(Lisa Folawiyo’s Spring 2015 Presentation at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York.)
According to data compiled by Euromonitor, the apparel and footwear industries in Sub-Saharan Africa are worth approximately $31 Billion, a number that keeps steadily growing.
The report posits that Africa might be the world’s next luxury fashion hotspot. European brands are already establishing a presence in countries like Nigeria, but the nation also boasts quite a bit of homegrown talent, such as Lisa Folawiyo and Tsemaye Binitie.
Due to the immense cultural, social, ethnic, and economic diversity across the continent, African nations like Nigeria, Somalia, and South Africa can serve as both key locations for not only production, but also design, sales, and exportation. The emergence of online marketplaces like Kisua, which features designers from all over the continent is also aiding in the retail and production boom.
A recent piece in Business of Fashion, highlights some of the major players in the fashion industry from all over the continent.
[…] With a steadily growing and diverse series of markets, designers, shops and unique spaces, the the apparel and footwear industries in Sub-Saharan Africa are worth approximately $31 Billion. […]