The growth of the middle classes and the young population, as well as online commerce, are driving the design industry on the continent. There are 32 fashion weeks every year, but the sector still needs investment, training and worker protection.
African designers already accumulate a huge heritage of artisanal techniques, such as that applied in the hypnotic graphics of the Malian bogolan (cloth dyed with clay) The demand for fashion made in Africa is favored by “the burgeoning middle class on the Continent, which makes up more than 35% of the population”, according to a UNESCO study. “We can transmit our fashion savoir faire in Africa,” says Malian designer Sidahmed Seidnaly, “It is ancient knowledge. We have 54 countries of inspiration,’ says designer Alphadi, who founded the International African Fashion Festival (FIMA) In 1998, Alphadi attests to the growth of these events in these 25 years. Yves Saint Laurent, Kenzo, Paco Rabanne, Jean Paul Gautier, Pathe'O, Collé Sow Ardo, Oumou Sy, Maimour.