Styled by Jenny Andrew
Styled by Jenny Andrew
Image: Ross Garret
There’s still so much to learn; no one has the formula, but together we’ll get there

It’s no secret that there is a revolution going on in African fashion. In recent years a new generation of designers from across the continent have been 
introducing their beautifully diverse aesthetics to the world. By drawing on centuries-old dress practices and fusing them with seasonal trends, homegrown talents are attracting international interest with fashion that feels both authentic and new. This trajectory has been the result of a united effort, with scenes bubbling up in every major urban centre.

While it’s true that SA has one of the most mature markets and can boast of nurturing some of the finest names – ranging from rising stars Rich Mnisi and Maxhosa by Laduma to veterans Marianne Fassler and Black Coffee – it by no means stands alone. Nigeria is the other major player.

Styled by Jenny Andrew
Styled by Jenny Andrew
Image: Ross Garret

Big names to have forged the Lagos industry in the noughties include Lisa 
Folawiyo of Jewel by Lisa, who turned wax print into a luxury fabric through hand embellishments and clean tailoring. Meanwhile, Deola Sagoe has specialised in bespoke and red-carpet looks and Folake Folarin-Coker of Tiffany Amber excels at grown-up resortwear. More recently, Amaka Osakwe of Maki Oh has found acclaim with her reinvention of adire.

Traditionally made by the Yoruba women of southwest Nigeria using indigo resist dye techniques, she turns it into silky, sensual womenswear. She was shortlisted for the 2014 LVMH Young Designers prize and counts Michelle Obama, Solange Knowles and Lupita Nyong’o among her fans. “I use African textiles to illustrate to the world that we have desirable, couture-quality local textiles,” says Osakwe.

Other emerging names include androgynous menswear designer Kenneth Ize and minimal womenswear designer Bubu Ogisi of I.Am.Isigo. “Everything is happening now. Lagos has found its voice,” says Ogosi. Style media including Mania, Genevieve, Made, Bella Naija, Style HQ and Ono Bello bolster Nigerian
designers, and lifestyle stores such as Temple Muse and Stranger sell the best local names. Reni Folawiyo this year put Lagos in the spotlight by opening Alára, a concept store designed by renowned architect David Adjaye.

Styled by Jenny Andrew
Styled by Jenny Andrew
Image: Ross Garret

“I want Alára to communicate a new story to a pan-African and global audience that redefines the beauty and possibilities of African luxury,” says Folawiyo. 
Across West Africa it’s a similar story. Christie Brown Aisha Obuobi is making waves in Accra. She offers effortless, shapely silhouettes featuring covered buttons, lattice work and feathers. She has dressed Beyoncé’s dancers and shown at Alta Roma in Italy. Osei Duro by Maryanne Mathias and Molly Keogh use batik, tie-dye and dip-dying techniques to enliven casual, sporty pieces.

Duaba Serwa by Nelly Hagan-Aboagye is all about form-fitting, sexy dresses that define shoulders and hips. And Afua Dabanka follows the success of her luxury footwear brand Mo-saique by joining forces with her sister Nana for a new line of handmade sandals. In Abidjan, Laurence Chauvin-Buthaud and Loza Maléombho are both dedicated to helping women learn production skills.

Duaba Serwa by Nelly Hagan-Aboagye is all about form-fitting, sexy dresses that define shoulders and hips. And Afua Dabanka follows the success of her luxury footwear brand Mo-saique by joining forces with her sister Nana for a new line of handmade sandals. In Abidjan, Laurence Chauvin-Buthaud and Loza Maléombho are both dedicated to helping women learn production skills.

Styled by Jenny Andrew
Styled by Jenny Andrew
Image: Ross Garret

Dakar has a famed history of tailoring and Dakar Fashion Week (DFW) is one of the longest running in Africa. “We Senegalese designers excel at reflecting the elegance of women in our creations, especially our contemporary takes on the boubou,” says DFW founder Adama Paris. She has helped pave the way for new names such as Selly Raby Kane, who creates futuristic clothes for the art crowd and Sophie Zinga, who has become a go-to for elegant eveningwear.

In East Africa, Nairobi is the fashion hub. Ann McCreath of Kiko Romeo has long championed the enyan scene with her fashion initiative, FAFA. Adele Dejak is renowned for her organic statement jewellery. And Buyu offers bespoke luggage made from woven baobab tree bark. Brother and sister bloggers Papa Petit and Velma Rossa launched 2ManySiblings in 2013 and are now being courted by everyone from Karen walker to Mos Def.

“Kenyan fashion is at an all-time high because we are beginning to embrace all things Kenyan, and African fabrics are now considered fashionable. This is creating room for innovation and for new designers to come up,” says Rossa, who also works as a stylist, rummaging the vast second-hand mitumba markets for vintage looks. “With our blog we want to change the perception of African style as conservative.

Styled by Jenny Andrew
Styled by Jenny Andrew
Image: Ross Garret

"We are today’s weirdos and tomorrow’s visionaries!” North African fashion tells its own tale, with Casablanca now going beyond caftan chic to become a
hotbed for souk-meets-streetwear brands such as Jnoun, Zazlouz and Bakchic. Amine Bendriouich has been leading the way since 2008 with his music-inspired unisex collections. “My work questions identity. I’m African, Arab, Berber, Tuareg and Moroccan. I address historical and contemporary Moroccan society but my designs also relate on a universal level,” he says.

Through the achievements of designers such as these and myriad others, Africa is beginning to make a significant impact on the perceptions of luxury fashion. As the world shrinks, consumers are looking beyond the old fashion capitals for unique, handmade, ethically sourced goods, which is something at which Africa excels. However, many challenges still face the African fashion industry.

There is no continent-wide official body to bring designers together and find funding and most governments are yet to meaningfully support the creative
industries. Manufacturing facilities are sparse and unreliable transportation and weak infrastructure push up costs. Bureaucracy also often hinders trade and imports between countries.

Styled by Jenny Andrew
Styled by Jenny Andrew
Image: Ross Garret

But thanks to an increasingly globalised outlook and social media-fuelled forms of communication, today’s African designers understand that a brighter future lies in collaborations and appealing to customers not just at home or internationally but in their sister countries too. It’s about growing together to create a thriving pan-African scene.

Cape Town shoppers can discover designers from all over the continent at concept store Merchants On Long and Johannesburg based e-commerce and pop-up shop Kisua likewise collaborates with talents from all corners of Africa. “In the near future we’re going to see more retail, a boom in African cities and more people moving back home from abroad to get involved in what’s happening here,” says Lagosian designer Selina Sutherland of Republic of Foreigner. “There’s still so much to learn; no one has the formula, but together we’ll get there.”

Styled by Jenny Andrew
Styled by Jenny Andrew
Image: Ross Garret

November 2015

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