After having often told you about the fashion made in Italy and, lately, some Ukrainian designers to support, today in our spotlight you will find the African fashion which, especially in the last period, has taken a great deal of space in the fashion system thanks to the colors and fabrics from prints iconic and that flavor artisanal typical of his work. A fascinating world that is bringing to light many new realities and brands to get to know, thanks also to the desire of us consumers to look for something really special and unique for our wardrobe. And, thanks to the spring-summer season, we are ready to make room for colorful and creative garments and accessories.
Fabrics waxprints tie-dye geometric patterns and refined embroideries are the protagonists of this trend that is making us fall in love with its uniqueness. We tell you 6 stories of passion, beauty and craftsmanship, discover them here.
1. Tales of Africa of 8 by YOOX
That is a collection made up of 6 capsules signed by as many African designers. Each of them, through garments and accessories, tells the traditions and craft techniques of their country. A few examples? There are garments made with striped cotton Faso dan fani proposed by Imane Ayissi and then those created with the Togolese fabric Kente used by Estelle Yomeda. And then again, the shoes inspired by the traditional Zulu Izimbadada and made in Durban, South Africa, designed by Reggi Xaba or those from Galago that celebrate the art of Beadwork, handmade in Johannesburg and signed Adhiambo Mula-Lauwers.
The result? One scouting of talents, created in collaboration with Lake54the first European agency dedicated to the promotion of African fashion designers.
2. Endelea
A ethical fashion brand Milanese, born in 2018, capable of mixing African fabrics and processes (the collections are all handmade in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) with made in Italy design. The purpose? To raise awareness of the continent’s textile culture and help the communities involved in the project, both by purchasing all the fabrics on site, and by giving them support in production. Furthermore, part of the revenues is invested to carry out workshops with Tanzanian schools and universities. From 2020, Endelea is also a company benefit, what does it mean? Which wants to be a company capable of supporting people and the environment: the team, for example, is composed of 85% of women, with a zero gender pay gap.
The protagonist of the 2022 collection is the capsule created on the occasion of the Swahili Fashion Week which features hand-painted clothes and accessories in the traditional style Tingatingapainting with bright and decisive colors inspired by nature and African life, born around the sixties.
3. Nyny Ryke
The brand name (brand new, born in 2020) is that of the founder, Nyny Ryke Goungou, born in Togo and raised in Italy, where she studied fashion. It produces precisely on the African continent its collectionsmade in kentè, the typical fabric of the Western area, and then packaged in Italy. His work, between tradition and innovation, is a continuous research. He owns the patent for a fabric that takes inspiration from Yoruba: the stretch kentè obtained by adding elastic threads.
4. KeChic
A brand but also a social tailoring (and recently also a shop in via Guglielmo Pepe 38, in Milan) born from the friendship between Valeria Zanoni, from Milan, and the Senegalese tailor Cheikh Diattar. Their common passion? African fashion, wax fabrics and the desire to create something unique and handmade. An inclusive project that unites Milan and Dakar and that wants to involve people with fragility: the first collaboration, in fact, was the one with the boys of the tailoring school of the Center Handicapé of Dakarwhere Cheikh himself learned the tailor trade.
A brand attentive to sustainability and craftsmanship: in the new small atelier it is possible, in fact, to create customizable tailor-made clothes but also to access the repair service and have fun with the creative recycling of clothes no longer used. In short, a real laboratory of ideas and fashion!
5. Made for a Woman
It all started in Madagascar in 2019, from an idea of the founder Eileen Akbaraly who manages, with these few words, to describe her fashion accessories and craftsmanship project: “No two women are alike, and no two bags are alike.” Yes, because women are the protagonists of this totally handcrafted accessories brand, which wants to guarantee them a better future for its workers, ensuring them, first and foremost, a fair wage (at the moment it is 94% higher than the national minimum wage and 43% higher than the salaries of competitors). 85% of employees have survived domestic violence, 35% are single mothers and 3% are disabled and the whole organization includes: free medical assistance, family planning courses and language classes asylum for children and guarantee of a secure future through the opening of savings accounts.
And to enhance their work even more Eileen has also thought of a surprise on the labels: each shows an illustrated portrait of the woman who made the accessory and a QR code that contains a short video about her story. The materials used for the bags and hats? All natural and processed according to tradition. From labels created with dried flower paper (ancient Malagasy technique Papier Antaimoro) to ethical and sustainable raffia.
6. Study 189
An artisanal and social responsibility project founded by actress Rosario Dawson and entrepreneur Abrima Erwiah. All their fashion is made in Africa, in particular in Ghana where they also have a shop, and is inspired by the traditions and techniques of the typical workings of the country. A few examples? The use of vegetable dyes, hand batik, kente weaving and more. In short, a celebration of the black heritage that supports the local economy and people: a real sustainable project.
African fashion: a style that speaks of craftsmanship
These you have read are six different stories, all different from each other but with a single common denominator: thelove for Africa. These are the projects that we like to share and make known, ideal for those who love, not only ethnic style fashion, but also for those who want to make their wardrobe authentic and sustainable.
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Source: Vanity Fair
