Everyone believes Italy is the Fashion Hub. Nike, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, these are the fashion brand names that hit, they are worshipped.
But have you ever taken your time to adore the beauties made by African designers?
They tell out tales and struggles, showcase our identity, put us back on track and change the sad narrative about Africa.
There are many Afrocentric High Fashion Brands that when you get to see their designs, you will bite your fingers for missing out on them.
Fashion in Africa had always been at the low ebb of the global interest, but over the years, many Afrocentric High Fashion Brands have been getting attention from all walks of the world, among them are:
1. Laduma Maxhosa( South Africa)
Maxhosa Africa is a South African Knitwear brand founded in 2012 by Laduma Ngxokolo. It has been a center of attention for a while now both home and abroad.
His brand draws inspiration from the Xhosa rite of passage. Laduma wished to create a range of Knitwear that celebrates his traditional culture. He wanted to make designs that speak the values, potentials and heritage of the Xhosa.
Seeking inspiration and creative ideas, Laduma takes simple motifs which he references from museums around South Africa, and translates them into modern patterns and designs. Laduma’s brand has garnered a huge following around the globe including several cast members of “Black Panther”, who wore Maxhosa’s designs to the world premiere of the smash hit movie. One of the major achievement of Maxhosa brand is winning the 2011 Marie Claire Prix D’Excellnce De La Mode Best Emerging Designer Award.
2. Imane Ayissi (Cameroon)
It could be said that art runs in Imane Ayissi’s blood. Born in Cameroon to a champion boxer and ‘Miss Cameroon’ mother. He is a dancer, model, stylist, writer and he was branded as a man with many talent. He toured the world as a member of the “Ballet National du Cameroun” before working as a successful male model for the likes of Dior, Yves saint-Laurent and Valentino.
Consequently, he decided to make a wave in his field of interest; fashion. He turned himself into a fashion household name thanks to his successful couture and Prêt -a- porter lines, which seamlessly blend African tribal art with parisian Haute couture.
Moreover, for the first time in the history of Paris Haute couture fashion week, African style makes its first appearance on the runway of the biannual event. The designs were created by Imane Ayissi who blended European style with African flair for a catwalk collection, marking for the first time a designer from Sub-Saharan Africa.
3. Lisa Folawiyo ( Nigeria)
Lisa Folawiyo has a background in Law, which she studied at the University of Lagos. She started her label “Jewel by Lisa ” in 2005 from her home, with an initial investment of #20,000. She bought 12 yards of fabric and made the first pieces with her mother.
Having perfected the art of wearing “Ankara” (Local west African cloth) through the use of ornate embellishment, Lisa Folawiyo transformed the textile to create a highly covetable print. Garments are hand crafted by expert artisans, a painstaking process taking up to 240 hours. The results has been an international runaway success and recognition. Folawiyo’s designs have been shown at New York Fashion week and can be admired on celebrities such as Lupita Nyong’o and Thande Newton. She has won different awards, some of which are ; 2012 Africa Fashion Award, one of the Eight emerging talent by WWD.
4.Katungulu Mwendwa (Kenya)
Katungulu Mwendwa brand was started by kenyan born and raised designer, Katungulu Mwendwa herself. She spent much of her childhood observing her late grandmother, who sourced materials from local artisans for curio shop.
Due to her passion for Kenya, the budding designer returned home after completing her fashion degree in London to start her own contemporary fashion line. Experimenting with innovative fabrics, traditional methods and modern techniques, her timeless casual and semi-formal designs are fast gaining an international recognition.
The goal of Katungulu Mwendwa brand is to create quality designs, working solely with fine materials and paying close attention to details for each item. Borrowing clues from traditional African cultures across the continent, subtle nuances are reflected through her work.
5. Prime Obsession (South Africa)
Even though the Prime Obsession is just a new brand in African and fashion world, the brand has already made a breakthrough in the fashion world. The design duo of Shelly Mokoena and Keneilwe Mothoa are part of a new wave of designers taking Johannesburg by storm.
Just like it is for many 21st young entrepreneurs, their career began on instagram, where they showed off series of once-off, personalized items from local thrift stores.
6. Maki oh (Nigeria)
The brand was founded by Maki Osakwe in 2010, a Lagos -based womenswear label Maki oh has enjoyed the ultimate celebrity endorsement in the form of Michelle Obama who even invited the young designer to the White House. Osakwe’s designs are celebrated for their bold prints and liberal applications of raffia and silk fringing and made their debut at NYFW in 2017.
Furthermore, her designs have also been worn by international stars such as Beyonce, Rihanna and Hollywood actress Kerry Washington. Her designs are sold internationally through farfetch.com and in United States at the McMullen boutique in Oakland. She was named “Designer of the year ”by African fashion magazine ARISE.
7. Loza Malembho (Ivory Coast)
She was born in Brazil and raised between Cotê d’Ivoire and United States of America, Loza Malembho started designing clothes at the tender age of 13. Following a fashion degree , she interned with Jill Stuart, Yigal Azrouel, and Cynthia Rowley, before launching her brand in 2009, formerly in New York before relocating to the Ivory Coast three years later.
Malembho’s designs fuse Ivorian tribal aesthetics with New York’s urban fashion-think tribal prints and futuristic cuts.
8. Ami Doshi Shah (Kenya)
She led a nomadic childhood life, moving from Oman to North America to the UK (where she trained as a jeweller and silver smith) before completing jewelry apprenticeship programmes in Mumbai and Jaipur. Following a 12 years design hiatus, she founded her own label /fashion brand, “I and I ” in Nairobi. Her outsized pieces inspired by tribal talisman are made from locally sourced materials and crafted by hand. Additionally, her standout accessories are made available in her Nairobi Studio space through appointment boutique. You can't help but fall in love with her masterpiece at fist glance( love at first sight😂)
9. Lemlem (Ethiopia)
Ethiopian supermodel and designer Liya Kebede launched this African fashion brand after a visit to her home country. It was inspired by a need to create a market workforce for the Ethiopian weavers and the core collection is made from handwoven fabric. Lemlem means “to bloom and flourish” in Amharic, the native language of Ethiopia. Therefore, it is committed to elevating artisanship and expanding production and jobs across Africa. One of the basic and Interesting features of this brand is that the clothes are woven from natural cotton, thereby making this an ethical fashion brand.
Don't you think it is high time you let go of the "Almighty sophisticated" Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, and others?
It is time you started to wear what promote you, your heritage, and give you the desired sophisticated aura.
Okay, scrap that 😂😂😂
But it is high time you worship these brands instead of those European brands. This is a way to contribute to African economy, promote our culture and uphold what we stand for.
It is not compulsory, you wear the designs of the aforementioned brands, but that your friend making struggling to make name as an African designer, wear her designs.
Have you ever heard of any of these brands? Have you worn any of their designs?
Drop your answers in the comment section.
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