Fashion designers from Africa are celebrated in Paris, London and New York. Whether avant-garde or traditionally inspired, these designers often share a focus on social and environmental sustainability. And they’re enjoying great successes.
For a long time, designers from Africa or with African roots were hardly present on the catwalks of the western fashion world. That has changed radically. From street style to haute couture, these designers are known for combining their sometimes-avant-garde designs with a rich tradition of textile techniques and patterns.
In Lagos, Adebayo Oke-Lawal challenges gender roles with his label Orange Culture. Senegalese designer Selly Raby Kane dissolves the boundaries between fashion and art. And in Cape Town, Lukhanyo Mdingi focuses on social responsibility with his brand. These designers share a passion for creating local, economically sustainable structures. For them, it's about great style, jobs and education. Things are changing as a result: While most of the region’s designers are self-taught, in Dakar, fashion designer Sophie Nzinga has opened West Africa’s first school for fashion design.
Africa's fashion design avant-garde is diverse and headed for success. From the African continent's metropolises to the classic fashion strongholds of Paris, London and New York, they’re making their mark -- and showing their work at the most important fashion weeks. In this film, eight designers provide insights into their creations of tomorrow.