After Finding Success, Mahlet Afework is Shaping Africa’s Next Generation of Fashion Talent
Mahlet Afework has spent more than the last decade building one of Ethiopia’s most sustainable fashion labels: Mafi Mafi. The award-winning brand has been celebrated for its striking designs, seamlessly blending Ethiopian heritage with ready-to-wear fashion that has been showcased on catwalks from Lagos to London.
Now, the visionary behind the label is channeling her experience into establishing one of the country's leading fashion schools. Driven by the challenges she encountered while building her label and the difficulty of finding skilled local talent, Afework is launching the Mafi Fashion Academy and Lab (MFAL) — a groundbreaking institution designed to bridge the gap in quality fashion education in Ethiopia and Africa.
“I always wanted to open a fashion academy focused on quality education, but it was originally a dream for the distant future,” she tells OkayAfrica. “However, as Mafi Mafi began to grow, both locally and internationally, the demand for skilled talent surged. It became very difficult to find the right talent in the market, which made it clear that the time to act was now.”
Courtesy of Mahlet Afework.
Mahlet Afework is also the founder of Mafi Mafi fashion label.
Fashion is actually Afework’s second career, having found fame as a rapper at the age of 16. But even then, fashion was at the forefront as she had to make her own clothes to create the aesthetic for her photoshoots and videos. “While doing that, I also designed and made fashion pieces at home. It didn’t take long for me to realize I wanted to focus on fashion,” she says. She explains that she taught herself to sew by using Google. When she could, she also tried to take technical classes locally, while also searching for scholarships to attend fashion schools in Europe and North America.
But learning to sew and running a business are completely different things. “I had to learn how to be a businesswoman from scratch. I failed and picked myself up hundreds of times to find a way to sustain and grow my business in such a challenging environment.”
Afework knows her story is not unique, and she is hoping that MFAL will allow future African designers to avoid the pitfalls she had to suffer through. And she already offers upskilling and continuous learning to her 60+ employees at Mafi Mafi. “Upskilling and continuous learning have always been core values at Mafi Mafi and the academy is indeed an extension of this philosophy, aiming to formalize and broaden the scope of our educational initiatives to benefit a wider audience,” she says.
Registration for the first batch of Mafi Fashion Academy and Lab students ends on September 16 and when classes begin on October 21, the academy will offer a unique opportunity to learn from respected Italian and African instructors as well as business consultants from around the world, while being trained on cutting-edge technology and machinery. The academy is a collaboration with the Embassy of Italy, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the renowned Institute of Universal Art and Design in Italy. The courses range from fashion styling and fashion photography to fashion business and design.Courtesy of Mafi Fashion Academy and Lab.
Driven by the challenges she encountered while building her label and the difficulty of finding skilled local talent, Mahlet Afework is launching the Mafi Fashion Academy and Lab.
According to Afework, MFAL's unique selling point lies in its holistic approach to fashion education, blending traditional techniques with modern trends. Students will benefit from hands-on workshops, industry internships and personalized mentorship, offering them unparalleled access and experience. It is a curriculum that is aimed at creating African designers that influence the global fashion conversation.
“I’ve met many incredible self-taught African designers, but to build a proper ecosystem, increase trained manpower, and boost the fashion industry in Africa, high-quality fashion education is essential,” she says. This is what MFAL aims to provide, she adds. “Our fashion academy aims to bridge self-learning with comprehensive education and empower future industry leaders.”