What Happened in African Fashion This Week
- bolaji akinwande
- Jul 12
- 3 min read
This week, at the height of Haute Couture Week in Paris, Cameroonian-Parisian designer Imane Ayissi unveiled his 25/25 Autumn-Winter collection. Meanwhile, Nigerian menswear brand Ola Reay introduced its Spring-Summer 2025 collection.
On the entrepreneurial side of fashion, 360 Creative Hub—an initiative that supports emerging fashion entrepreneurs—has opened a new co-sewing space in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria.
Clearly Invincible brings you the latest in our weekly African fashion recap. Here's everything that happened this week.
Innovation.
360 CREATIVE HUB OPENS A NEW CO-SEWING SPACE IN LAGOS
360 Creative Hub is an initiative that supports emerging designers through resources, training, and funding opportunities to help upscale their businesses in Nigeria. Founded in 2016, the platform has trained over 3,000 people through various fashion classes and has supported more than 500 businesses.
The hub recently unveiled a new co-working space in Lagos, featuring a fully equipped sewing hub. It stands out for its ambient co-working environment and flexible membership options.
Showcase.
CAMEROONIAN PARISIAN-BASED DESIGNER, IMANE AYISSI, SHOWCASES THE ‘IKORROK’ COLLECTION AT PARIS FASHION WEEK
Imane Ayissi is a Cameroonian–Parisian haute couture designer, known for marrying African heritage with the luxury of Parisian haute couture. The eponymous brand presented its Fall-Winter 25/26 couture collection, titled "Ikorrok," this week during Haute Couture Week in the fashion capital. Named after the Cameroonian word for "fallow," the collection is an ode to nature, with a broader theme centered around renewal and regeneration. With pieces ranging from boldly coloured to classic voluminous taffeta silhouettes coupled with matching raffia, in addition to intricately adorned beadwork and floral embellishments, the collection was a feast of African heritage meeting Parisian luxe.
Innovation.
AFRICA COLLECT TEXTILES LAUNCHES INSTALLATION FROM TEXTILE WASTE
Africa Collect Textiles is an African platform aimed at building circular eco-systems for fashion in both Kenya and Nigeria. Located in Kenya, which is one of the largest importers of textiles in Africa, the platform is helping to redirect used textiles and footwear from landfills. This textile waste is used to set up an ethical waste disposal system. Recently, the platform built an installation using textile waste gotten from Kenya's largest second-hand market.
Collection.
NIGERIAN MENSWEAR BRAND OLA REAY DEBUTS SS25 COLLECTION "SURVIVAL INSTINCT" AT PORTUGAL FASHION WEEK
Ola Reay is a Nigerian menswear brand rooted in contemporary expressive designs. The brand is known for its signature hand-embellished pieces and elevated wardrobe classics. They recently released their Spring-Summer 2026 collection titled "Survival Instinct," inspired by the raw beauty of a black leopard. The collection features color palettes like black, brown, grey, blue, and yellow, further referencing the earthy inspiration behind the body of work. Pieces range from trench coats to multi-colored, graphic-detailed, textured, structural, beaded two-piece sets.
Personality.
NIGERIAN DESIGNER AND STYLIST UGO MOZIE JOINS ADVISORY BOARD FOR 2025 FASHION TRUST ARABIA PRIZE
Fashion Trust Arabia is a non-profit organisation aimed at providing funding support, guidance, mentorship, and international opportunities for emerging designers from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The organisation recently revealed its 2025 advisory board for the 7th edition of its annual fashion prize, and Nigerian designer Ugo Mozie — founder of Eleven Sixteen and stylist — is among the line-up of advisory board members. Mozie joins over thirty other fashion personalities from around the world who also made the list.
Brand.
TEN AFRICAN FASHION BRANDS TO SHOWCASE AT THE 2025 AFRICA FASHION WEEK LONDON
The 2025 Africa Fashion Week London is underway and is scheduled to take place on 9–10 August 2025. Recently, Africa Fashion Week London partnered with the British Council for the latter’s Creative DNA fashion programme, which will showcase the work of ten distinguished fashion designers from across Sub-Saharan Africa.
This week, the names of the ten designers were announced, namely: Kisero – a Kenya-based leather design brand; Epica Jewellery – a Kenya-based handmade jewelry brand; Sevaria – a Kenya-based fashion brand; Ometsey – a Ghanaian womenswear brand; Henri Uduku – a Nigerian-based contemporary fashion brand; Black, Fine and Fly – described as an Afro-European brand; Rungano Rwedu – a Zimbabwean brand; Dagmawit – an Ethiopian fashion brand; and Shwanda – an Afro-centric East African jewellery brand.
The British Council’s Creative DNA Programme is part of an ongoing commitment to connect African fashion entrepreneurs with a new global audience.
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