African Designers That Are Changing The Face of Global Fashion
In recent times, Africans have been at the forefront of the global creative industry, expanding the continent’s sphere of influence in nearly every artistic domain- from literature to music, film and fashion. In an interesting twist of fate, the world now looks to the once plundered-then disregarded- “Dark Continent” for inspiration.
The motherland graciously obliges, sending forth ingenious visionaries that inject bolts of freshness and innovation grounded in a rich and illustrious heritage. The international fashion scene is no exception to this almost expansionist renaissance, with several brilliant African designers weaving their own unique threads into the fabric of the global industry. Without further ado, here are some of the designers spearheading this inevitable takeover.
Abigail Ajobi
A British-Nigerian born and bred in London, Abigail Ajobi is the lead designer and creative director of Abigail Ajobi, her eponymously named luxury streetwear brand. She graduated from UAL’s London College of Fashion in 2019 and went on to establish her sustainable streetwear label in 2020.
Abigail Ajobi champions sustainable luxury through the use of deadstock fabrics exclusive of placement prints, as well as the incorporation of innovative convertible functionality into her designs. This both elevates the individuality of her pieces and allows them to be worn in multiple ways. Part of the proceeds from each Abigail Ajobi collection are donated to Nigerian-based charities that cater to vulnerable members of the society.
She has been honored with the UAL’s Enterprise Award for her contributions to sustainability and community empowerment and has also been featured in several notable publications, such as Hunger Magazine, Pause Mag and TMRW magazine.
Ib Kamara
Renowned Sierra Leonean fashion designer, creative director and journalist Ib Kamara is currently the Editor-in-Chief of Dazed Magazine. Before then, he worked for British Vogue, Vogue Italia, System and W Mag.
He first gained recognition for his 2016 exhibition “2026”, which centered on Black African masculinity. Much of his work focuses on interrogating the complexities of gender identity, fluidity, queerness, Blackness, and African identity.
The London-based designer and stylist has worked with some of the biggest names in fashion-Virgil Abloh, Stella McCartney, Kenneth Ize, Dior, Rihanna-you name it. In 2021 he was awarded the Isabella Blow Award by the British Fashion Council and in 2022 he was appointed the Art & Image Director for Off-White after Virgil Abloh’s passing.
Other notable career highlights include styling ‘A Dress of Hope’ for the Bath Fashion Museum’s Dress of the Year collection and choosing the iconic Armani wrap dress worn by Meghan Markle during her viral Oprah interview, which was named the 2021 ‘Dress of the Year’.
Anifa Mvuemba
Born in Kenya and raised in different parts of the US, Anifa Mvuemba is a designer of Congolese descent. She is the founder and designer of Hanifa, a ready-to-wear womenswear label created in 2012. Anifa specializes in bridal couture and off the rack womenswear often consisting of flamboyant, brightly colored pieces. Anifa has styled top fashion darlings like Zendaya, Bella Hadid, Tracee Ellis Ross and more.
In May 2020, the Hanifa founder made her iconic runway debut with 3D Renderings of her Pink Label Congo collection displayed on Instagram Live, an exhibition that was lauded as an inventive way of adapting to the restrictions placed on the fashion industry during the global pandemic. The virtual show also featured a deep dive into the unrest and oppression ongoing in Congo, her way of drawing the world’s attention to the atrocities taking place in her home country.
Olayinka Ashogbon
More popularly known as Yinka Ash, Olayinka Ashogun is the founder of Ashluxe and Ashluxury. These brands are a product of his mission to redefine African luxury fashion and showcase Nigerian streetwear on the global stage.
Ashluxe is a luxury streetwear brand that incorporates African cultural influences into contemporary fashion. Created with the aim of representing African excellence and creativity, Ashluxe is lauded for its high quality pieces, bold design choices and innovative take on streetwear.
On the other hand, Ashluxury is a high-end fashion retail store that offers a hand-picked selection of luxury fashion items from a variety of designer brands. These brands have attracted a loyal customer base made up of high-profile clientele, making Yinka Ash one of the leading names in the African luxury fashion industry.
Yinka Ash uses his position as a prominent figure in the African fashion industry to support and nurture local talent, collaborating with other designers, artistes and creatives to promote African fashion and culture.
Kenneth Ize
Kenneth Ize is a Lagos-born designer renowned as a custodian of traditional West African craftsmanship. Raised in Austria, Ize studied fashion and design at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna before launching his self-titled label in 2013.
His label’s ethos is grounded in reimagining traditional West African fabrics and Nigerian craft while conserving its essence. As part of his aim to revive, reinterpret and give fresh context to West African artisan techniques, Ize often collaborates with artists and design groups across Nigeria and supports a small community of local weavers in Lagos.
Kenneth Ize was a finalist for the LVMH Prize and joint winner of the Arise Fashion Week Award for “Designer of the Year” in 2019. His pieces have been stocked by distinguished retailers including Ssense, Browns, and Machine-A. Ize is credited with playing a significant role in the global recognition of Nigerian and West African fashion.
Though these designers all come from various parts of the continent, they are united by a vision that often takes many forms but is firmly rooted in the same principle-a commitment to preserving and elevating their heritage and culture in global spaces.
