African creative culture

The new guard of designers from the African diaspora mixes in an ultra contemporary way references to its roots, crafts and traditional designs with avant-garde, street-wear or sartorial codes. Here are some of our favorites !

– From February 26th to March 26th 2016, the Parisian concept store Merci highlights African origin designer labels re-visiting the tradition in a contemporary way. 

– The ‘Social Fabric’ exhibition in London’s William Morris Gallery explores how the printed and factory-woven textiles of eastern and southern Africa mirror the changing times, fashions and tastes of the region. The exhibition reveals how these fabrics express the social, political, religious, emotional concerns of the people who wear them.

The exhibition also features contemporary art and fashion inspired by the textiles.

– Nyorh Agwe was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon and grew up in Italy, Cameroon & the United States. In 2016 she founded her ethical luxury fashion brand. She works in collaboration with Cameroonian artisans.

– Orange Culture Nigeria is an androgynous brand created in 2011 by Adebayo Oke-Lawal. He has been a finalist for LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize, MTN Lagos Fashion and Design Week, and was picked by Vogue and GQ Italia to show his collection at Pitti Uomo in Florence Italy in June 2015.

– Maison Château Rouge is a brand created by two Senegalese brothers Youssouf and Mamadou Fofana. They mix African and European culture by combining sports jerseys volumes to traditional wax prints. The collections are made in Paris, in the Château Rouge neighborhood.

– Reuben Reuel created his brand Demestiks which is made in New York since 2012 to offer new classics. He uses wax patterns on vintage-inspired lines.

– Through the lens of Ed Singleton, “Africa Rising” editorial on Models.com showcases a selection of designer pieces presented at Lagos Fashion & Design Week.

Tops : Bridget Awosika

Pants : RÉ Lagos

Pants : Orange Culture Nigeria

Shoes : Loza Maléombho

– Loza Maléombho merges traditional cultures/subcultures with contemporary fashion, for an avant-garde aesthetics. By producing in Ivory Coast, she works with local artisans, and also helps women of a small manufacturing workshop hiring young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

– The Nigerian label Grey created in 2010 by Rukky Ladoja offers affordable multi-cultural creations of quality.

– Italian designer Stella Jean’s sense of style reflects her métissage and Creole heritage. Her silhouettes reflects multiculturalism applied to fashion, and expressed via the Italian tailoring.

Stella Jean collaborates with African and Haitian artisans, respecting the territories, resources and traditions of local communities, while preserving their ancestral know-how. 

– Avec Ces Frères is a brand part of creative collective Art Comes First. It is the vision result of duet Sam Lambert (he was born in Angola. His father, who was tailor, transmitted him the love of cuts & fabrics, then he then learned the techniques in Savile Row) & Shaka Maidoh. They share the same passion for vintage, crafts, and considering both clothing as a mode of artistic expression, as well as photography, painting, performance…

– Orange Culture Nigeria is an androgynous brand created in 2011 by Adebayo Oke-Lawal. He has been a finalist for LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize, MTN Lagos Fashion and Design Week; and was picked by Vogue and GQ Italia to show his collection at Pitti Uomo in Florence Italy in June, 2015.

– Italian designer Stella Jean’s sense of style reflects her métissage and Creole heritage. Her silhouettes reflect multiculturalism applied to fashion, and expressed via the Italian tailoring.

Stella Jean collaborates with African and Haitian artisans, respecting the territories, resources and traditions of local communities, while preserving their ancestral know-how.

– Founded in 2010, Daily Paper is a men streetwear label created by an Amsterdam based collective. Inspired by their African heritage and passion for contemporary fashion, the brand focuses on quality and fine detail.

– Dent De Man is named after an Ivory Coast mountain, and is established in 2013 in an East London multi-cultural hub. It owes its identity to the Britanico-Ivorian roots of its founder, who mixes sartorial codes to premium traditional batik impressions from Dutch manufacturer Vlisco.

– Atelier Beaurepaire duet fuses African inspirations to modern Western cuts. They get their inspiration from travels, music… The products are made in Morocco, and much attention is paid to details and finishings, while remaining accessible to young customers. 

To discover more young African designers, check Oxosi website.