I have meant to do reports on individual African countries for some time. Referring to African fashion in the singular doesn’t capture the market’s diversity and it doesn’t take into account the different speeds at which the industry is evolving in each country. It also reproduces assumptions that the styles from the continent fall into an homogeneous category, overlooking, among …

This May Burberry released the final part of its 2018 Pre-Fall ad campaign featuring and art directed by the British-Ghanaian model Adwoa Aboah. The portfolio is set in the model’s homelands: Juergen Teller shot the first installment in London, Aboah’s place of birth, moving then to New York where she is currently based.       This last series follows the …

Last week Christie Brown released the campaign video of the Spring Summer 2018 “Conscience” collection. The ad, directed by Papa Oppong Bediako, received raving reviews for its stunning visuals. As of today, it’s been watched over 7000 on Instagram.       The Ghanaian luxury womenswear label directed by Aisha Obuobi and worn by style icons the world over, including …

So I got back to doing my thing after a year of maternity leave. It’s been intense and I missed blogging, but at the same time I couldn’t bring myself to devoting the little free time I had to writing. But since I have more time on my hands now (things aren’t properly ‘busy’ at work, read: I lost my …

I’m proud to share that I have started yet another exciting collaboration. The platform I will be writing for is IAM – Intense Art Magazine, a digital and paper publication focusing on visual arts, fashion, and design from Africa and the diaspora. My first article on the Kenyan designer Kepha Maina has just been published. Read the article here or on IAM. …

Ethiopia is one of Africa’s biggest apparel and footwear manufacturers, supplying international brands the likes of Primark, Levi’s Strauss, Tesco, and Asos with cheap, streamlined manufacturing and domestically sourced cotton. According to the Ethiopian Investment Commission, the key reasons to invest in Ethiopia are: Abundant available workforce at very competitive costs: wages in Ethiopia are a fifth of China’s and half of Vietnam’s. Quality …

Fashion designer Charity Nyirongo of Mo Creations and Couture calls attention to the contribution of local fashion to Zambian tourism. Speaking at Hub of Africa Fashion Week 2015 in Addis Ababa, she invited the government to fund the creation of designing institutions to boost local talent and establish the country as a fashion and tourist destination. In particular, Nyirongo laments the collapse …

Valentino’s Spring/Summer 2016 collection is out and it just put “wild Africa” back on the radar of mainstream fashion for a controversial reception. Described as “an ode” to the continent, the collections was designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli to channel the “regal” allure of the “primitive, the tribal, the spiritual.” To this aim, it showcased kaftans, smock dresses, flares, and tunics in geometric …