Fashion design from Africa, popular around the globe | DW Documentary

Fashion design from Africa, popular around the globe | DW Documentary

Whether it is Androgen whether it’s women’s whether it’s Couture whether it’s handmade pieces whether it’s sustainable pieces African that us doing it everywhere so I think you’ll be remissed to not include us in anything it’s your loss like we are so diverse as Africans ourselves the vibrancy of things uh

Which I think you know has been captured the Love by the West the world needs us the world needs Africa give all these young designers a chance Africa’s future San lons and Pak bans give them a Chance For a long time the work of African designers was absent at international fashion shows but that’s finally changing today their Creations are conquering catwalks in Paris London and New York fashion designers from Africa or with African roots are setting new trends with provocative and Visionary work major cities like Lagos Cape Town

And Dhaka all have thriving fashion Scenes the collections are meant to showcase the value of our own Living Spaces the people have something to say and they’re being heard and the whole world is interested Our Moment right now within black creative designers and artists particularly right now is so important because there’s so much visibility

Around it and there’s so much honesty around it so I understand the position that I hold and I know that my fellow peers understand their position too What you do not only does it affect the way people see themselves it creates an opportunity for people to engage it creates an opportunity for people to feed back into communities so I think sometimes we would just diminish the power of fashion but it holds a lot of power optimism connection visibility the

Black lives matter movement brought blackowned businesses to the Forefront reaching more people on more platforms many artists are upending stereotypes and fighting misconceptions The Stereotype is usually around the fact that people expect the work to be very traditional and for me that needs to go there’s always this sort of narrative

About how we are supposed to be perceived as Africans oh we’re poor we can’t produce anything good we’re corrupt yes we we do have issues like any other country but we also are beautiful people we talented we’re intelligent we’re gifted taking control of their narrative and showcasing Africa’s diversity that’s

What drives some designers on the continent and in the diaspora in European capitals like Paris or Berlin it’s simply time to hear different voices and tell different St stories I think that’s why this black movement is very much in the mainstream right now because it’s time for it plain and Simple what makes fashion that’s made in Africa stand out who are the rising stars on the scene and who’s carved out a place at the top and what values do they share Africa is a continent of 54 countries 1.4 billion people and thousands of languages it’s impossible to label its fashion scene in narrowly defined terms when talking about African fashion we need to talk about African Fashions African styles African Trends they’re vastly different from one country to the next Fashion in Sagal is different from Fashion in South Africa it’s different from Nigerian fashion because the people are different just like in Europe there’s no such thing as African fashion there’s fashion by African Designers bold and experimental clothing lines are being used to rewrite narratives they reflect the self-confidence of a vibrant continent finally getting the recognition it deserves on the international stage their Trend Setters in Africa they’re breaking with cliches and playing with traditional dress codes social norms and gender

Roles when I was younger you know I was always told that oh Fabrics were very specific to gender like oh you know you have to use a specific fabric you know for guys specific fabric for women specific fabric for their you know all of that stuff you know and for me when I

Was creating a brand I always wanted to wear clothes that were not necessarily suited to those specific genders so I was like oh why can’t I explore this why can’t who tells me that chiffon is for women who tell me she is for men I don’t

See any gender marking on any of these Fabrics in 2011 Ado okal launched his brand orange culture his designs confront toxic masculinity he uses his platform to fight for diversity and inclusion I remember our first collection we did we had like chiffon shirts for men and we had like print colors for men’s trousers which every

Man is wearing now by the way and people were like this is horrible you’re feminizing our men oh make a suits because men are supposed to wear suits in this particular color in this particular shape but for me choosing colors choosing fabric was always about questioning things and asking why why

Not why can’t you why shouldn’t we why is this the belief why is this the stereotype and that’s how it all came About a Debo Oka world doesn’t shy away from politics one of his collections addressed police violence in Nigeria and demonstrations against SAR a notorious police unit we also like to deal with you know things that are sometimes you know political because of where we live we

Had a collection last year that caused a lot of uh you know confusion because we were talking about the protest you know the nas protest and we did like a whole show you know that had like even people like protesting in the backgrounds you know around the sound and you know

People were a bit worried about why we were doing that but I mean I feel like as a brand like you have to be able to confront these things and make statements around these things fashioned by avangard designers is attention grabbing and not inexpensive by African standards finding

