7 Emerging African Designers You Should Know
Through innovative strides and careful execution these womenswear and menswear designers are changing the way we see African fashion.
African fashion and aesthetics are becoming more and more visible in mainstream spaces, yet there are not many African designers at the forefront of these trends. Despite there being little coverage on mainstream platforms and and a lack of investment financially, designers are rising above their circumstances and are using their platforms to shape perceptions of African fashion on the world stage.
African designers both in the continent and abroad are beginning to recognize the importance of collectivity and expressing their truth as a way to set them apart instead of trying to replicate Western formulas. Amongst many of these designers are young individuals,some with formal training and some informal, who saw a gap in the industry. Instead of complaining, these innovators made the conscious effort to fill it in. Although many challenges have presented themselves for these artist, their drive and will to make a difference are propelling the culture as a whole.
Click through to meet some of the people who are designing the future of Africa through fashion.
The Zimbabwean Brands Inspiring a New Movement of Sustainable Fashion
Not only does Zimbabwe’s fashion scene boasts of diverse talents, a number of them are calibrating their brands towards slow fashion.
Miriam Makeba: The Musician as Fashion Muse
The Brooklyn Museum’s Africa Fashion exhibition shows how artists like the late Miriam Makeba have been a staple inspiration for fashion designers and fashion itself.