Working Towards A Unified African Fashion Federation
African fashion federation: Lucilla Booyzen, Adama Ndiaye, Gloria Wavamunno, Claudia Lumor, Omoyemi Akerele
Fashion designer and entrepreneur Adama Ndiaye has been nurturing the African fashion industry for 20 years now. From Dakar Fashion Week, Fashion Africa TV, and the Black Fashion Experience (formerly known as Black Fashion Week), to her own-brand designs, to SAARGALE concept store and factory project la Maison SAARGALE, she is unstoppable. And yet she keeps up with the hard work...
Whilst doing her bit to move the industry forward, she also wants to see the continent’s fashion forces come together as one. Ethiopia Fashion Week’s founder, Claudia Lumor, Glitz Fashion Week’s founder in Ghana, South Africa Fashion Week’s founder and Kampala Fashion Week’s founder Gloria Wavamunno and Lagos Fashion Week’s founder Omoyemi Akerele are on the list. “We are trying to create a supportive organisation which makes sense for all of us,” says Adama.
“It is essential to have that cohesion between our respective organisations. We all have this common will to move forward because we know that we are stronger together.”
She has been trying to create an African fashion federation for 2 years. The first discussions around the project were not as successful as she’d hoped but the tireless entrepreneur keeps pushing.
“Companies are not created overnight. As entrepreneurs, we always have to balance when it is the right time to push and when to stay patient.”
During a recent live hosted by Lagos Fashion Week, Adama and the fashion weeks founders discussed working together for a better future of African fashion after the storm of Covid-19 and she reminded them of the necessity of a united federation. They will start with regular webinars to update the world on the state of the fashion industry in Africa. Lucilla Booyzen came first on June 9th with the topic: Fashion in Africa is calling, four questions and call for intervention.
Planning a yearly fashion week calendar to avoid overlaps will be one of the first major challenges on their roadmap. We can’t wait to see this project come to life soon.