I am I (Kenya): A jewellery designer with a rough, eclectic sensibility and a strikingly unusual sense of design. The founder, Ami Doshi Shah, is an Indian-Kenyan designer with a passion for nature. She sources all her materials and stones locally.
Lisa Folawiyo (Nigeria): An eponymous label led by Nigerian mainstay Lisa Folawiyo. Manipulating traditional West African fabrics with cutting-edge silhouettes, application, and tailoring, each one of her looks tells a unique story. Particular garments boast a handcrafted and unique history featuring hand-embellished details that reflect the brand’s focus on design integrity.
Aaks (Ghana): A brand that is quickly catching the eyes of many retailers, Aaks produces accessories that are handcrafted using traditional weaving techniques from the designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi’s own village. The result is bright raffia bags in chic, modern silhouettes.
Rich Mnisi (South Africa): A ready-to-wear menswear and womenswear designer whose signature minimal, gender-ambiguous aesthetic seeks to craft a contemporary picture of modern Africa. The designer recently also released his first collection of furniture, titled Nwa-Mulamula.
Sidai Designs (Tanzania): A socially enterprising brand in Arusha (Tanzania) led by two women, Eszter Rabin and Rebecca Olivia Moore. They reinterpret traditional Masaai beading techniques to create jewellery that is ultra-wearable, in contemporary designs and hues (employing Masaai women to produce them).
Okhtein (Egypt): Designers Aya and Mounaz Abdelraouf founded the handbag line with the intention of promoting and preserving Egyptian artistry and traditional practices. Winners in the accessory category of the 2016 DDFC/Vogue Arabia Fashion Prize, they infuse the unique heritage of their home city, Cairo, into each piece with details such as hardware, hand-embroidery, and metallic finishes.
Lisa Folawiyo (Nigeria): An eponymous label led by Nigerian mainstay Lisa Folawiyo. Manipulating traditional West African fabrics with cutting-edge silhouettes, application, and tailoring, each one of her looks tells a unique story. Particular garments boast a handcrafted and unique history featuring hand-embellished details that reflect the brand’s focus on design integrity.
Aaks (Ghana): A brand that is quickly catching the eyes of many retailers, Aaks produces accessories that are handcrafted using traditional weaving techniques from the designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi’s own village. The result is bright raffia bags in chic, modern silhouettes.
Rich Mnisi (South Africa): A ready-to-wear menswear and womenswear designer whose signature minimal, gender-ambiguous aesthetic seeks to craft a contemporary picture of modern Africa. The designer recently also released his first collection of furniture, titled Nwa-Mulamula.
Sidai Designs (Tanzania): A socially enterprising brand in Arusha (Tanzania) led by two women, Eszter Rabin and Rebecca Olivia Moore. They reinterpret traditional Masaai beading techniques to create jewellery that is ultra-wearable, in contemporary designs and hues (employing Masaai women to produce them).
Okhtein (Egypt): Designers Aya and Mounaz Abdelraouf founded the handbag line with the intention of promoting and preserving Egyptian artistry and traditional practices. Winners in the accessory category of the 2016 DDFC/Vogue Arabia Fashion Prize, they infuse the unique heritage of their home city, Cairo, into each piece with details such as hardware, hand-embroidery, and metallic finishes.