Beyoncé, Gwen Stefani, Kelis, Rihanna, and actress Thandie Newton have all worn designs from the region. African-led e-commerce fashion platforms are on the rise.
Pictured: Designs by Maki Oh, made in Nigeria and Needle+Thread, made in Kenya.
Courtesy Oxosi
Platforms such as OXOSI, Dress Me Outlet, and ONYCHEK aim to make African fashion global. Pictured: South Africa’s Laduma Ngxokolo’s collection at Lagos Fashion & Design Week 2016.“We are trying to make fashion made in Africa available to everybody,” says Chekwas Okafor, founder of ONYCHEK. Pictured: Designs by Ghana’s Christie Brown and Kenya-based Adele Dejak.There’s growing interest in African fashion, believes Okafor. “African Americans are excited about supporting African brands, and many consumers are interested in ethical and sustainable fashion.” Pictured: Designs by MaXhosa.The rate of growth for Africa’s household consumption was down from 5.2 percent in 2010 to 3.9 percent in 2015. Nonetheless, African consumerism remains the fastest-growing of any region except emerging Asia, according to McKinsey Global Institute.
