Connect with us

Fashion

Nigerian designer pushes “Afro-lux” onto the global fashion scene

Published

on

Nigerian designer pushes “Afro-lux” onto the global fashion scene


By

AFP

Published



August 28, 2025

Its striking architecture, framed by latticework inspired by traditional Yoruba textiles, makes Alara — west Africa’s first fashion and design “concept store” — an imposing landmark in Lagos, Nigeria’s bustling commercial capital.

Reni Folawiyo, founder of Lagos’s Alara concept store, champions her vision of “Afro-lux,” blending African heritage with global luxury. – Photo: Olympia de Maismont / AFP

Founded by Reni Folawiyo a decade ago, Alara embodies her vision of “Afro-lux,” a concept she defines as designs that balance tradition with modernity while positioning African fashion on the global stage.

Inside the store, upscale African labels share space with international brands, decorative art, and books — part of Folawiyo’s mission to place African creativity on equal footing with established global names. The building’s distinctive lattice is inspired by adire, a textile popular among the Yoruba people of southwest Nigeria.

“A lot of the beautiful things that people were making in different parts of Africa were not celebrated in the way that I thought they should be,” said the 60-year-old, explaining how rural craftsmanship often inspires Alara’s collections. “I felt very strongly in my belief that these objects and these people had value.”

Music stars become style ambassadors

West African design is experiencing a cultural moment, Folawiyo noted in an interview in Lagos, where she wore sunglasses with vivid pink lenses.

In May, Nigerian music stars Burna Boy, Tems, and Ayra Starr appeared at New York’s Met Gala, dressed by British-Ghanaian designer Ozwald Boateng.

But for Folawiyo, global recognition requires more than occasional runway appearances. “At the moment, the best way to platform designers outside Africa is to partner and collaborate with institutions that are of repute,” she said, citing her recent pop-up store and exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum and a collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Drawing from her Yoruba heritage — with its intricate textiles, bold colors, and elaborate ceremonies — Folawiyo also finds inspiration in Senegal’s rugged aesthetics and the Ivory Coast’s refined sophistication. “Alara is my own idea of what a celebration of Africa looks like,” she said.

Culture through cuisine

Behind the boutique lies NOK, a restaurant led by executive chef Pierre Thiam, the Senegalese culinary pioneer who has brought west African food to U.S. diners.

While still high-end, NOK offers more accessible prices than Alara’s fashion and design pieces — a delicate balance in a country marked by extremes: wealthy elites in the oil and tech sectors, a shrinking middle class strained by inflation, and millions of informal workers.

Amid Alara’s stark interior of black walls and white concrete, luxury items stand out as bold statements. A green dress by Nigerian label Eki Kere carries a price tag of 325,000 naira (around $210), while a sculptural table from Senegalese-Nigerian studio Salu Iwadi can fetch up to ten times more, underscoring the store’s blend of accessible fashion and high-end design.

Folawiyo herself comes from Lagos’s elite, as the wife of businessman Tunde Folawiyo and daughter of the late attorney general of Nigeria’s former Western Region, Lateef Adegbite.

But building her vision of African luxury was not easy. Convincing investors and partners to believe in “Afro-lux” proved challenging. “I was very committed to it and I had great belief in myself and my idea,” she said.

Now firmly established in Nigeria, Folawiyo also organizes international fashion showcases, including at Barbados’s Carifesta XV this month. But for her, the industry’s long-term success depends on “passing on knowledge to future generations.”

Copyright © 2025 AFP. All rights reserved. All information displayed in this section (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the contents of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presses.



Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fashion

Bangladesh’s RMG exports up 4.7% in Q1 FY26, but Sept shipments dip

Published

on

Bangladesh’s RMG exports up 4.7% in Q1 FY26, but Sept shipments dip



Woven garment exports slightly outpaced knitted garment exports in terms of growth. Knitwear exports (Chapter **) rose by *.** per cent to $*.*** billion, compared to $*.*** billion in the same period of fiscal ******. Woven apparel exports (Chapter **) increased by *.** per cent to $*.*** billion, up from $*.*** billion in July–September ****, EPB data showed.

