African Fashion Brands to look out for
African fashion brands and designers are beginning to get the visibility they deserve and we are here for all the goodness it comes with. Here are Top 5 Fashtracker African Fashion brands to look out for.
Gozel Green
Since breaking into the spotlight in 2014 as one of the Fashion Focus top 15 Finalists, a platform championed by Lagos Fashion and Design Week, Gozel Green has evolved into a spectacular blend of classic, alternative, and contemporary fashion. Since its inception in 2012 by twin sisters Sylvia Enekwe-Ojei and Olivia Enekwe-Okoji, the passion and drive to design clothing that tells African stories in an unconventional, original, and artistic way has driven every collection, design, and creation. The brand is aimed at women all over the world who are not afraid to be different.
Their artistic parents had a huge influence on the twins. Growing up for them was as natural as it gets. Their immediate surroundings included hills, pleasant weather, diverse and rich south-eastern Nigerian cultures, theatrical performances, storytelling, and a tinge of influence from other cultures in Africa and around the world. It was a diverse academic background that helped them discover their passion for creating art through fashion. Their designs are characterized by artistry, originality, and timelessness. They represent a variety of artistic techniques such as fabric deconstruction, color-blocking, lines, and asymmetry.
They were nominated for the Future Awards Africa Fashion and Design Prize (Nigeria, 2018). The brand was also shortlisted for the International Fashion Showcase (IFS) in London in February 2016 via the StyleHouse Files platform. It was named one of the Jaguar Fashion Awards' emerging designers of the year in 2015. Gozel Green was named one of the top six (6) standout collections at the Lagos Fashion and Design Week in the same year by Vogue.com. They were also named Vogue Italia Talents in 2014 and 2015. They were Regional Judges for Fayrouz L'Originale in Nigeria in 2014.
Abisola Olusola
Abiola Olusola, who was born and raised in Nigeria, earned a BFA in fashion design from Istituto Marangoni Paris in 2015. She was drawn to a minimalist aesthetic, femininity, functionality, ease, and undercurrents of innate sensuality right away.
In 2017, Abiola Olusola launched her eponymous label, a contemporary women's ready-to-wear and bespoke line with a distinct juxtaposition of minimalist cuts, sleek architecture, and African subcultures and craftsmanship.
Since its debut in 2017, Abiola Olusola has gained traction among both critics and consumers. The brand's debut collection was immediately carried by Temple Muse, a luxury retail store in the heart of Lagos, after being named one of Guardian Life's "Ones to Watch" in 2018.
Abiola Olusola continues to collaborate with fabric giant Vlisco and has been named one of five finalists in the Alara Emerge Fashion Fund.
She debuted her SS18 collection at Lagos Fashion Design Week in 2017, and her SS19 collection debuted at GTB Fashion Weekend in 2018. Abiola Olusola has been nominated as designer of the year 2019 by Fashions Finest Africa.
Abiola Olusola is dedicated to show casing and working with local African crafts men and women to create and highlight ways in which traditional fabrics and ethos can be part of contemporary living. She is inspired by empowering artisans, producing with sustainability and waste management in mind, meticulously crafting each piece of clothing from fabric to final piece, and furthering the African narrative through fashion.
CHICNICITY
A group of friends who wanted to be "Chic in Their Ethnicity & in the City" founded Chichnicity.
Our pieces are a perfect balance of Ethnic Inspired Colors & Prints in Contemporary Silhouettes that can be worn by modern women all over the world.
Since its debut in July 2017, Chichnicity has been worn by major fashion and social media influencers. Their designs are currently available in boutiques in the United States, South America, and Nigeria.
Chichnicity's CEO/Co-Founder is Boye "Bibi" Asenuga. She has over 15 years of experience in the fashion industry as an Apparel Development and Production Consultant.
She is a trained lawyer and a proud graduate of the School of Fashion Design in Boston and the Fashion Institute of Technology New York.
Cynthia Abila is an eponymous brand founded in 2016 by Cynthia Otiyo-Abila. Cynthia Abila is deeply interested in African cultures and storytelling. She reinvents these wonderful traditions as modern silhouettes for the traveling woman in her pieces, interpreting them as wonderful traditions.
Based in Nigeria, they are inspired locally, design, source, and produce materials by collaborating with artisans throughout the country. Their influences stem from the tribal traditions of South-South and Southeast Nigeria. They promote local production and the preservation of centuries-old handcrafted fabric production techniques. In doing so, we also provide important job opportunities and training to local communities. Their beaded and embellished pieces are also handcrafted before being machine finished. Flexible work policies have been implemented.
Their pieces are designed for the fashion-forward woman who seeks to expand her horizons while remaining true to her roots. Their mission is to demonstrate the timeless nature of African heritage and its application to modern clothing aesthetics.
Babayo
Babayo was founded in 2017 with the goal of becoming a dominant player and iconic brand in the luxury industry, bringing the world into our heritage and culture. Babayo is a mid-high end clothing line that specializes in luxurious, statement pieces for women in order to create the perfect synergy between beauty, culture, and fashion. The couture (made to measure) and ready to wear lines of the brand are brought to life by exquisite craftsmanship, uncompromised quality, and intricately detailed glamour.
They believe that cutting-edge creativity should be the starting point for all processes. They intend to accomplish this through curated dreamy experiences that tell stories about culture and heritage through luxury, quality, and statement pieces.