Local customers is a challenge for young labels especially many Africans who can afford exclusive labels tend to buy high-end European brands social media has really been a blessing because it’s helped us like connect to the international market in a way that we would have never been able to do

Before because you will not just get the mass customer here because everyone is still trying to align themselves with that sort of bold take on fashion so I think you have to be able to open yourself up to a global audience creatives are wielding social media to their advantage they interact

Act constantly with the world and with each other with millions and millions of smartphones on the continent people can document their lives and show what they’re doing much more easily than before fashion has always been seen as a very exclusive industry that was hard to get into

And I think that intimidated a lot of consumers and made them feel left out so I think social networks have played a huge role in democratizing fashion the way social media is helping us understand each other is essential because in the past when some big fashion house produced something

Somewhere it would say Bangladesh on it or made in China and we didn’t really know what that meant or how the people there lived and maybe we didn’t really care but nowadays it’s a click away and you can know instantly how people live and what their working conditions are like

There’s a desire for transparency and greater social Consciousness it’s not just about the clothes as much as I love beautiful objects and beautiful things it’s seeing how can a sense of sincerity and honesty be woven within the brand DNA and that to me can only be done through human

Relationships we are a collective whether it’s through the craft whether it’s through the Creative Vision whether it’s through the stylist that I’m working with whether it’s through the business side of things how can we partner ourselves with human beings that are gifted within whatever particular field that they do and they too can

Expand and grow with the look your brand that is the foundation of Who We Are Lucano dingi uses South African mohair in his garments and works with traditional textile techniques he produces locally as much as possible which also creates jobs Locally he collaborates with women Le workshops and collectives in the outskirts of Cape Town very and even if it’s your signature people what we trying to do with design specifically through textile development is working with these extraordinary groups of mothers and women that look exactly like my mom and

To see how they can create something that’s still quite tactile and autismal but in a modern way but also expanding that into business and seeing how business essentially can lead on to social impact so it’s not a case of just designing an object or designing a textile but it’s seeing how can that

Translate into adding onto somebody’s livelihood so they can provide for their Families uh not really not really [Applause] yeah for the first time time in his career lukano dingi is showing a collection at the Preta Porte Fashion Week in Paris the pieces hand crafted by the women from Cape Town were well received in the world capital of fashion I love knowing that that

Integrity is literally within the the the artisinal textiles that they essentially Creating The young designers know they’re Paving the way for the Next Generation every single decision that I’m making it’s not just only for my team it’s also understanding that there is another 10-year-old L who wants to follow in the same trajectory that I am right now because I know what it’s like

To be that kid looking and not being able to find that person Cape Town and Johannesburg are among South Africa’s fashion capitals there are also thriving scenes in Acra Ghana and of course Lagos Nigeria and for a long time the capital of Sagal was considered the fashion capital of

Africa dhar Fashion Week start Ed by designer Adama Pari in 2002 was once the only event of its kind now several African capitals offer innovators opportunities to Showcase their Creations there’s a desire for new directions but we didn’t start that on this continent fashion has long gone beyond the realm of Commerce it’s traditionally been attached to cultures rich ual and initiation Rights rabi Khan blurs the boundaries between art fashion and film when I’m starting a collection I begin by watching films I immerse myself in music that inspires me and then I write I write a little story and from there I developed the clothing Her inspiration comes from Folk Art Pop Culture African mythology and Daka where she lives and Works the brand is like a collection of all the things that have inspired me since my childhood the horror films of my youth my interesting comics and animals my love of contrasting materials and references to the intangible and tangible Heritage of DCA I draw from all those things which

Are anchored in my basic Essence in Sagal and Daka she houses a studio event location and boutique all Under One Roof it took her years to build up a steady CLE onel I think what makes a brand special is that it stays true to itself regardless of what

Happens and that’s not easy to do because there’s a lot of pressure to sell you can be tempted by what’s in and incorporate that into your pieces that’s perfectly normal but don’t dilute your DNA to the point that it becomes unrecognizable Lagos is home to 15 million people it’s

An economic Hub and vibrant Metropolis people say if you can make it here you can make it anywhere Legos is one place where your life can change overnight the design is here are very brilliant and it’s highly it’s a highly competitive space so I think everyone is expected to bring

