What Happened in African Fashion This Week
- bolaji akinwande
- Oct 4
- 6 min read
Fashion Week in Paris spotlights African-Diasporian talent with standout collections from Torishéju, Casablanca, Mossi, and Maxhosa. Meanwhile, Nigeria marks its 65th Independence Day with the unveiling of a newly renamed cultural space, a move aimed at strengthening the nation’s creative economy. Elsewhere, the Business of Fashion (BoF) announces its 2025 BoF 500, featuring five African creatives recognized for shaping global fashion through their artistry and influence.
Clearly Invincible brings you the latest in our weekly African fashion recap. Here's everything that happened this week.
Collaboration.
LAGOS-BASED CREATIVE SPACE NAHOUS TO SHOWCASE FIVE PIECES FROM TOKYO JAMES’ 2026 SPRING/SUMMER COLLECTION TITLED “CHAOS”
Tokyo James, the Nigerian-British designer, released his Spring/Summer 2026 collection titled “Chaos” during Milan Fashion Week on 28th September. The collection features leather,a distinctive element of the designer’s aesthetic, ranging from shredded leather jackets to beaded trousers and crochet accessories, such as hats and bags. It highlights James’ exquisite craftsmanship and avant-gardism.
The collection is also part of a collaboration with Nahous, one of Lagos’ emerging cultural spaces that fuses art, design, fashion, and culinary experiences. Five pieces from the newly released collection are set to be exhibited at an upcoming show in Nahous, positioning African design as both luxury and art, rooted in heritage yet appealing to a global audience.
Showcase.
AFRICAN-DIASPORIAN DESIGNERS TORISHÈJU, CASABLANCA, AND MOSSI UNVEIL SS26 COLLECTIONS AT PARIS FASHION WEEK
The Spring/Summer 2026 shows at Paris Fashion Week officially opened on September 30 and will run through October 6. Among the designers making their mark this season are African-Diasporian names such as Torishéju, Casablanca, and Mossi, each bringing distinct narratives to the runway.
Torishéju, the Nigerian-Brazilian designer and recent winner of the LVMH Savoir-Faire Prize, presented a collection titled “A Uniform of Ideas/Durer.” The SS26 showcase explored themes of chaos, confusion, and identity through deconstructed silhouettes. Twisted sleeves, inverted collars, garments punctured with holes, and sculptural hats, including tops made from wooden beads, highlighted her unorthodox approach to design while reinforcing her reputation for conceptual storytelling.
Casablanca, founded by French-Moroccan designer Charaf Tajer, unveiled “For the Love of House,” a vibrant ode to house music. Against the backdrop of a neon-lit runway, models wore eclectic ensembles that merged streetwear, formal, and casual codes. Wide-legged neon trousers, striped tracksuits, leather jackets, leopard-print shirts, and boldly colored skirts echoed the energy of nightlife and its rhythmic pulse.
Mossi, the ethical ready-to-wear brand founded by Malian-French designer Mossi Traoré, presented “The Woman of Père-Lachaise.” Known for his architectural play on texture and volume, Traoré paid homage to the essence of a French woman with sculptural draped dresses in a muted palette of grays, yellows, blacks, and whites. The collection reflected his commitment to artistry and social consciousness in fashion.
Elsewhere on the Paris Fashion Week calendar, South African heritage label Maxhosa is set to present its latest collection, “Izipho Zabadala,” on Saturday, October 4.
Fashion Week.
LAGOS FASHION WEEK ANNOUNCES STEPHEN TAYO AND RENEE NEBLETT AS GREEN ACCESS FACILITATORS
Lagos Fashion Week returns this year from October 29 to November 2, and the platform has announced two additional names for its 2025 Green Access Facilitators program.
Among them is Stephen Tayo, the acclaimed fashion, art, and culture photographer whose work delves into themes of wealth, class, race, gender, and identity. Tayo will lead a course titled “Creativity & Storytelling for Sustainable Design: Documenting Process, Place & People.”
Also joining is Renée Neblett, founding director of the Kokrobitey Institute in Ghana, a space dedicated to sustainability, education, and design rooted in African knowledge systems. Neblett will present a course titled “Community-Centered Approaches to Material Innovation.”
Through these facilitators, Lagos Fashion Week continues to deepen its commitment to sustainability and knowledge-sharing within Africa’s fashion ecosystem.
Brand.
GHANAIAN-AMERICAN BRAND KWASI PAUL RELEASES NEW COLLECTION TITLED “IMPORTED TREASURE”
Kwasi Paul, the Ghanaian-American brand founded by Samuel Boakye in 2020, continues to fuse Ghanaian heritage with contemporary design. Earlier this year, the label was among a select group of African brands featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
For its latest offering, titled “Imported Treasure,” Kwasi Paul reclaims and redefines the meaning of the word “imported.” The collection showcases sharp suit sets crafted from fugu and kente—two of Ghana’s most iconic indigenous textiles—alongside wool-linen pieces in rich hues of black, mustard, chocolate brown, and plum. Each design reflects a dialogue between traditional craftsmanship and modern tailoring.
Completing the vision, the collection also incorporates jewelry pieces that tie the narrative together, reinforcing Kwasi Paul’s identity as a brand that bridges heritage and contemporary luxury.
Culture.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND MINISTRY OF ART, CULTURE, TOURISM & CREATIVE ECONOMY UNVEIL WOLE SOYINKA CENTRE FOR CULTURE AND CREATIVE ARTS
As Nigeria marks its 65th Independence Day, the Federal Government, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy (FMACTCE), has unveiled the newly refurbished National Theatre Nigeria, now renamed the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts in honor of Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
The reopening of the space is part of a broader plan to boost the country’s creative economy and to serve as a landmark for welcoming the world ahead of FESTAC ’77 at 50,the 50th anniversary of the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, set to take place in 2027.
Brand.
LAGOS STREETWEAR LABEL PITH AFRICA OPENS POP-UP WITH FILM SCREENING AT BYD NIGERIA
Lagos-based streetwear brand Pith Africa is hosting a one-month long pop-up at BYD Nigeria’s newly launched showroom in Lagos. BYD Nigeria is an automobile company operating in the country. The pop-up begins today the 4th October and will run till the 31st. It will feature Pith Africa pieces, and the screening of the brand’s new film titled “Second Time Around” showcasing the brand’s sustainable capsule collection.
Brand.
DEJI & KOLA INTRODUCE “UNDER CONSTRUCTION,” A DENIM-INSPIRED COLLECTION
Deji and Kola is a Nigerian menswear brand founded in 2017. Over the years, it has become a household name, recognized for creating custom-fit, made-to-order suits, shirts, and African traditional outfits. Its newest collection, “Under Construction – Denim,” marks the final installment of a three-part series.
The first two collections explored leather goods, ranging from sandals, tote and duffel bags, to belts and leather-inspired clothing. For this third and final installment of the “Under Construction” series, denim takes center stage, featuring a monogram print, denim shirts, two-piece sets, jackets, bags, duffel bags, and briefcases.
Award.
THE BUSINESS OF FASHION (BoF) 500 ANNOUNCES ITS 2025 COHORT
The Business of Fashion (BoF) has unveiled the latest edition of the BoF 500, its annual list spotlighting the most influential people shaping the global fashion industry. This year, five African creatives were recognized for their impact through entrepreneurship, cultural influence, and creative practice.
Nigerian superstar Ayra Starr earned a place for her Y2K-inspired aesthetic and growing influence on fashion trends, while Tems, the Grammy Award–winning artist, was celebrated for her commanding presence in the fashion sphere. Grace Ladoja, founder of Homecoming,the week-long festival that celebrates culture, music, art, and fashion,was named for her role in amplifying African talent.
Lagos-based multidisciplinary artist Daniel Obasi, whose work spans styling, creative direction, photography, and filmmaking, was recognized for his boundary-pushing vision.
Rounding out the list are Teezee (Teni Zaccheaus) and Seni Saraki, key figures behind NativeMag, the influential music and style platform,both included for their contributions as fashion creatives.
Their inclusion underscores the rising influence of African artists and cultural entrepreneurs on the global fashion stage.
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