The rich culture of Africa is felt right down to fashion. Our fashion pieces make statements anywhere we go—from the colours to the prints and the styles, African gatherings are sure going to leave you in awe due to the fashion. African fashion and designers have left the ‘local champion’ phase as our fashion pieces can now be seen in international stores, runways and streets. This success and recognition did not just happen overnight. The designers put in the work to make sure that this happened. Here are 5 of those African fashion designers.
Lisa Folawiyo – Nigeria
If you are talking Ankara (West African print) embellishments, then Lisa Folawiyo is your go-to brand. A lot of work goes into her designs as they are painstakingly hand-crafted. Fortunately, these long hours are not going unnoticed as she has been featured in New York Fashion Week as well as the New York Times, Vogue Italia, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle. Hollywood A-listers, Thandiwe Newton, Lupita Nyong’o, Issa Rae and Songstress, Tiwa Savage are some of the notable celebrities that have worn her designs.
Imane Ayissi – Cameroon
The son of an ex-beauty queen and a boxer father— Imane Ayissi started out as a dancer and later forayed into modelling. He modelled for Lanvin, Dior and Givenchy before choosing his path to become a designer. Imane Ayissi is the first black African designer to have their designs showcased on the Paris haute couture catwalk. He has also been featured on Africa Fashion Week. His designs celebrate the richness and diversity of African culture. Imane’s designs have been adorned by celebrities like Angela Basset and Zendaya.
Loza Maleombho – Cote d’Ivoire
Loza Maleombho’s love for fashion started at the tender age of 13 when she would design clothes for her aunts, mom, and school uniforms. Her designs are a fusion of the three cultures she is a part of –Ivorian, Brazilian and North American. She launched her self-titled label in 2009 after learning the ropes while interning for Jill Stuart, Cynthia Rowley and Yigal Azrouël. Multiple Grammy award winner Beyonce is one of the stars that have been dressed in her design.
Laduma Ngxokolo (Maxhosa) – South Africa
South African-born Laduma Ngxokolo founded Maxhosa by Laduma in 2010. The brand is a knitwear line created with locally sourced Mohair and wool and draws inspiration from the Xhosa culture which he is a part of. The whole idea of the knitwear was to create something suitable for Xhosa initiates into the rite of passage into adulthood but it has now evolved into modern fashion with a global appeal so much so that some of the cast members of Black Panther wore his designs to the world premiere of the movie.
Aisha Ayensu (Christie Brown) – Ghana
To have celebrities like Beyonce, Genevieve Nnaji and Jackie Appiah dress up in your label means you know your onions. Aisha Ayensu is the Creative Director and founder of Christie Brown. The label was launched in 2008 and named after her grandmother who was a seamstress. The award-winning designer’s pieces tell a story about the African woman and her heritage.
The global fashion industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and African fashion designers are contributing as well as benefitting from its huge success.
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