Their aame you know people will turn their attention to you when they feel like you have something substantial to say so many different factors it’s music it’s it’s the fact that a lot of dands are more interested in finding out what’s going on back home it’s also the

Fact that the social media has made the conversation even louder and impossible for you to ignore what is happening on this part of the world in a book about his City stylist and photographer Daniel obasi creates imaginative visual narrative where freedom of expression is celebrated it’s not only fashion designers who are

Expanding people’s perceptions of Africa fashion photographers and stylists play a critical role in bringing their Visions to Life the book really focuses on my understanding or my interpretation or my surreal perspective on Lagos you know the concept of politics you know the concept of activism the concept of like you know qu right and the concept of like you know feminism and just like trying to create a space for young

People or people people of a minority to be able to have their voice heard or just be celebrate it cities offer the perfect arena for experimentation stylists and photographers diminish the line between art and fashion photography their work defies definition cuz I feel like when people talk about

African aesthetic they always feel like oh it should have like this very generic themes and stuff but I don’t think that’s the case anymore like there’s so many layers to the aesthetical work that people put out people are not trying to create work to fit into certain um boxes anymore they’re just

Creating work that is their own work the stories you’re going to tell are stories that are unique to your black experience you know my experience is uh was it’s different from so many other people’s experiences and I think people just want to be seen for that you know

For the story they’re telling of their life or of whatever they’re going through with their work as opposed to being oh wow like cuz it’s quite restricting you know to tell people to always create within from a point of view of a black Artist Lagos based designer Kenneth I managed to break into the international scene a few years after launching his label born in Nigeria he moved to Austria at a young age but later returned to to his homeland one of the most successful designers in Africa he was nominated for the prestigious Louis

Vuitton prize in 2019 I got into L the day I was leaving from Lagos it was for me such a dream like come true like it was like I’ve dreamed about that day to happen in my life that I did not even know it was going to happen and all I thought about

Was to just go with a free mind free spirit don’t determine to win but make sure you make friends and everybody there has as be a friends so that was what I did and that has helped me so much in the industry Kenneth I is known for working

With ASO o a handwoven fabric traditionally worn for special occasions he uses it to create clean cut and colorfully striped slim Silhouettes when I was a kid you know um I so I add myself in my mom’s closet and wear all our outfits and like when

Someone like is trying to like get into the room I’ll change everything and like you know take it away everything I’m doing now it’s like I’m going back to those memories and I’m recreating from this honestly and that’s what I got it From his team produces ASO o at his textile Factory in Western Nigeria now one of the largest weaving factories in the country I believe that there is a sense of identity in craftsmanship it comes from somewhere it speaks the language and it’s evolving I think we should start embracing what we have also from our own like from home um people don’t really see such value in this woven fabric but

It’s really changing so fast in the past two years now it’s it’s incredible and I think it’s going to keep changing you know people are starting to like wear this fabric to like weddings again and I’m happy to see This celebrities like Naomi Campbell are among the fans of his work which reinterprets and thereby revitalizes handwoven Fabrics his Creations sell in high-end boutiques all over the world for me luxury is really anything and truly anything that doesn’t make the next person feel less human and I

Believe that the job that we’re doing is an example of that fashion has always been a form of art for Africans a variety of fabrics and cloth reflect centuries old Artisan traditions and are an important marker of cultural identity but in the mid 19th century these Traditions were at risk of being wiped

Out what is African fashion I don’t think there is such a thing people always imagine these very colorful wax Prints but that didn’t even originate in Africa it was brought to Africa through Colonial structures by way of Indonesia and the Netherlands it’s just one byproduct of colonialism on the continent wax print

An industrially produced product presented serious competition to traditional African textiles these Fabrics became African fabrics because Africans wore them so much that’s how it became the fabric of Africa and that suppressed the true Heritage of African Textiles for a long long time we couldn’t tell our stories the way we wanted to especially in fashion our countries became independent 60 years ago colonialism is not that far in the past it’s a wound not yet healed if you look at our history all those things were there you know they

Were there before we were colonized they were there it’s like our culture was taken from us and you know now it’s like lost over time and now we’re having to St that this already existed and should still exist like celebrate it and celebrate the beauty that it is After the colonial era ended some African fashion designers renewed their focus on traditional Fabrics one of them was Chris sidu who in 1972 left Marley for Paris where he worked with pakan and E laor his collections combined Western Cuts with traditional Fabrics like Bogolan in the 1980s Nigerian designer Al began celebrating both the Modern Woman and traditional African craftsmanship in his collections his Creations were showcased at fashion shows in Paris London and New York Lee Duma a designer from Cameroon Rose to Fame in the 1990s and she continues to advocate for the

Preservation and recognition of traditional African textile techniques but many other early fashion designers from Africa are still unknown in the west when I was a model there were very talented designers but you never saw them during Fashion Week or if you did it was at an offsh Show event and they

Weren’t around the next season that’s how it was nothing ever Lasted but IMA a he did manage to break through a designer living in the diaspora and working with handcrafted materials he’s brought awareness to the diversity of fashion in Africa since 1992 IMA II has been designing elegant and very feminine Silhouettes combining sensuous textiles from Europe and Africa

There are wonderful things in this package from Cameroon the moment you have the fabric in your hands is very emotional because that is really the moment when you see the quality of the material the fabric and the result of all the work that’s gone into it

IMA I is from Cameroon he and his collection Akuma or wealth were included in the official Paris uture calendar in 2020 the only designer from subsaharan Africa to be given the honor so Far he combines Italian silk or French lace with handcrafted African textiles working with natural materials from the continent such as tree bark or Rafia handmade is a form of luxury I don’t want that to disappear we can continue to develop it even modernize It Africa has always been an open theater of color forms and elegance and the world needs Africa his 2022 o Couture fall winter collection was called man which means to be seen in the wandoo language of Cameroon Europe has always had a problem granting Africa access to the world of luxury we’ve always been the consumers of other people’s luxury the time has come for Africa to take the realm of fashion the business of fashion seriously because it’s not just a show it’s a show with a huge

Economic engine behind it the machine Ecom [Applause] high-end fashion catering for young people is booming in Africa concept shops selling African luxury fashion are opening in big cities with some platform urging consumers to buy African but getting a foothold in the market isn’t easy we’re competing on an international

Level and you’re competing with brands that have had industries that have been around for 300 years 200 years 100 I’m exaggerating obviously but you get what I mean you they have Machinery that technology they have the labor they have the education they have the skills and

Your clothes are being put in the same stores as Brands who have done that so we’re having to comp on that level with much less it’s like you’re starting from nothing and having to create for people who are expecting everything and that’s kind of Difficult it’s about pursuing their dreams most designers are self-taught from a practical level we don’t have art schools here we don’t have design schools people have to really want to be artists or to be photographers or to be designers to be able to even pursue that

Dream and a lot of times when you’re pursuing that dream you’re ping that dream by yourself as a child I remember seeing a documentary about Naomi Campbell and in it she talked about her world and what she did I was maybe seven years old and

I was excited to see a black woman have that much power in such an exclusive M that’s when I became interested in fash fashion but I always knew that I wanted to tell a different story the story of African fashion and that’s how I started in most African countries

There’s not much support state-funded or otherwise for the fashion industry there’s little opportunity to receive formal training in the Field Sophie Zinger C studied fashion design in New York before launching her prapor label in Daka in 2012 her Creations are worn in Africa and the west and her label is a reference point for contemporary sagales [Applause] fashion I always knew I wanted to combine fashion with

Development that’s how the idea of the darar design Hub came about when I returned to sagol in 2013 in 2021 Sophie Zinger C founded the first fashion School in West Africa the courses cover a range of topics including craftsmanship digital communication and business management my vision is to introduce new curricula and teach future African designers to give young people the opportunity to learn fashion the way

It’s taught all over the world be it in New York or anywhere else they shouldn’t have to travel to another continent because they can’t find a fashion school here in this school what we want to do is create leaders I think leadership is important it’s about self-confidence then there are also

Technical aspects like in all fashioned schools drawing understanding color Etc and environmental awareness is also important it’s part of our design philosophy to tie in all aspects of ethical and sustainable fashion because designers also need to be aware that this is an industry that pollutes and we must find [Applause]

