Africa Takes Center Stage at CIFF 2025 with a Sustainable Fashion Showcase

In August 2025, IFW Business showcased sustainable African fashion at CIFF during Copenhagen Fashion Week and made history.

This landmark presentation not only celebrated the continent’s creative excellence but also underscored fashion’s growing role as a platform for diplomacy, trade, and cultural exchange.

The event’s diplomatic highlight came through an engagement with the South African Ambassador to Denmark, affirming the role of fashion as both soft power and a catalyst for deeper cross-continental dialogue. In doing so, IFW Business positioned African design at the intersection of creativity, sustainability, and international relations.

The showcase featured a powerful lineup of designers who are redefining what sustainability means in fashion. Sindiso Khumalo, celebrated for her pioneering work with organic cotton, natural dyes, and artisan-led production, presented collections that embody empowerment through craft. Molebatsi, the collaborative vision of Jessica and Wandi, offered timeless silhouettes grounded in slow fashion and cultural storytelling. Dennis Chuene challenged conventional systems with his bold, deconstructed designs rooted in upcycling and waste-conscious innovation. Meanwhile, diaspora brand The Rad Black Kids, founded by Thulani and Carmen Ngazimbi, merged skate, surf, and streetwear with African heritage, illustrating the global resonance of climate-conscious creativity.

Together, these voices highlighted three core themes: sustainability through circular and regenerative design, cultural storytelling as a bridge between tradition and modern identity, and a global dialogue placing Africa at the center of fashion’s evolving sustainability conversations.

Credits 

Event: IFW Business x CIFF 2025 

Designers: Sindiso Khumalo, Molebatsi, Dennis Chuene, The Rad Black Kids

Location: Copenhagen International Fashion Fair, Copenhagen, Denmark

Photography: Lwazi Mfusi