What Happened in African Fashion This Week.
- Hamza Olalekan Dosunmu
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
Africa’s fashion industry continues to evolve through expanding infrastructure, international visibility, and cross-sector collaboration. This week’s developments reflect a sector advancing across multiple layers of the value chain — from institutional partnerships and retail expansion to global runway representation and sustainability-driven innovation.
Across the continent and its diaspora, designers, organisations, and platforms are strengthening the systems that support long-term industry growth. Craft heritage, emerging technology, business strategy, and cultural storytelling are increasingly operating within interconnected frameworks rather than isolated moments.
As these structures take shape, African fashion is consolidating its position not only as a creative force, but as a coordinated industry with growing influence across global markets.
Clearly Invincible brings you the latest weekly African fashion recap.
Organisation
FashionEVO × ZAFD Convene Industry Stakeholders in Lusaka
FashionEVO in partnership with Zambia Fashion Designers Association (ZAFD), and in collaboration with Africa Creative Market (ACM), brought together designers, industry leaders, and creative entrepreneurs in Lusaka for a focused dialogue on the future of fashion.
The convening centred on structural growth addressing sustainability, business frameworks, and long-term brand development beyond creative output.
Through panel discussions and practical exchanges, participants explored strategies for building resilient fashion enterprises capable of operating competitively within regional and global markets.
The initiative reinforces the role of collaboration, knowledge transfer, and coordinated industry action as key drivers of ecosystem growth.
Powered by Africa Creative Market.
Brand
MÓYE Announces South Africa Pop-Up Dates
Nigerian fashion brand MÓYE is heading to South Africa for a limited in-person retail experience, responding to growing demand from its regional customer base.
The brand will host pop-ups in:
Johannesburg — 28 March
Cape Town — 2 April
Positioned as an exclusive drop, the showcase will feature MÓYE’s signature textured silhouettes and statement-driven pieces, with limited availability across both cities.
The activation signals continued cross-market expansion for African fashion brands leveraging pop-up retail to deepen direct-to-consumer engagement across the continent.
Brand
Angeline Dangelser Launches DANGELSER and Opens LABEL OUED
Moroccan leather designer Angeline Dangelser has unveiled DANGELSER, a capsule of sculptural clutches and eyewear cases crafted from dormant lamb and goat leather stocks. Produced in Morocco, the limited series combines architectural silhouettes with modular wearability — designed for shoulder, crossbody, or waist styling and finished with cotton linings and gold-toned hardware, foregrounding material reuse within a luxury framework.
The launch coincides with the inauguration of LABEL OUED in Casablanca’s Casa Anfa district. Supported by Maroc Impact, the hub functions as a structured platform for Morocco’s creative industries, offering designer training, eco-design and recycling workshops, and international market linkages.
Together, the collection and the new space position craft not only as aesthetic output, but as infrastructure for long-term creative and economic development.
Fashion Week
James Tokyo Debuts Harmony at Milan Fashion Week
At Milan Fashion Week, James Tokyo presented Harmony, a collection exploring equilibrium through draped silks, layered prints, and sculptural silhouettes.
The line juxtaposed strength with grace and modernity with tradition, creating looks that carry both intent and movement.
The debut highlights how African and diaspora designers are increasingly shaping narratives on major international runways, blending cultural references with technical precision to resonate beyond the fabric itself.
Brand
Hanifa Pauses Production Following Fulfilment Crisis
After nearly 15 years in operation, Hanifa has announce an indefinite pause in production. Founder and designer Anifa Mvuemba confirmed the decision in a statement to The Cut, citing creative fatigue and the need to reassess the brand’s direction.
The pause follows fallout from the brand’s November “Hanifa Friday” sale, which offered discounts of up to 45 percent and included pre-order items. Manufacturing delays disrupted delivery timelines, leaving some customers waiting months beyond projected shipping dates.
While the company issued updates, expedited shipments, and processed refunds where possible and states that all orders have now been fulfilled the delays triggered sustained criticism across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
The online backlash expanded beyond logistics into broader scrutiny of the brand’s operations, sizing, fabric quality, and customer relations. Mvuemba publicly apologised, acknowledging communication lapses.
The crisis unfolded as she had just given birth in December, requiring her to manage reputational damage during maternity leave.
Founded in 2011, Hanifa built a strong following for its form-fitting designs, inclusive sizing up to 3X, and digital innovation, including a widely referenced virtual 3D runway presentation during the pandemic.
The brand also staged a runway show at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., in 2021, centring community casting.
In her statement, Mvuemba reflected on the personal cost of founder-led scrutiny and the intensity of public discourse, noting that the future of Hanifa remains undecided.
The pause is described as a period of reflection rather than a confirmed closure.
Award
Omoyemi Akerele Serves on H&M Foundation Global Change Award Expert Panel
Omoyemi Akerele has been appointed to the Expert Panel for the H&M Foundation’s Global Change Award (GCA) 2026, joining a cross-disciplinary group tasked with identifying early-stage innovations capable of accelerating decarbonisation and circularity within the textile and apparel industry.
The announcement is particularly significant as her ecosystem platforms Style House Files and Lagos Fashion Week are also nominees this year, following the 2025 win of The Revival, led by Yayra Agbofah.
The 2026 edition received over 450 submissions from 81 countries across six continents, underscoring the award’s global scope.
The Expert Panel — comprising leaders across ESG, manufacturing, circular technology, policy, and fashion innovation — evaluates early-stage concepts with potential for scalable systems change.
Akerele emphasised the importance of solutions that balance technological advancement with social impact, advocating for people-centred innovation alongside climate-focused progress. The panel will shortlist 20 finalists,before recommending 10 winners to the H&M Foundation Board.
The Top 20 will be announced on March 4, with final winners revealed in June.
Brand
Wanni Fuga Announces Two-Day Pop-Up in Abidjan
Wanni Fuga is set to host a two-day retail pop-up in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, offering customers an in-person shopping and styling experience.
Taking place 27–28 March at Cocody Danga Rue B28, près de l’Institut Cour de Grâce, the activation will feature a curated selection of the brand’s signature silhouettes, elevated essentials, and statement pieces, including looks from the Èkó Èlan collection.
The edit foregrounds structured tailoring, textured fabrics, and considered colour compositions designed for a refined, modern wardrobe.
The Abidjan pop-up signals continued regional expansion for Nigerian fashion brands leveraging physical retail moments to deepen engagement across West Africa.
Event
Creative Africa Nexus Returns to TRANOÏ Paris for Eighth Consecutive Season
As part of its ongoing partnership with TRANOÏ, the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX), an initiative of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), returns for its eighth consecutive season with a curated selection of 20 designers from Africa and the diaspora.
The CANEX Pavilion, located at the Palais Brongniart, continues to position African fashion within an international trade-facing context, connecting brands directly with global buyers, press, and industry stakeholders.
Participating Designers
Accessories
Adele Dejak (Kenya)
Jiamini (Kenya)
Nalebe (Nigeria)
Xita (Botswana)
Yasss Handmade (Tunisia)
Ready-to-Wear
Boyedoe (Ghana)
Chuks Collins (Nigeria)
Connade (South Africa)
Diana Seboke (South Africa)
Dye Lab (Nigeria)
Gugu By Gugu (South Africa)
Judy Sanderson (South Africa)
Kente Gentlemen (Côte d’Ivoire)
Late For Work (Morocco)
Oshobor (Nigeria)
Sarah Maj (Morocco)
Studio Namnyak (Kenya)
The Cloth (Trinidad and Tobago)
Wuman (Nigeria)
By consolidating trade access within a dedicated pavilion model, CANEX continues to institutionalise African fashion’s presence within the European wholesale calendar, reinforcing both commercial visibility and long-term export strategy.
Brand
Ejiro Amos Tafiri Marks 16 Years with SS26 Collection
Ejiro Amos Tafiri has unveiled the Spring/Summer 2026 collection for her eponymous brand, presenting a body of work rooted in heritage and shaped through contemporary refinement. Titled around the theme of sisterhood, the collection explores strength, shared identity, and collective growth through structured silhouettes, tactile fabrications, and detailed craftsmanship.
The release coincides with the brand’s 16th anniversary, marking over a decade of translating traditional references into modern womenswear. Since its founding, Ejiro Amos Tafiri has built a reputation for textured surfaces, hand-finished detailing, and garments designed for longevity beyond seasonal cycles.
Positioned within International Women’s History Month, the SS26 presentation reinforces the label’s long-standing narrative: centring women’s stories while evolving its design language for the future.
Organisation
Building African Fashion Expands Advisory Network
Building African Fashion, an initiative focused on strengthening collaboration, knowledge exchange, and structural development across Africa’s fashion ecosystem, has announced the expansion of its advisory network with the addition of new members across several initiative areas.
The organisation works to connect industry stakeholders and support the long-term growth of the sector through initiatives spanning policy engagement, education, research, artisan protection, funding access, and retail connectivity.
The newly expanded advisory group will contribute expertise across these focus areas, reinforcing efforts to build stronger institutional frameworks and coordinated industry development across the continent.
Newly appointed advisors include Ivie Osula, Waridi Pabst‑Schrobsdorff, Lanre Shonoiki, Karenhappuch Ibiara, Jean Fombang,
Bernice Asein, Kahindo Mateene, Sinmisoluwa Adesanya, Damilola Ademilokun, Siamanda Chege, Bamidele Omeiza, Gift Nyambura, Noki M. Lisa, and JK.
According to the organisation, the appointments form part of a broader strategy to strengthen collaboration and build the structural foundations required for an inclusive and sustainable African fashion industry.
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