Solutions just as these African fashion designers work in socially sustainable ways they want to produce in ecologically sustainable ways too we don’t have the same carbon footprint as H&M it’s not the same volume the impact on the world is smaller in terms of clothing production there’s no

Comparison you know the names of our tailor we s our Fabrics ethically all of our material creation process very sustainable very ethical you know what I mean so it’s like when people are telling me Oh oh go to here and learn this about sustain I’m like dude I

Should be teaching you about these things you know and so Africans have held this for so many years and have held the power of sustainability and ethical processes and sustainable processes so I think that you know we’re honestly the heralders of such of such power when you buy something it should

Last a long time and if it doesn’t there are thousands of different ways to repair it or repurpose it I find it very exciting that Africa can actually teach us a lot in this regard because the idea of resourcefulness and sustainability is much more deeply rooted in the culture there than it is Here in Africa sustainable production models are being hindered by an industry that floods the market with cheap textiles for decades used clothing from around the world has been dumped on Africa to the detriment of the local textile economy fast fashion fast fashion in this aspect it’s just the absolute

Height of consumerism and capitalism for me it’s devoid of any value you buy something it doesn’t matter who made it or where it came from it’s only briefly in style we wear it and the next summer we toss it into the clothing collection bin and we know where it ends

Up Sydney EMA wakma is also part of the young African diaspora many of whom are looking to reconnect with their Roots it was in Nigeria that he got the idea for his upcycled label EMA he creates the patterns in Berlin and buys his Fabrics at secondhand markets in Africa This team a consequence of this secondhand textile system is that it’s putting tailor out of work the local textile industry is suffering more and more from the fact that Europe’s fast fashion system is spilling over into Africa we go to these secondhand textile markets and look for Fabrics that can still be used then we take the material to our tailoring Collective first it’s washed then we cut the pieces according to the patterns then we give those to the tailor who sew them together and yeah that’s how our clothes

Are made the label’s first upcycled collections feature suits that are unisex comfortable and Contemporary clothes carry so much meaning we have to give them back that meaning which has been lost through fast Fashion Wow com ID and assertive designers in Africa and the diaspora are changing the International Fashion World but few waste their time thinking about how long the attention will last in this fast moving industry to me people have been creating their work people will still keep creating their work if the spotlight

Wants to stay it can stay if a spotlight wants to to move it can move how we see ourself is very important like we as African need to start embracing anything that we are and take it fully as ownership it’s interesting that the Outlook is changing right when people

Have more means to present their truth and stick to it It’s difficult to say what is the reason as to why there’s so much attention but I can say that there is attention and I think it’s wonderful and I think we in a position where we’re able to Really T our treats in the most authentic and honest Way hello African fashion is here to stay absolutely more going back no this is it this is it these fashion designers embody a progressive and Innovative Africa in all of its diversity they’ve seized control of their own narratives and are showing the world just how many stories are still left to be Told what matter says is that every designer should find a way to contribute to the country that they’re building from I think it’s very important because at the end of the day you have to give back you’re taking from so you have to also give back that’s the way we grow so

That’s what I Believe

Fashion designers from Africa are celebrated in Paris, London and New York. Whether avant-garde or traditionally inspired, these designers often share a focus on social and environmental sustainability. And they’re enjoying great successes.

For a long time, designers from Africa or with African roots were hardly present on the catwalks of the western fashion world. That has changed radically. From street style to haute couture, these designers are known for combining their sometimes-avant-garde designs with a rich tradition of textile techniques and patterns.

In Lagos, Adebayo Oke-Lawal challenges gender roles with his label Orange Culture. Senegalese designer Selly Raby Kane dissolves the boundaries between fashion and art. And in Cape Town, Lukhanyo Mdingi focuses on social responsibility with his brand. These designers share a passion for creating local, economically sustainable structures. For them, it’s about great style, jobs and education. Things are changing as a result: While most of the region’s designers are self-taught, in Dakar, fashion designer Sophie Nzinga has opened West Africa’s first school for fashion design.

Africa’s fashion design avant-garde is diverse and headed for success. From the African continent’s metropolises to the classic fashion strongholds of Paris, London and New York, they’re making their mark — and showing their work at the most important fashion weeks. In this film, eight designers provide insights into their creations of tomorrow.

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