Home textile exports (Chapter **, excluding ******) also grew, rising by *.** per cent to $***.** million, compared to $***.** million in the same period of the previous fiscal. Collectively, exports of woven and knitted apparel, clothing accessories, and home textiles accounted for **.** per cent of Bangladesh’s total exports, which stood at $**.*** billion during the period. Higher demand for diversified and value-added textile products supported this growth.



Source link

Continue Reading

Fashion

Dutch manufacturing flat in August, up 1.7% from July: CBS

Published

on

Dutch manufacturing flat in August, up 1.7% from July: CBS



In August 2025, the calendar-adjusted output of the Dutch manufacturing sector was at the same level as in August 2024, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Output was down in slightly more than half of the underlying sectors.

Slightly more than half of the various industrial sectors produced less than they did one year previously. Of the eight largest industrial sectors, output rose the most sharply in the repair and installation of machinery, while it fell the most sharply in the transport equipment industry.

A more accurate picture of changes in short-term output is obtained when the figures are adjusted for seasonal effects and the working-day pattern. After adjustment, manufacturing output rose by 1.7 per cent in August relative to July, CBS said in a press release.

In August 2025, Dutch manufacturing output remained unchanged year-on-year, although output declined in over half of the industrial sectors.
After seasonal adjustment, output rose by 1.7 per cent compared to July.
The strongest growth was seen in the repair and installation of machinery, while transport equipment recorded the sharpest decline.

After adjusting for seasonal and working-day effects, manufacturing output often fluctuates significantly. In the spring of 2020, output declined rapidly, reaching a low point in May 2020. This was followed by an upward trend until May 2022. The trend has reversed since then.

Producer confidence was less negative in September than it was in August. Manufacturers were more positive regarding output for the next three months, in particular.

Germany is an important market for the Dutch manufacturing sector. In September, German manufacturers were more negative than they were in August, as reported by Eurostat. In August, the calendar-adjusted output of the German manufacturing sector was down by 5.1 per cent, year on year. Relative to July, output fell by 5.5 per cent, as reported by Destatis.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)



Source link

Continue Reading

Fashion

ADB commits $82.5 mn to drive Cambodia’s energy transition

Published

on

ADB commits .5 mn to drive Cambodia’s energy transition



The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved the second phase of Cambodia’s Energy Transition Sector Development Programme (ETSDP) for $82.5 million. Cofinanced by the ASEAN Infrastructure Fund, the Asia–Pacific Climate Finance Fund, the Green Climate Fund, and the United Kingdom through the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility, the programme aims to provide comprehensive support for the country’s clean energy transition by combining policy reforms with investment projects in new technologies.  

The first subprogramme, approved in 2022, introduced pivotal policy measures that guided the energy sector toward a more efficient and renewable development pathway. Building on this foundation, subprogramme 2 advances regulatory reforms to strengthen the energy efficiency framework and enhance policy clarity to attract private sector investment. A key milestone under the subprogramme is the introduction of the country’s first set of regulations establishing Minimum Energy Performance Standards for electrical appliances, starting with air conditioners, which account for the largest share of energy consumption in the residential sector, ADB said on its website.

Subprogramme 2 will also establish an Energy Efficiency Revolving Fund aimed at facilitating access to finance for local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to invest in energy-efficient technologies. The revolving fund will be set up through a financial intermediation structure to enable local banks to extend loans to SMEs for energy efficiency investments. By mobilizing domestic financial institutions and supporting SMEs, the revolving fund is expected to accelerate the nationwide scale-up of energy efficiency investments.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $82.5 million for Phase 2 of Cambodia’s Energy Transition Sector Development Programme to support clean energy through policy reforms and investments.
The programme introduces energy efficiency standards, establishes a revolving fund for SME financing, and also aims to attract private investment.

“ADB is honoured to support Cambodia in its ambitious and transformative journey in the energy sector. Through a comprehensive reform package, combining policy support with strategic investments, the Energy Transition Sector Development Programme will support turning the government’s ambitious vision into reality,” said ADB acting country director for Cambodia Anthony Gill. “This includes the goal of achieving 70 per cent renewable energy in the power mix by 2030, along with a strong commitment to advancing energy efficiency, which is essential to ensure that Cambodia’s growth remains both sustainable and affordable.”

Subprogramme 2 will be followed by a third phase in 2027, which will further deepen reforms by expanding the energy efficiency regulatory framework and introducing technical standards for renewable energy, buildings, and industry to further attract private sector investment.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending