Diaspora based African designers to watch

I wanted Africa to be the core focus on this segment to help inspire and give hope to the locals who are planning to do fashion business. According an article written by the Business of Fashion, it predicted that Africa could be the frontier for fashion. With the Nigerian economy being the strongest in the Africa today after having surpassed that of South Africa, thanks to its Nollywood movie industry being one of the major contributors. It proves that there’s potential in Africa despite the purchasing power in most countries being low. If you are in African and want to start a fashion business you need to establish your niche and have a unique product in place if you want to stand out from the competition. Here’s a list of African designers / labels you should know

UK / Uganda: Doreen Faith

Lookout for my collection at some point this year, my label is titled: Dare, you can follow it on twitter or Instagram; @darebrand. From shoes, handbags and clothing, I will be doing it all in the world of fashion.

Another Ugandan designer worth buzzing about is USA based Solome Katongole pictured above wearing one of her designs. I witnessed her work in December 2013 when she showcased her collection at the Ugandan Diaspora social networking gala. Her garments are wearable and finished to a high standard and can be purchased at the Bold store in Kampala where she currently stocks.

Sierra Leone: Madam Wokie

I first got to know Madam Wokie label whilst browsing through the Fashion Bomb Daily posts and I was quite blown away. Proprietor, Anne Kai Kai takes African prints to a whole new level. Her garments are innovative, quirky and modern which the western woman can appeal to.

Nigeria / UK: Kosibah

A UK based high-end bridal wear and haute couture label owned by Nigerian born Yemi Osunkoya. Not really emerging brand but Kosibah is a fashion design house worth knowing.

It’s hard to find an industry where Nigerians aren’t involved; there are the movers and shakers of the African continent today. Their go-getter attitude is my motivation!

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