African designers are changing the way the world sees fashion.
They are not only setting trends but also redefining what style can represent, from sustainability to heritage and cultural storytelling.
The works of these fashion designers are making their way to red carpets, fashion weeks, and collaborations with some big brands across the world.
Here are some of the African designers redefining global fashion:
Kwaku Bediako
Kwaku Bediako is one of the most notable names when it comes to sustainable and upcycled fashion in Ghana.
The Ghanaian designer is the creative brain behind Cacao, a brand built on the idea that waste fabrics can be transformed into high-fashion pieces.
His vision began when he noticed how much material was being discarded in the industry.
Instead of letting it go to waste, he started reworking second-hand garments into outfits that now make it to red carpets across the world.
Notable personalities such as Stevie Wonder, Ian Wright, and Cardi B have all worn his pieces.
David Kusi Boye-Doe
David Kusi Boye-Doe is the founder of the brand Boyedoe.
Although his brand is only a few years old, Boye-Doe himself has spent about a decade working in the fashion industry.
He started out as a personal shopper when the concept was still new in Ghana, before going on to build his own brand in 2020.
Edward Enninful
Edward Enninful was born in Ghana and raised in London, he grew up inspired by his mother, a seamstress whose designs left an impression.
At just 16, a chance encounter on a train led him into modeling, an experience he later described as a “baptism of fire.”
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By 18, Enninful was already the fashion director at i-D magazine, and at 22, he styled Calvin Klein’s now-iconic ads.
Through the 1990s, he was part of a new wave of creatives, working with friends like Kate Moss, Juergen Teller, and Corinne Day, who reshaped fashion for a generation.
Enninful is one of the most respected voices in global fashion, credited for pushing inclusivity and diversity at the highest levels of the industry.
Ozwald Boateng
Ozwald Boateng is often called the man who brought colour and modern flair to Savile Row tailoring.
He was born in Ghana and raised in London. Boateng initially studied computing before following his passion for fashion.
He started making bespoke suits in 1990 and became the first tailor to present a collection in Paris.
Boateng’s sleek, vibrant tailoring has attracted clients from Hollywood to music, including Will Smith, Samuel L Jackson, Jamie Foxx, Keanu Reeves, and Mick Jagger.
Thebe Magugu
Thebe Magugu has become one of Africa’s most celebrated young designers. Thebe Magugu was born in Kimberley and based in Johannesburg.
He won the LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize in 2019.
Magugu’s collections explore themes of heritage, identity, and politics while being fresh and wearable.
His collaborations with global brands such as Dior and Adidas have expanded his reach. At the 2022 US Open, big names in tennis including Jessica Pegula and Dominic They wore his designs through a special Adidas partnership.
His work has also been recognized in Vogue.
Anifa Mvuemba
Anifa Mvuemba, the Congolese founder of Hanifa.
Her brand, launched in 2012, has grown almost entirely through social media.
In 2020, she broke new ground with a 3D virtual fashion show for her Pink Label Congo collection.
Her body-flattering designs have caught the eye of stars like Beyoncé and Zendaya.
Niyi Okuboyejo
Niyi Okuboyejo, a Nigerian-born designer, runs Post-Imperial, a menswear brand blending artisanal techniques with modern style.
Based between Houston and New York, his designs have been stocked in more than 200 luxury retail outlets worldwide, including Bergdorf Goodman and Mr Porter.
Post-Imperial has been featured in GQ, The New York Times, and Vogue. Niyi has also collaborated with brands such as Oscar de la Renta and BMW/MINI.
Yasmin Mansour
Yasmin Mansour is one of the most talked-about new designers in the Arab world.
She was born in Egypt but based in Doha, she was named a semifinalist for the 2025 LVMH Prize and previously won the Eveningwear Prize at Fashion Trust Arabia.
Her designs are architectural, artistic, and modern, and they have caught the attention of fashion insiders like Natalia Vodianova and Giambattista Valli.
Tolu Coker
Tolu Coker is a British-Nigerian designer who blends fashion with activism.
A graduate of Central Saint Martins, she launched her label in 2021 after working with JW Anderson, Celine, and Maison Margiela.
She was one of British Vogue’s “Sustainability Trailblazers” in 2024, and she has won awards from the British Fashion Council and Prada’s Experimental Design Lab.
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