And they’re enjoying great successes.

For a long time, designers from Africa or with African roots were hardly present on the catwalks of the western fashion world. That has changed radically. From street style to haute couture, these designers are known for combining their sometimes-avant-garde designs with a rich tradition of textile techniques and patterns. 

 

 

In Lagos, Adebayo Oke-Lawal challenges gender roles with his label Orange Culture. Senegalese designer Selly Raby Kane dissolves the boundaries between fashion and art. And in Cape Town, Lukhanyo Mdingi focuses on social responsibility with his brand. These designers share a passion for creating local, economically sustainable structures. For them, it's about great style, jobs and education. Things are changing as a result: While most of the region’s designers are self-taught, in Dakar, fashion designer Sophie Nzinga has opened West Africa’s first school for fashion design. 

Africa's fashion design avant-garde is diverse and headed for success. From the African continent's metropolises to the classic fashion strongholds of Paris, London and New York, they’re making their mark -- and showing their work at the most important fashion weeks. In this film, eight designers provide insights into their creations of tomorrow.

 

 

Broadcasting Hours: 

DW English

THU 28.12.2023 – 01:15 UTC
THU 28.12.2023 – 04:15 UTC
THU 28.12.2023 – 18:15 UTC
FRI 29.12.2023 – 09:15 UTC
FRI 29.12.2023 – 15:15 UTC
FRI 29.12.2023 – 21:15 UTC
SAT 30.12.2023 – 19:15 UTC
SUN 31.12.2023 – 02:15 UTC
MON 01.01.2024 – 12:15 UTC

Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Nairobi UTC +3
Delhi UTC +5,5 I Bangkok UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8
London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +3
San Francisco UTC -8 | Edmonton UTC -7 | New York UTC -5

DW Deutsch+

FRI 29.12.2023 – 09:15 UTC

Vancouver UTC -8 | New York UTC -5 | Sao Paulo UTC -3