Abstract
In 2016, Ghana’s capital city of Accra, located along the Atlantic coast, was touted as “Africa’s Capital of Cool” by the New York Times (July 2016), highlighting the growing number of boutiques, hotels and world-class restaurants. Just a couple of months earlier, on April 30, 2016, the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery had opened the first major UK exhibit dedicated to African Fashion. The book Fashion Cities Africa, edited by Eritrean-born journalist Hannah Azieb Pool, was released the same month, and shares insights into the aesthetics and designs emerging from Nairobi (Kenya), Casablanca (Morocco), Lagos (Nigeria) and Johannesburg (South Africa). Since the start of the millennium, fashion journalists (Suzy Menkes and André Leon Talley) have been discussing the prevalence of high-end African fashion designers such as Duro Olowu, Lisa Folawiyo, and Folake Folarin Coker.
Highlights
In 2016, Ghana’s capital city of Accra, located along the Atlantic coast, was touted as “Africa’s Capital of Cool” by the New York Times (July 2016), highlighting the growing number of boutiques, hotels and world-class restaurants
What is less examined in the literature on African-made fashion is the experience of young and emerging fashion entrepreneurs growing their businesses in developing economies while competing in the international fashion market, which are the focus of this essay
The Western and European fashion world has periodically turned its gaze to the African continent, whether as a source of inspiration, or as an opportunity to feature titillating designs by select designers
Summary
In 2016, Ghana’s capital city of Accra, located along the Atlantic coast, was touted as “Africa’s Capital of Cool” by the New York Times (July 2016), highlighting the growing number of boutiques, hotels and world-class restaurants. Just a couple of months earlier, on April 30, 2016, the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery had opened the first major UK exhibit dedicated to African Fashion. The book Fashion Cities Africa, edited by Eritrean-born journalist Hannah Azieb Pool, was released the same month, and shares insights into the aesthetics and designs emerging from Nairobi (Kenya), Casablanca (Morocco), Lagos (Nigeria) and Johannesburg (South Africa). What is less examined in the literature on African-made fashion is the experience of young and emerging fashion entrepreneurs growing their businesses in developing economies while competing in the international fashion market, which are the focus of this essay
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