Eight designers showed on Day 2, spanning Senegal, Mali, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, and Cameroon. The range ran from upcycled tailoring to corseted denim to contemporary modest wear—each collection grounding innovation in specific craft traditions.
Three Di — Senegal
The creative duo built the collection around denim as a tailoring fabric. Corseted waists, elongated maxis, sharp suiting—streetwear construction meeting couture finishing. The standout: a denim Mouride diam poot boubou that earned a standing ovation. “Denim is our canvas—it can be street, it can be couture, it can be tradition reimagined,” the designers said.
Nkuhuru — Comoros
Allaoui Mmadi Nkuhru showed sharp coats, short suits, architectural skirts, capes, pink gloves, colored bonnets. The fabric base was heavy linen and fil-à-fil cotton with printed textiles layered in. Androgynous throughout. “I design for movement—between street and couture, between masculine and feminine,” he said.
N’sama — Mali
Nana Samaké worked in batik dyed using techniques drawn from the Agadez Cross. Kaftans, hoodie-kaftans, low-waisted silhouettes in linen and woven loincloth, finished with beadwork and embroidery. The references pulled from Mali, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire. “N’sama means gift, and I want every piece to feel like a piece of African heritage being passed on,” she said.
KFY Clothing — Cameroon
Eveningwear in velvet, cowrie embroidery, raffia, feathers, and structured fascinators. The construction was precise—clean inseams, proper corsetry. “Extravagance means nothing without control. I design for the woman who can hold both,” the designer said.
Maya Makhfous Design — Senegal
The Wadur collection honored the Lebou people and their relationship to the sea. Organza coats, brocade kaftans, turbans worn as headpieces, net-like accessories referencing fishing traditions. “This collection carries my father’s spirit. Light, water, memory—they guided every stitch,” Makhfous said.
Maat — Senegal
Maty Ndiaye showed contemporary modest wear: plum suits, oversized blazers, sculptural headpieces, custom veils. Light silks, restrained palette. “Modesty isn’t silence. It’s sophistication in a softer tone,” she said.
Zalayo — Congo-Brazzaville
Japhet Samy works in upcycled textiles. The collection ran structured whites with pink and black accents, Western tailoring silhouettes with Afro-futurist detailing. “Upcycling isn’t limitation—it’s liberation. Waste becomes possibility,” he said.
Micodi — Senegal
Mami Faye reimagined the Mboubou—fitted, architectural, built for daily wear. Cotton and linen construction with minimal embroidery used as detail rather than decoration. “I want the Mboubou to move with today’s woman—fitted, intentional, and powerful in its quiet way,” she said.
Day 2 showed range. The collections that landed were the ones where heritage read as technique—not reference.