African Fashion Foundation launches Its 2025 African Fashion Futures Incubator to Accelerate the Future of Africa’s Creative Economy
Roberta Annan / Founder – African Fashion Foundation
The African Fashion Foundation (AFF) is proud to announce the second cohort of its African Fashion Futures Incubator (AFFI-II’25)
Guided by AFF’s mission to nurture and advance Africa’s creative ecosystem, AFFI-II-2025 offers comprehensive support — financial, advisory, marketing, and logistical — to both emerging and established fashion designers. By doing so, the initiative contributes to the continent’s cultural and economic growth. The incubator fosters peer learning and cultural exchange, sharpens participants’ business acumen, and supports the building and scaling of sustainable creative enterprises.
As part of the programme, participating designers will have the opportunity to present their collections at prestigious global showcases: ASOHOM and The Industry Retreat in October, LA Fashion Week, Ivory Coast in December, and London Fashion Week in February in partnership with Medusa Fashion House. These platforms not only elevate African creativity but also help cultivate new audiences, unlock market opportunities, and attract investor interest.
African Fashion Futures Incubator Program Designers
AFFI-II’25 is delivered by the Impact Fund for African Creatives (IFFAC), backed by the Annan Capital Partners (ACP) Group, a member of the United Nations Global Compact and World Economic Forum’s New Champion. IFFAC is an impact fund dedicated to strengthening and growing creative and cultural industries across Africa and its diaspora, IFFAC is strategically positioned to leverage its global networks to support and elevate creative growth. AFFI-II’25 also benefits from key strategic partnerships, including with Digital Fashion Academy (DFA). DFA is a global online learning platform for fashion and luxury professionals that specializes in digital and e-commerce education.
African Fashion Futures Incubator 2025 Designers
This year’s cohort brings together a vibrant roster of visionary brands from across the continent. We are delighted to congratulate the following 15 talented designers who have qualified for the AFFI-II’25:
African Yuva (Kenya)
Afrowema (Kenya)
Bloombyedzi (Ghana)
Complex Department (Ghana)
February by Serwaa (Ghana)
Izubaa (Rwanda)
Izulu (Kenya)
Kezem (Rwanda)
Kondo (Togo)
Lines by Chaab (Nigeria)
Maison Inkindi (Rwanda)
Matheo (Rwanda)
Native1018 (Rwanda)
Quinstree (Sierra Leone)
Victoria Grace (Benin)
Adding to the celebration of creativity and culture, renowned Rwandan performing artist Malaika Uwamahoro will deliver a special appearance and debut the official AFFI-II’25 theme song, while acclaimed Australian photographer Robert Owen-Jones will capture striking images of the designers and their work.
“The African Fashion Futures Incubator is shaping resilient enterprises that can drive long-term value for Africa’s creative economy,” said Roberta Annan, Founder of African Fashion Foundation. At the African Fashion Foundation, we act as a convener of ecosystem players for those in our network. We promote collaboration amongst African and non-African creative stakeholders. Through AFFI-II’25, we are strengthening pathways for African creatives to thrive, while empowering local communities and inspiring diversity in the global creative economy.”“We believe in the transformative power of education and digital innovation.” said Enrico Fantaguzzi, CEO and Founder of the Digital Fashion Academy. “Our partnership with AFFI goes beyond fashion, it’s about empowering young entrepreneurs to shape the future of Africa’s fashion industry and connecting them with best practices from leading managers at global brands.”We are delighted to partner with the African Fashion Foundation to present 15 outstanding African brands at London Fashion Week in February 2026 under the Medusa Fashion House platform. This collaboration is a true celebration of cultural diversity, creativity, and craftsmanship, bridging continents and creating global opportunities for emerging and established designers alike. Together, we are crafting a narrative of fashion without borders, where heritage meets innovation and talent takes center stage on the world platform.” Sonal Jindal, Founder, Medusa Fashion House.
“It has been my pleasure to photograph the amazingly creative group of designers that AFF supports from across Africa. Their diverse and innovative designs are a testament to the creativity that Africa brings to the global fashion industry.” Robert Owen-Jones.
“The African Fashion Foundation is not only championing fashion but also embracing the full spectrum of art. By fostering collaboration among designers, poets, music producers, cinematographers, and editors, it is building powerful platforms for African stories to be shared with the world. While we, as Africans, are deeply rooted in the richness of our creative traditions, I am most excited that the global community will now experience what has been thoughtfully and sustainably curated for the advancement of Africa’s creative ecosystem.”
Malaika Uwamahoro
“African fashion is more than creativity. It is a powerful vehicle for sustainability and impact. By promoting ethical sourcing, circular production, and innovation rooted in our culture, we can show that fashion from Africa, and particularly Ghana, is not only beautiful but also responsible. At the UN Global Compact Network Ghana, we believe advancing sustainability in African fashion means advancing jobs, protecting our environment, and shaping a global industry that reflects our values.” Tolu Kweku Lacroix- Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network Ghana
As a partner of the #ACEL2025 forum in Kigali, the African Fashion Foundation launched AFFI-II’25, spotlighting Africa’s rising design talents while offering opportunities for collaboration, investment, and cultural dialogue within the continent’s broader creative economy.
AFFI 2025
Find out more: https://africanfashionfoundation.org/
For more information, please contact African Fashion Foundation:
