The Faces of Africa Fashion Week London 2025: 6 Designers Defining the Future of African Fashion
Celebrating AFWL and Its Legacy
African Fashion Week London has always been more than a runway. It’s a stage, a mirror, and a reminder that African fashion is not an emerging story; it is the story. And in 2025, AFWL proved once again why it remains the longest-running showcase of African design outside the continent.
But here’s what really stood out this year: the designers who took familiar fabrics, silhouettes, and cultural references, and twisted them into something daring, global, and unmistakably theirs. These six faces of AFWL didn’t just walk the runway. They shifted the conversation about what African fashion means heading into 2026.
“AFWL was a reminder that African fashion is not niche. It’s global, it’s leading, and it’s shaping the conversations around identity, sustainability, and style.”
Designers That Need To Be On Your Radar
Here, six names deserve your full attention, not just for what they presented, but for what they represent.
1.Ÿ’wăra— Kenyan Eco-Couture
Returning to the AFWL Exhibition Hall, this Kenyan collective marries eco-conscious design with cultural storytelling, working only with organic cotton and regenerative materials sourced across Kenya’s varied landscapes. Their slow-fashion philosophy is heard to ignore.
One of MBG’s picks for AFWL 2025, Ywara’s collection showed us how timelessness can still feel bold.
2.Ejiro Amos Tafiri
A heavyweight in Nigerian fashion, Ejiro Amos Tafiri once again proved why she’s a mainstay. Flowing silhouettes, intricate detailing, and a dedication to celebrating women’s bodies made this collection a standout.
At AFWL 2025, she made clear once more: fashion can be cultural, elegant, and empowering all at once
3.Ometsey— Everyday Elegance with Ghanaian Soul
Ometsey brought a fierce sense of identity to the AFWL stage. Their collection combined structured pieces with fluid draping, creating a tension that felt both strong and sensual. It’s the kind of fashion that makes you pause — and then immediately imagine yourself in it.
4.Kisero
Kenya’s Kisero put storytelling front and centre. Each piece echoed local narratives, textiles, and artistry, but with a contemporary twist.
Featured prominently under African street luxury, this father-and-son leather label champions artisan techniques.
5.Sevaria
One of the emerging names at AFWL 2025, Sevaria delivered fresh energy. Gender-fluid. Bold. Future-forward. Sevaria challenged convention with pieces that blend menswear and womenswear. Their use of textures, unexpected shapes, and playful detailing made them stand out as a new voice in Kenyan fashion. If you didn’t know their name before, you’ll remember it now.
When minimalism meets African aesthetics, magic happens. Henri Uduku’s refined essentials and architectural tailoring shimmered on the AFWL catwalk and exhibition, courtesy of the British Council’s Creative DNA program.
In clean lines and modern silhouettes, his work felt like the future of African design: refined, globally fluent, yet unapologetically rooted.
Beyond the Runway: What This Means for African Fashion
AFWL didn’t just showcase beautiful collections; it gave us a glimpse into the trends shaping African fashion in 2026:
Minimalism Reimagined – Henri Uduku’s architectural cuts set the tone for a more pared-back, modern African aesthetic.
Heritage in High Definition – Kisero’s storytelling and Ywara’s craftsmanship prove that heritage-driven pieces are entering a new era of visibility.
Fluid Femininity – Ejiro Amos Tafiri and Ometsey made it clear: silhouettes that celebrate women in all their forms are here to stay.
Emerging Voices – Sevaria represents a new guard of African designers ready to experiment, play, and push the envelope.
These trends are shaping the 2026 landscape — from the diaspora to the local scene — and the brands showcased here are at the forefront.
And for us, the audience, the consumers, the community: it’s a reminder that investing in these brands means investing in cultural longevity.
A Moment for AFWL
Fourteen years in, AFWL is still holding space for designers who might otherwise be overlooked in Western fashion capitals. AFWL has consistently served as a launchpad for brands, a platform to celebrate culture, and a forum for the community. That consistency matters. Longevity matters. Because the world doesn’t just need to see African fashion, it needs to respect it. And AFWL is ensuring that happens.
The 2025 edition proves that African fashion isn’t just growing, it’s thriving. And with the next generation of designers stepping into the spotlight, it’s only getting more exciting.
Stay tuned as MBG continues to track these brands, spotlighting their journeys and curating the best for fashion lovers everywhere.
