The fashion retail industry has a significant impact on the environment, from raw material sourcing to production and disposal. This is especially true of fast fashion, which leads to pollution, waste, and resource depletion. Choosing sustainable materials, supporting ethical brands and prioritizing quality over quantity will help protect the environment and promote sustainability.
Sustainable fashion doesn’t just save the planet. It is also about fostering community and promoting humanity. In recent decades, numerous African brands have embraced ethical and sustainable practices, emphasizing handcrafted craftsmanship, minimal waste and locally sourced materials. From Cairo to Cape Town, Nairobi to Abidjan, here are 15 African fashion brands leading the way in ethical and sustainable fashion.
autumn adeibo
Autumn Adeigbo is a Nigerian designer known for her vibrant, fashion-forward work. Her mission revolves around empowering women of all cultures while ensuring fair wages for artisans around the world. She focuses on sustainability, producing clothing on demand, reducing waste, and promoting environmental cleanliness and safety.
Lemlem
Ethiopian supermodel Liya Kebede started resort wear and swimwear brand lemlem 17 years ago after noticing that traditional weavers in her country were losing their jobs due to declining demand. was established. lemlem is an artisan-led, African-made brand that celebrates women and nature, featuring vibrant colors and stripes. Kebede describes it as offering “casual, chic pieces that are easy to wear for any occasion.”
Tongoro
Tongoro is a Senegalese brand that works with local tailors and sources materials from across the continent. Launched by Sarah Diouf in 2016, it has since gained international fame with participation from celebrities such as Burna Boy, Alicia Keys, and Beyoncé.
dye lab
A small craft brand, Dye Lab specializes in dyeing techniques that create products that combine practicality with artisanal charm. We embrace slow fashion principles, minimize waste and operate on pre-orders only. Founded in 2021 by fashion consultant Rukki Ladoja, Dye Lab showcases tie-dye colors and designs inspired by Nigeria’s Yoruba tribe.
Kente Gentleman
Ivorian brand Kente Gentleman collaborates with local artisans to design and produce clothing based on a fashion philosophy that is as stylish as it is ethical.
makuhosa africa
MAXHOSA AFRICA is an acclaimed knitwear brand founded by award-winning South African designer and creative artist Laduma Ngxokolo. Inspired by Xhosa culture, the brand aims to celebrate the beauty, color and diversity of the Xhosa people. Since its establishment in 2010, MAXHOSA has emerged as a prominent presence in African luxury and lifestyle.
mimi plage
Founded by Ghanaian-American designer Mimi Plange, the brand prioritizes creativity, craftsmanship, and textile recycling. Founded in 2010, the brand has collaborated with notable figures such as Manolo Blahnik and LeBron James.
Ahluwalia
Priya Ahluwalia, the London-born Indian-Nigerian designer behind upcycled menswear brand Ahluwalia Studio, earned a master’s degree in menswear from the University of Westminster after working at Beyoncé’s IVY Park. While there, she took on the challenge of reducing the issue of waste in fashion. Visits to Lagos, Nigeria and Panipat, India, where she saw tons of surplus clothing, further fueled her desire to fight the problem. The spring/summer 2019 graduation collection, created in collaboration with Indian women’s union SEWA Delhi, was her answer. Trench coats, oversized denim jackets, and vintage football jerseys were all created using second-hand clothing. She has since shown at London Fashion Week, been featured in Vogue, won an H&M Design Award, and collaborated with Adidas Originals. Today, she continues to research the application of ethical methodologies to fashion.
reform studio
Hazem and Hend Riad, co-founders of Cairo-based design studio Reform Studio, built their business around the invention of Plastex, a material made from discarded plastic bags. The studio’s fashion and furniture contribute to reducing Egypt’s waste problem and employing women from poor backgrounds.
Lukanyo Mudingi
Cape Town-based Lukanyo Mudingi embraces humanity and sustainability in its clothing production. Working closely with artisans in Cape Town and Burkina Faso, their design philosophy revolves around these collaborations, believing that meaningful design begins with human connections.
Hamaji Studio
Based in Kenya, Hamazi Studio was founded on the principles of preserving ancient textile traditions and nomadic handicrafts, handcrafting all fabrics, using natural fibers for textiles and natural dyes. We are proud of the ingredients we use. region. The brand, which means “nomad” in the local Swahili language, was founded by Louise Sommerlatte in 2017 and draws inspiration from East Africa’s everyday charm, natural beauty and vibrant culture.
studio 189
Ghanaian designer Abrima Elwia co-founded eco-friendly brand Studio 189 with actress Rosario Dawson. They work with local artisans in Accra to produce their clothing. The artisans use plant-based dyes, hand batik, and Kente weaving. The brand has partnered with the United Nations ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative, New York University School of Business, and has also collaborated with LVMH and Net a Porter.
Aleggio
Founded in 2018 by Beninese designer Kassim Rasisi, Allëdjo is a men’s clothing line designed and produced by artisans in Dakar, Senegal. The brand combines the designer’s love of travel with exquisite apparel. The print-heavy color palette and free-flowing materials celebrate the on-the-go Renaissance man.
Marakshi Life
Marrakshi Life is a gender-neutral Moroccan fashion label. Marakshi Life uses vibrant yet soft signature colors for its jumpsuits, scarves and kaftans, and boasts a zero-waste production style, prioritizing hand-looming by an in-house team of artisans.
Lafalaise Dion
The cowrie shell is one of the most recognizable symbols in African culture, being used as a type of currency in the 14th century and even as a religious and cultural symbol. In the 17th century, cowrie shells were used by title holders of the Kuba Kingdom in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a means of decorating hats and headdresses. In western Ivory Coast, the Dan people also wear these shells for ritual purposes. Now, creative Lafalaise Dion is repurposing them into fashion. Her headpieces, made from sustainably farmed seashells, are both powerful and mysterious.
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