We open an incubator program each year to promising African designers who need support in developing their businesses. The aim of this program is to foster innovation, sustainability, and economic growth, empowering the next generation of African fashion creatives. The Scale-Stage AFFI program is working to drive positive change and innovation within the African fashion landscape.
The Roberta Annan Scholarship has been created to support the best emerging young fashion communication, business, and media talent from Sub-Saharan Africa, providing financial support for their higher education.
The Scholarship provides full fee remission for the Vogue Fashion Foundation Programme and the BA (Hons) Fashion Communication and Industry Practice degree programme for the successful applicant.
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The African Fashion Foundation (AFF) presents the first-ever Creative Industry Retreat in Africa. The three-day event is scheduled for Wednesday, 19th May to Sunday, 23rd May, 2021 and aimed at igniting and facilitating critical and valuable discussions around the industry ecosystem.
The three-day event will provide a unique platform for industry players and stakeholders to convene, collaborate and build solid partnerships needed to scale the fashion ecosystem in Africa. Ghana is set to be the convening point for this trailblazing three-day event. It will focus on the theme “Building a Sustainable Value Chain for Africa’s Creative Industry”. Discussions will focus on the need to forge real links in Africa’s creative industry, the strategic role of Development Finance Institutions within the sector and the need to drive the sustainability agenda.
A fashion sustainability project to address the issue of fashion waste and how to create sustainable product life cycles.
To further AFF’s ambition to encourage a rethink of circular economy as well as collaboration amongst other African fashion bodies, the project aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive society-wide benefits in Africa. ‘With over 70% of the world’s waste being dumped on the shores of Africa, the issue of fashion waste and Africa is one that needs addressing and re thinking.
Pepper Row from NIGERIA, Samuel Otteng from GHANA, MALIKO from NIGERIA and Maison Detta from SENEGAL are the brands engaged in developing the collection using clothing and products from local 2nd hand clothing markets in their various countries.
Working with West African digital creator BALMLABS on avatar creations, the entirely documented collection will be shown as a 3D look book, presented by AFF founder Roberta Annan at the SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION CONFERENCE – Accelerating Sustainability in fashion, clothing and textiles conference – a partner event of the UN to celebrate the international Year of Creative Economy and sustainable development.
For further information on the Sustainable Innovation 2021 Conference please click here
The Ambassadors Collection is an initiative of the African Fashion Foundation in partnership with Stallion Africa Trading. This initiative serves to collaborate with a host of designers to create a capsule collection under the Africa Fashion Foundation umbrella that is retailed to the general public.
The project seeks to address some of the key takeaways from the retreat, specifically the area of cross collaboration between various African brands and artisans.
A safe space to make, do, create and dream – and most importantly, a space where you will receive the support and facilitation to do so.
This Artisan Hub is a social economic organization created to empower and mentor the skilled and budding artisan with programs and training to help them thrive in their areas of expertise. The Artisan Hub also provides aspiring entrepreneurs with the necessary tools needed to set up their artistry and creative business. The space will be a facilitated studio space which gives fashion and design creatives the option and opportunities to test and create their ideas and visions.
The hub will work by connecting the world’s most marginalised artisans in West Africa to the fashion industry’s top talents, for mutual benefit. For fashion brands it is an opportunity to gain access to unique artisanal skills and authentic handmade products while also doing good. For the artisans, the connection gives them access to a market that values their skills and products, and is an opportunity to make a living from their coveted skills.
This particular hub will strive to be a portal of innovation which coordinates the work of different communities and acts as a business support infrastructure. It will be the role of the hub to lead in sustainable production and encourage creatives to commit to ethical practices also.
African Fashion Foundation (AFF) in partnership with The Lotte and the Adonai Children’s Development Foundation (ACDF) presented the inaugural Kayayei Collaboration Collection at the Glitz Africa Fashion Week 2020. AFF created this project to empower, equip and encourage young street females by pairing them up with some great talent in the fashion accessory and garment industry in West Africa for a skills exchange programme. With the support of the ACDF in finding and nurturing those that needed the support especially during this global COVID19 pandemic; the aim was to present a collaborative new collection alongside Accra’s infamous concept store – The Lotte. The young street women and porters (Kayayei) were working in the designers’ studios and trained in key sewing and production skills all whilst contributing to a collection that will be showcased internationally.
A Design collaboration between Fashion Designer, Kenneth Ize and Industrial Designer, Nifemi Marcus-Bello of nmbello Studio, powered by African Fashion Foundation.
A redesign of the Kenneth Ize Loom.
KENNETH IZE
KENNETH IZE focuses on reinterpreting examples of Nigerian craft to create an original perspective on luxury production within textile and fashion. They support a small community of weavers, and work directly with a variety of artisan and design groups across Nigeria. The label is devoted to the long established traditions of Nigerian craft and local artisanship, merging a new design aesthetic with a specifically local handcraft practice. There is the strong belief that in exploring and nurturing existing cultures, one opens up an exciting territory for creating and inspiring future traditions.
nmbello Studio
nmbello Studio is an eponymous Industrial Design practice led by Nifemi Marcus-Bello. Located in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria, the practices focuses on product, furniture and experience design for both local and international clients. The practice creates sustainable and economically viable products and solutions by identifying underutilized or neglected production techniques and technology. With human and material sustainability in mind, the studio prides itself in considering human, material, production and economical integrity in its design process, while taking into great consideration the ecosystem, stakeholders and users of the final product.
Taking into consideration the transportation and ergonomic constraints of moving the loom from place to place, the redesign process was focused on giving the weavers a more practical and better user experience when using, storing and moving the looms.
A Digital Discussion series powered by African Fashion Foundation in partnership with The Lotte Accra and TAA PR. This discussion involves various topics on fashion and business with industry leaders from all over the world to gain perspective from their experiences with the intention of sharing what’s happening in Africa and adapting ideas from beyond Africa. The purpose of these discussions is to share specialised knowledge, expertise, ideas, and challenges which will lead to creating solutions together as a community of individuals who are empowered to continue the shift of the fashion industry in a positive direction. The main agenda is to inspire positive, knowledgeable action through conversation and collaboration while reinforcing the urgency to continue efforts toward the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Scouting for Africa 2020 is the name of this project conceived by Vogue Talents and African Fashion Foundation (AFF) with the support of IFFAC. Africa is a vast, ancient continent with old traditions and a history of craftsmanship. In the last few years, many African fashion designers are coming on to the scene, with a new approach as well as ideas fuelled by such a strong heritage. Many of these African creatives are bringing us new perspectives on sustainable design thanks to handmade, organic methods, or they offer up a mix of aesthetics that bring together different worlds.
Fashion designers Emmy Kasbit and Rich Mnisi were selected as winners of the 2020 edition of Vogue Italia’s Scouting for Africa Initiative.
They were featured in the September issue of Vogue Talents and also displayed their Spring/Summer 2021 collection during Milan Fashion Week.
Vogue Talents recognises emerging African creatives and the initiative is supported by African Fashion Foundation and Impact Fund for African creatives.