If you’ve ever heard the words, “it’s always fashion week somewhere” its probably true. Before the Big Four fashion weeks (New York, London, Milan, and Paris) take place each September, there’s Berlin, Copenhagen, and others—the so-called “alternative” platforms. Like most fashion weeks, they showcase local and international brands alike.
In Berlin and Copenhagen this season, a group of African designers presented their Spring/ Summer 2027 collections, offering a distinctly African charm to both locations. In an ongoing effort, both countries are supporting emerging talents from around the world including Africa. Though they are not as commercially viable as New York, London, Milan, and Paris, they offer something unique for African brands. An untapped market with potential for steady growth.
In her second installement at Copenhagen Fashion Week since winning the Zalando Visionary Award in 2025, IamIsigo’s founder Bubu Ogisi is raising the bar for sustainable brands across the world. The brand’s new collection, Sacred Ecologies, is a cerebral study of land and the enviroment and how it influences the people who live in it from an African context.
Ogisi explores the narrative following Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s 2006 novel Wizard of the Crow, which satirically explores politics on the continent. What emerges here is a uniquely stunning collection of avant garde pieces. In true IamIsigo fashion, the collection was conceived in multiple African countries, including Nigeria and Uganda. An interwoven jacket made from barkcloth here, and a handwoven banana-cotton jacket there to wooden beads; the list goes on. The workmanship and dedication is impressive. And that’s partly what makes IamIsigo special. During her press run, she alluded to strategic patience. After years of building her niche brand, it’s clearly paying off.
Elsewhere at Berlin Fashion Week, Orange Culture, Buzigahill, and Fruche delivered different ideas to dressing.
At Orange Culture, the Nigerian label established by Adebayo Oke-Lawal, colour guided a neatly edited collection named Water Will Carry Us. The garments drew from Makoko, an informal waterfront settlement in Lagos, offering looks in imbalanced proportions, layered textures, sheer fabrics and hand-stitched embellishments. Adebayo explored the nature of water as a resource that nourishes and gives life. Water is also fluid in form. These themes were embedded conceptually but also physically through the clothes. For example, in the lightness and movement of the fabrics as well as the flexibility of the pieces.
Founded by Bobby Kolade, Ugandan brand Buzigahill offered casual separates reconfigured in the brand’s deconstructed style. The lineup consisted of patchwork shirts, track shorts, denim, and layered shirting. This raw-ish and edgy approach has contributed to the brand’s success in Japan where it’s stocked in various retailers across Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.
Fruche has mastered the art of draped shirting. Based in Nigeria, its founder Frank Aghuno has spent the last few years expanding that idea across various forms and styles of shirts and shirt dresses. The striped and checkered, knot-tied pieces set the tone for a striking collection that bordered the lines of art, craft, and body image. At times, as in the case with the floor-weeping versions, they seemed hard to walk in, though still visually striking. Beads were also added into the mix, transcending beyond embellishments into statement pieces: a skirt, a top, a dress. Keep reading to see what’s next in fashion.
Congratulations to Kenya’s Yoshita 1967, the artisanal brand by Anil Padia who has just been awared the 2026 Savoir Faire LVMH Prize for his vision and craftsmanship in Paris.
After years of dominating fashion week shows and brand collabs, what comes after the K-pop and Thai frenzy? Well, the next wave of global influencers/content crestors is here and they are from mainland China.
If you’re on Instagram you might have picked up on their rising popularity on the platform. For clarity, I’m not referring to celebrities and well known names; these are everyday content creators who are building their style reputation and fame from scratch, and attracting thousands of followers and luxury brands in the process.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading this edition of Africa Fashion Decoded. Subcribe below for exclusive stories.
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