On January 8, 2026, Heirs of Greatness Day unfolded at the Sacré-Cœur Cathedral in Casablanca. Conceived by Orun and guided by the Africa Currency Network (ACN), the event marked the public emergence of a movement positioning African craft, design, and creativity as drivers of sustainable development, cultural sovereignty, and economic influence.
The day convened designers, artisans, institutions, and partners around a shared conviction: cultural and creative industries are not peripheral—they are essential infrastructure for Africa’s future. Grounded in method, structure, and long-term intent, Heirs of Greatness Day signalled a shift from visibility toward durability, from fragmented initiatives toward coherent systems.
“ORUN asserts that greatness is measured by lasting impact. With ORUN × Designers in Casablanca, African creativity has asserted itself as a structured, sovereign force oriented toward the future.”— Habyba Thiero, CEO of Orun
Across Africa, craftsmanship has always carried more than form. It carries memory, technique, and systems of knowledge passed through generations. Too often, these practices are aestheticised or extracted—admired without being structurally supported.
Orun proposes something different. Through The Sovereign Code—its foundational framework built on Memory, Structure, and Transmission—heritage is approached as a living system rather than static artifact.
“In one day, we build the symbols, narratives, and images that connect our heritage to the futures we want to build.”— Habyba Thiero, CEO of Orun
Set in Casablanca during the Africa Cup of Nations, the city became a site of cultural projection rooted in clarity rather than trend. The event built symbols, narratives, and images connecting inherited knowledge to the futures Africa chooses to shape.
The Seven Houses of Craft
At the heart of the day were The Seven Houses of Craft—dedicated spaces for transmission, creation, and structuring. Each House reframed a discipline often reduced to surface or nostalgia as technical knowledge shaped by precision, process, and time.
Together, the Houses asserted a clear position: African craftsmanship already contains the principles the world now seeks—durability, sustainability, and care—when it operates on its own terms.
The designers participating in Orun × Designers represented diverse geographies and practices, yet shared a common commitment. They approached craft not as inspiration to extract, but as a system to engage with, respect, and strengthen.
For Anil Padia, founder of Kenyan brand Yoshita 1967, this alignment begins with people:
“Heirs of Greatness Day celebrates craftsmanship, but above all the people behind it. At Yoshita 1967, the women we work with are the heart of everything we do. We believe in people before product—and that principle guides how we create, collaborate, and build impact.”
For Roméo Moukagni, founder and creative director of ROMZY, collaboration across disciplines is central:
“Working with weaving and dye houses in Senegal and Benin, we wanted to bring these textiles—and the artisans behind them—into everyday life. When craftsmanship is translated into high-quality garments, it creates real social and economic value. This collaboration shows how different skills and houses can come together through shared knowledge and equal exchange.”
For Ivorian designer Kader Diaby, founder of OLOOH CONCEPT, the work begins with a fundamental question:
“What would African design look like without colonisation? Through pre-colonial research, I reinterpret ancestral techniques in a contemporary context. At OLOOH CONCEPT, we repurpose bronze—once used for statues and masks—into buttons and ornaments for garments. Innovation is essential if these techniques are to remain alive and relevant.”
Produced entirely in Côte d’Ivoire, OLOOH CONCEPT bridges heritage and modernity through storytelling, timeless silhouettes, and living craft traditions.
The programme unfolded as progression rather than performance. An immersive artistic opening set the tone, followed by the screening of the manifesto film Build to Outlast Time, which framed the movement’s vision.
Throughout the day, conversations brought together designers, artisans, institutions, and partners—grounding ambition in lived experience and shared responsibility. Exhibitions and immersive installations placed craftsmanship at the centre, not as ornament, but as narrative. The evening closed with a gala signalling continuity rather than conclusion.
Heirs of Greatness Day is part of Orun’s trajectory from 2025 to 2030—focused on supporting African brands across value chains, training designers, certifying artisans, creating skilled employment, and prioritising local production.
Beyond targets and timelines, the deeper work is cultural. It reshapes how African creation is understood—by markets, institutions, and by those building from within.
In naming a generation Heirs of Greatness, Orun offers neither nostalgia nor abstraction, but responsibility: to recognise what has been inherited, to structure what exists, and to build futures capable of lasting.
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