5 African Designers Changing the Face of Fashion
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5 African Designers Changing the Face of Fashion
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By Akinyi Ochieng, Esther Ocloo Fellow, Botho Emerging Markets Group
August 12, 2020
Fashion is big business in Africa. Today, the region’s apparel and footwear market is worth an estimated US $31 billion. From the cultivation of raw materials to finished products, millions of jobs exist along this fast-growing value chain. Rising interest in African culture on the continent and in the diaspora coupled with a growing, mobile-first middle class has driven a rise in interest in Africa-inspired design and locally-produced goods across many countries. As #MadeinAfrica makes a bigger statement, here are 5 African designers shaping the trends on Abidjan’s catwalks to Kinshasa.
HANIFA (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO)
Self-taught Congolese designer Anifa Mvuemba dominated the headlines in May when she debuted a virtual fashion show for her Pink Label Congo collection. By the end of the 10-minute Instagram Live, orders “exceeded the brand’s typical production run, with more than 500 units per garment as opposed to the usual 100 to 200,” according to the New York Times. The size-inclusive brands (which include sizes from XXS to 3X) even scored a featured in Beyoncé’s “Black Parade” directory of black-owned brands.
Hanifa’s Pink Label Congo collection includes a gorgeous “Kinshasa” dress named for the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The daring, backless number features the colors of the Congolese flag. While Hanifa is an African brand, the designer’s proud heritage shows up in the branding and presentation rather than the textiles. Before her groundbreaking 3-D fashion show, for example, Mvuemba shared a mini-documentary about her homeland to raise awareness of child labor in its coltan mining industry.
TONGORO (SENEGAL)
Sarah Diouf, the designer of Tongoro, is a self-described “child of Africa.” With a Senegalese-Congolese father and mother from the Central African Republic (CAR), Diouf was born in Paris but raised in Abidjan. These diverse cultural influences have informed the proudly pan-African aesthetic of Tongoro, which is produced in Senegal as a “100% Made-in-Africa” brand. Diouf sources all materials in the region and works with local tailors and models to offers stylish consumers with bold prints. In her words, "African Fashion is the fresh air everyone wants to breathe, but not everyone is ready to spend too much on — yet.” Tongoro is well on its way to elevating African fashion’s visibility while celebrating the rich traditions of local craftsmanship in the process.
AAKS (GHANA)
Ghanaian designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi is the powerhouse behind the eponymous AAKS, a handbag line using colorful raffia produced by local weavers. Each bag uses natural fibers and is made by hand, ensuring that every design is unique. The vibrant blues, greens, reds, and yellows are developed in-house in a sophisticated dyeing process to render AAKS’ exclusive seasonal colors.
In just a few short years, Afriyie-Kumi has amassed an impressive list of stockists across 20 countries and over 70 stores worldwide, including household names like Bloomingdales, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters as well as major institutions like the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in the United States. AAKS has also collaborated on private label products for brands like Rag and Bone, Bamford, and Maison Sara Lavoine.
THEBE MAGUGU (SOUTH AFRICA)
At only 26 years old, Thebe Magugu has already made his mark on the fashion world. In 2019, he received the prestigious 2019 LVMH prize—the first African designer to win the award in its seven-year history. Earlier this year, Senegalese-American actress Issa Rae recently sported one of his decisions on an episode of hit HBO show Insecure. This rapid rise is a far cry from Ipopeng, a township on the outskirts of Kimberley, where he grew up in the Northern Cape. Magugu produces his collections using factories and artisans in Johannesburg and Cape Town. He regularly references his South African heritage in his work through both motifs and materials. For example, in a recent collection, the designer pays homage to the corrugated-iron roofs that dot South Africa’s city skylines in a photo print of his aunt’s roof abstracted to look like distressed denim.
THE LADYMAKER (NIGERIA)
Lagos-based The Ladymaker has built up a devoted clientele in just five years. The brand is beloved by Nigerian trendsetters, including acclaimed novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Founder Ifeyinwa Azubike traded her high-flying career in commercial law for a career in fashion, studying at the Istituto di Moda Burg before launching it. All designs are handmade in Lagos, Nigeria, by a team of workers led by Azubike. The brand’s flagship store opened in Victoria Island in 2018.
To read more about Africa’s fashion industry trends, shaping the future of these entrepreneurs and other industry pioneers, explore Botho’s latest brief on the cultural and creative industries in Africa.