is experiencing a global renaissance, and we’re here to witness it. International superstars such as Naomi Campbell, Zendaya, Tracee Ellis Ross, Angela Bassett, and Beyoncé, who was seen wearing African designers in the visual cinema for her award-winning album, Black Is King, have helped to bring some of the continent’s designers to the forefront.

These designers are change makers in their own right, helping to improve Africa’s developing economy, advocating for fairness and climate action, and creating a new bar for African talent, ensuring that the rest of the world understands what Africa is truly made of.

 

Africa’s fashion is adventurous and revolutionary, just like its people. Nigerian designers Adebayo Oke-Lawal and Fola Francis, for example, are pushing boundaries and challenging gender stereotypes on the continent through their work. Anifa Mvuemba, a Congolese designer, is credited with being the first to create a 3D virtual fashion show for her Hanifa line, which went viral in 2021.
Ann McCreath, the founder of the acclaimed Festival of Africa Fashion & Arts, is the organizer of Fashion Revolution Day in Kenya (FAFA) and one of the pioneer fashion designers in Kenya.

According to Statista, the garment business generated $1.5 trillion in global revenue in 2021.

This means that the fashion industry’s success in Africa can have a significant impact on the continent’s economy. With Africa having the world’s highest poverty rate, investing in the fashion industry and other areas can assist to alter the lives of those who are poor.
A growing fashion business in Africa implies greater job possibilities, development investments, and global recognition for fashion designers as well as the local tailors, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs who work with them. Many African fashion firms are currently developing programs to provide resources, contribute to social development, and empower people interested in working in the sector.

This is an excellent time to learn more about, support, and invest in the African fashion sector, given its global success and the potential for economic growth. So here are eight internationally famous African fashion firms that are also helping to address some of the world’s most pressing issues that you should be aware of, follow, and support.

1. KikoRomeo

KikoRomeo, which means “Adam’s Apple” in Kiswahili, was founded by Ann McCreath in 1996 and will be celebrating its 26th anniversary in May 2022. Over the previous two decades, it has established itself as a heritage brand, largely regarded with influencing Kenyan fashion and training designers and artists.

Wearing KikoRomeo is like being a part of an exclusive club, with recognizable distinctive items that signify a shared interest and initiate a dialogue.

KikoRomeo is committed to sustainability, employing hand-dyed and hand-carved textiles as well as hand-carved trims from the African continent to ensure that each item lasts. Cottons, linens, and silk are among the natural fibers used in our materials.

The silhouettes are effortlessly graceful and meticulously designed. Our clients consider them to be pieces of art.
KikoRomeo keeps asking us what we can wear to appear good. The unexpected blending of colors and mixed media creates individuality and richness in the textiles when viewed in paintings.

2. Thebe Magugu

Thebe Magugu is a luxury self-titled label created in 2016 by Thebe Magugu, a South African fashion designer.

Magugu uses clothes to tell stories about his heritage and culture while also bringing crucial topics to light. In previous collections, he has addressed sexism in South Africa, the country’s apartheid heritage, and femicide, with President Cyril Ramaphosa calling gender-based violence as “the second epidemic we are battling” in November 2020.

Magugu won the LVMH Award in 2018 and has since been featured in Paper, Another Mag, Vogue, and other international media. Magugu specializes on women’s ready-to-wear clothing.

3. Imane Ayissi

Imane Ayissi is a Cameroonian model, dancer, and fashion designer who was born in 1969 to Cameroonian parents. Ayissi was a sought-after model who walked for prominent luxury labels such as Dior, Givenchy, Valentino, YSL, and Lanvin before launching his fashion business.

Ayissi makes haute couture luxury ready-to-wear items that are inspired by civilizations from all around Africa. Ayissi is also a proponent of environmentally responsible fashion, frequently employing natural and organic materials with minimal environmental impact.

4. Anyango Mpinga

Anyango Mpinga is a cultural pioneer who promotes intersectionality as a circular fashion guiding philosophy. In 2015, she launched her own Contemporary Sustainable label, which is known for reinterpreted white shirts, colorful designs that pay homage to her multi-cultural ancestry, and size inclusive styles that are balanced between androgyny and a bohemian aesthetic.

Her ethereal designs have been shown in cities such as Tokyo, Paris, New York, London, Milan, Bangkok, and Porto, and she has garnered countless awards. Anyango is a forward-thinking designer who is experimenting with new technologies to develop biodegradable textiles.
Her campaign Free As A Human, which she founded as a social venture, addresses the humanitarian and environmental crisis caused by the fashion industry’s exploitative labor practices.

5. Hanifa

Anifa Mvuemba is a Congolese fashion designer best known for a viral 3D fashion presentation in which she blended two of her interests, fashion and technology, in an epic showcase of her brand Hanifa during the pandemic’s peak in 2021.

Anifa, founded by Mvuemba ten years ago, is noted for its appealing ready-to-wear designs for ladies of all sizes. On November 16, 2021, she had her first presentation at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., with nearly 20,000 people watching it on YouTube.

She’s also the founder of The Hanifa Dream, a program that helps women-led businesses “elevate fashion through passion, purpose, and social impact.”

6. Orange Culture

Adebayo Oke-Lawal, a Nigerian fashion designer, launched Orange Culture in 2011. Oke-beginnings Lawal’s are those of a real millennial, as he has been designing since he was 11 and self-taught via YouTube, and is now one of Africa’s most prominent designers.

Orange Culture is well recognized for their menswear, which has been worn by African superstars such as Global Citizen champion Davido, Rita Dominic, and Ice Prince, and was the first Nigerian company to have a store at Selfridges in the United Kingdom.

They provide mentorship and tools to budding fashion entrepreneurs all throughout Africa through their program, The Orange Mentorship, to help them develop their own fashion empire.

7. Christie Brown

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Aisha Ayensu, a Ghanaian fashion designer and creative director, created Christie Brown in March 2008.

The luxury label, named after Ayensu’s grandmother, creates inventive and unusual ready-to-wear clothes and accessories for women. Ayensu reimagines traditional clothes and modernizes it for today’s audience when creating for Christie Brown.

8. Tongoro

Tongoro is a ready-to-wear womenswear brand that offers playful and unusual garments. It was founded in 2016 by Sarah Diof, a lady of Senegalese, Central African, and Congolese descent.
Tongoro, based in Dakar, Senegal, sources fabrics from artisans all across Africa, and Diof makes it a point to collaborate with local tailors in order to support the economic development of African craftspeople.

9. Ahluwalia

Priye Ahluwalia, the company’s founder, was born in London to Nigerian parents and an Indian mother. She creates award-winning ready-to-wear menswear, drawing inspiration from both her Nigerian and Indian roots.

Ahluwalia won the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design the next year after being one of the beneficiaries of the renowned LMVH competition in 2020. For a majority of her designs, Ahluwalia employs old and dead-stock apparel (discontinued and vintage products that are no longer in stock).

10. Loza Maléombho

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Loza Maléombho, an Ivorian fashion designer, was born in Brazil and has been designing since the age of 13.

She chose to start her own line in 2009 after interning at world-famous fashion houses in New York City.

Maléombho presently makes garments and accessories that blend traditional African designs with contemporary fashion, she also collaborates with Ivory Coast artisans, such as shoemakers and weavers, to incorporate their skills into her creations.

Content courtesy of Global Citizen & NFH

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