The Future of African Fashion in Music

Technology provides musicians with an unprecedented opportunity to contact fans all around the world, regardless of their physical location. As a result, it has transformed the music industry, where before content was recorded on CDs or transmitted via radio channels. According to reports, consumer behaviours are progressively shifting toward getting material via digital channels. 

Fashion is governed by regulations and standards from both the country of origin and the country of destination; technology alone cannot democratise fashion in the same way that African film or music can. 

Many African markets' fashion, textile, and clothing industries share a similar denominator: fragmentation, which stifles growth and creates blind spots about prospective investment prospects. The conflict between global access and local appeal is a defining issue for African fashion industries today. Many brands gained domestic appeal before expanding internationally. 

Nigerian music's growing global coolness is a nice example of a similar development currently taking place in Africa in an analogous creative business. Before Western artists began collaborating with Nigerian artists and most people in other markets began adding it to their Spotify playlists, Nigerian music was popular throughout Africa. Many African fashion brands are high-end, custom-made, and focused on export. While the strategy may be successful for certain creatives, their apparel remains out of reach for many Africans, who wind up shopping at foreign-owned businesses to discover cheaper alternatives.  

Africans must focus on what we do well." Technology to break down access barriers, collaboration to promote upskilling of present and potential creatives, and striking a balance between global access and local appeal will be defining characteristics that enable Africa's fashion businesses to specialise in what they do best.