Hortense Mbea of AFROPIAN: The Fashion Griot
Hortense Mbea of AFROPIAN: The Fashion Griot Hortense Mbea, founder of Afropian Hortense Mbea moves through the world as if every gesture were a prayer. Every fold of fabric, every hand-stitched seam, every bead threaded with care carries a story—a word, a sentence, a chapter in Africa’s vast and unending book. Born and raised abroad, […]
Woven Histories: Hair in East and Southern Africa — Ritual, Resistance, and Rebirth
Woven Histories: Hair in East and Southern Africa — Ritual, Resistance, and Rebirth The eembuvi-plaits of Mbalantu women before the Ohango initiation ceremony, Namibia, 1930s. Photograph by C.H.L. Hahn. Collection Antje Otto. Editor’s Note: This feature is part of Guzangs’ ongoing exploration of African hair traditions, tracing their evolution from spiritual practice to global artistry. […]
The Milaya Project: Embroidering Resilience in Uganda’s Largest Refugee Settlement
When Swedish/German photojournalist Nora Lorek first set foot in Bidibidi, northern Uganda—one of the world’s largest refugee settlement, home to over 250,000 South Sudanese—she did not expect to discover a textile tradition that would transform her work. It was 2017, and she had come to document Uganda’s refugee response, curious to understand how a functioning […]
Homegrown to High Fashion: African Musicians’ Style Journey and Cultural Pride
African musicians have long used fashion to reflect their cultural roots and global ambitions. In the early 2000s, as genres like Afrobeats gained momentum, artists championed local designers, wearing traditional fabrics like kente, adire, and kitenge to celebrate heritage and support homegrown talent. As their fame crossed borders, many embraced Western luxury brands like Louis […]
Ananse Center for Design Opens in Lagos: A New Integrated Hub for African Creatives
For years, Nigeria’s creative industry has dazzled the world with talent and imagination, yet struggled to translate that brilliance into sustainable business growth. From fashion to furniture, countless designers and innovators have been constrained by inadequate infrastructure, limited access to global markets, and deep dependence on imported materials. The result: a sector overflowing with ideas […]
Inside Ifebuche Madu’s Exhibition of Nigerian Textile and Traditional Dye
Ifebuche Madu believes fashion storytelling must move beyond surface optics, and it’s what led her deeper into curating “In the Beginning, There Was Cloth”—a textile exhibition that brings this truth to the fore, tracing the layered narratives woven into Adire, Akwete, and Uli. “It is a journey that takes us back to our ancient times […]
Imported Treasures: Kwasi Paul’s Vision of Diasporic Style
There’s a particular kind of confidence that comes from wearing something made with intention—clothing that carries weight beyond its fabric. Kwasi Paul’s latest collection, “Imported Treasures,” understands this implicitly. Founded in 2020 by Samuel Boakye, a first-generation Ghanaian-American, the brand has built its reputation on creating menswear and womenswear that refuses to choose between tradition […]
At UNGA 80, Fashion Moves Closer to the Center of the Sustainability Agenda
At this year’s 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, fashion was not on the sidelines. In the Goals Lounge, hosted by the UN Office for Partnerships, and in the SDG Media Zone, fashion leaders, innovators, and UN officials put textiles, circularity, and culture squarely into the conversation on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). […]
NYFW SS26 Trends to Watch and How They Could Translate in Lagos and Dakar
New York set the tone this month—craft got louder, tailoring relaxed, and street codes sharpened. With Lagos Fashion Week locked for Oct 29–Nov 2, 2025 and Dakar Fashion Week slated for Dec 3–7, 2025, here’s what emerged from NYFW and how it might translate on the continent in the coming weeks. Craft with muscle (Diotima) […]
Trans-continental Collaborations Opened New Markets for African Fashion — Why Did They Pause?
The most transformative moments in African fashion over the past decade have been defined by strategic collaborations that elevated the industry to unprecedented heights. Yet this remarkable ascent was only possible because African designers first established an unshakeable foundation: placing culture at the very heart of their creative vision. What distinguishes African fashion from its […]