FASHION & STYLE

London, United Kingdom — Fashion London Fashion Week returns from 17–21 September 2026, bringing together established fashion houses, emerging designers and international creative voices for the Spring/Summer 2027 season. For Africa First Magazine, one of the most compelling aspects of London’s fashion landscape is the growing visibility of designers whose creativity is shaped by African heritage and the wider diaspora. Designers and brands including Tolu Coker, Ahluwalia, On

Across Africa and its diaspora, a new generation of designers is reshaping what African fashion looks like on the global stage. Among the names contributing to that movement is Nigerian designer Ugo Monye, whose work combines traditional references with contemporary tailoring and a distinctive sense of occasion. Based in Lagos, Monye has become particularly recognised for menswear that challenges the boundaries of conventional formal dressing. His designs often feature dramat

Kolwezi is known internationally for mining. Copper, cobalt and the mineral wealth of Lualaba Province have shaped how the city is seen both inside and outside the Democratic Republic of Congo. But in July 2026, Kolwezi presented another side of itself. From 1 to 5 July, the city hosted the second edition of Kolwezi Fashion Week, under the theme “Héritage en Lumière” — Heritage in the Light. The event brought together Congolese and international designers in a celebration of

A length of ankara fabric doesn’t just sit on a shelf waiting to be admired. It gets cut, worn, danced in, passed down. That’s always been the difference with African fashion. It was never only about how something looks. It’s about what it says, who made it, and what it means to put it on. That instinct, clothing as identity rather than decoration, is exactly what’s now pulling African fashion onto runways and red carpets around the world. Eye-level view of a colorful African