You Need To Know These 7 Destinations Dedicated To African Fashion Brands Online
Models rocking Henry Couture Paris suits , creative direction of @beonciadunn
Knowing where to find the finest brands from Africa all in one place isn’t what you’d call a piece of cake...just yet. In a previous article, we shared one of the best online shopping destinations offering you the crème de la crème of fashion from Africa. If you liked that, you will love these...
Let’s take a look.
1. AFRIKREA
Wondering where to find a Ndebele choker (the metallic ones that give you an African Queen look)? Comfy leggings for staying home? Or the power cowrie pieces Beyonce rocked in Black is King (work of art of Ivorian artist Lafalaise Dion)? Afrikrea has it all. Afrikrea must be that one platform where you can find absolutely anything fashion inspired by Africa. The platform serves as a shopping and selling platform for creatives and designers. You’ll often see designers starting to sell their products via Afrikrea before investing in their own platforms, which is the founders’ goal: making selling easy for any creative and artisan all over the world.
Moulaye Tabouré and Kadry Diallo founded Afrikrea in Paris in 2016 before moving to Abidjan the next year with their third co-founder Luc Perussault Diallo.
2. ICHYULU
Our next platform comes straight out of Nairobi. This online concept store has been on the road since 2016, offering a curated selection of about 30 brands from different parts of the continent from Kenya, to South Africa via Ghana or Uganda. You’ll find established names like AAKS or Gloria Wavamunno as well as up-and-coming like Endo² or Lokol. We enjoyed discovering gems we didn’t know before. Needless to say we were delighted when we found that they ship worldwide.
3. AVIVERE
Launched in 2018, Avivere brings you exquisite high-end brands from the continent and beyond. New-York based founder Ijeoma Ogbechie is on a mission to redefine contemporary and luxury African fashion through her platform. Serving femininity, refinement and artistry with the likes of eye-catching American Sukeina, Washington Roberts or Nigerian Emmy Kasbit, this online platform always delivers.
You’ll love the “Emerging” and “Designer” sections as much as we do. If you want to know more about the best up-and-coming designers or learn more about the designers behind the shopping selection, you will find it here.
4. VAA AFRIKA COLLECTIVE
Want to make an impression in the streets of Dubai with a minimalist Selfi jumpsuit? Vaa Afrika has got you covered. Founded by Africa Fashion Week Middle East board member Summaya Badbess in 2018, Vaa Afrika is the place to shop contemporary fashion from the African continent in the Middle East region. The platform might be at an early stage in its development, they only carry Selfi and Shekudo at the moment, but the best is yet to come. Expect more sophisticated pieces, more sustainable labels and worldwide shipping. Watch this space.
5. AFDB FASHIONOMICS AFRICA
Fashionomics Africa brings in a new category altogether. Bringing together learning resources, an e-shop, insights (including reports on the industry!), news and tips all in one place. The platform is a go-to for those wanting to dig deeper. And it doesn’t stop there. Just like Afrikrea, Fashionomics Africa aims to make fashion entrepreneurs’ life easier, especially for those in Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa. The project was initiated in 2016 by the African Bank Development.
At the time of writing, the e-shop offers about a hundred pieces for women and twenty or so for men. Here are the cool pieces we spotted for you. Go for it! They ship worldwide and they even got an app.
6. ADJOAA
Fashion entrepreneur Pinaman Owusu-Banahene founded Adjoaa Collective in 2011 as a way to bring high-end and ethical African fashion brands to the world. With a footprint in the Asia-Pacific region where Pinaman started her venture, the platform offered brands such as Shekudo (one of her favorites from Australia), AAKS’s crafts or activist Anyango Mpinga. You could browse insightful stories and interviews about African creatives too.
The platform is having a refresh at the moment and we can’t wait to see their brand new look! Hopefully at the end of the year or early 2021. But get in the mood early, you can already sign up to their newsletter!
7. JENDAYA
Described as “Africa’s ultimate Luxury Fashion Experience”, prepare to be dazzled by the maverick Jendaya. Launched in 2018 by founder Ayotunde Rufai, London and Lagos-based Jendaya is the new Farfetch with a strong African taste. You’ll shop the best luxury African designer brands alongside Western titans and enjoy worldwide shipping (even if their first focus will be Nigeria, Ghana, UK and US for the next 12 months). With the likes of South African Rich Mnisi, Ghanaian AAKS, French Jacquemus or Italian Gucci in their offer, this new venture also looks like an Alara in the making (Alara is a renowned Lagos-based concept store).
While the Jendaya team gets the e-shop side ready (sign up to their mailing list here!), get a feel with their editorials. From the Dior x Amoako Boafo collaboration to the major digital shows of American Hanifa or Senegalese Tongoro, Jendaya keeps an eye on the major news and trends in the industry for you. We can’t wait to see more. Hopefully at the end of the year or early 2021 just like Adjoaa.