Get To Know The Seven Designers Behind WOOOOHOOOO Zine
Following the success of Creative DNA: Africa, the British Council and Fashion Scout have reunited to present WOOOOHOOOO zine, featuring seven emerging designers from seven countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Following the success of Creative DNA: Africa, the British Council and Fashion Scout have reunited to present WOOOOHOOOO zine, featuring seven emerging designers from seven countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Documenting creativity across Sub-Saharan Africa, the latest brainchild of the British Fashion Council and Fashion Scout's Creative DNA: Africa project is WOOOOHOOOO zine. Spotlighting seven emerging fashion talents from seven different countries, including Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, WOOOOHOOOO celebrates the vision of a future together through the lens of the very designers it highlights. As part of the project, all seven creatives were offered a one-week residency during London Fashion Week, where the designers maximised their time in the city as they explored new networks and met with other like-minded designers while partaking in fashion shows and various workshops. The week culminated in an installation captured by Bevan Agyemang, whose images of the day provide the visual backdrop of WOOOOHOOOO. Get to know the seven creatives below.
Hailing from Ethiopia is Addis Ababa's sustainable 'casual wear' brand Fozia Endrias, established from a drive to breathe new life into what already exists. Pastel and earth tone coloured upcycled patches are a reoccurring staple for Ababa's brand whose oversized kimono-based designs have helped the young designer carve distinctiveness into all she creates.
Finding inspiration in the infusion of Pre-Columbian, Caribbean and Ghanaian cultural references, Afrocentric fabric company Ekuaaddo seeks to create alternative style garments and accessories by telling stories through various fabric manipulations. Counting family, tradition and heritage as the three main reasons they do what they do, Ekuaaddo's motto says it all - 'fabrics that speak'.
Founded in 2015 by Sharon Wendo, EPICA is a jewellery label whose very existence is a true ode to modern craft-making. With pieces ranging from earrings to body jewellery, all creations are handmade using raw materials sourced locally in Kenya. Their commitment to luxury has proven the brand popular within the local and international African fashion scene with designs already featured in Harper’s Bazaar Italia, Vogue Italia and GQ South Africa.
Sophie Nzinga Sy founded Baax Studio for one reason, to act as a catalyst for conversations around self-worth, human connectivity and cultural identity. Deeply inspired by local Senegalese craftsmanship and style, Baax Studio is yet another contemporary label coming out of Sub-Saharan Africa that wants to create with meaning, putting sustainability at the forefront of everything they do.
Representing South Africa is the eponymous label of designer Fikile Zamagcino Sokhulu, whose aim is to create womenswear with the sole purpose of elevating African fashion that adorns African women. Telling a story of human connections, Fikile Sokhulu has one thing on her to do list which is to empower women and considering she's already been featured in WWD and ColorBloc Magazine our guess is she's already halfway there.
Founded in 2017 by two Ugandan fashion designers, Kasoma Ibrahim and Katende Godfrey, IGC Fashion (Ibrahim and Godfrey’s community fashion) is a fashion and costume label from Kampala inspired by African heritage, nature and culture. Going beyond the realms of fashion design, IGC Fashion sees garments as individual pieces of sculpture that can be used as a vehicle for communicating and questioning varying ideas, themes and cultures.
Said to be 'influenced by the fantastical', Zimbabwe-based label Haus of Stone is home to those with an elegant yet understated taste. The brand's three pillars are built upon fostering sustainable design practices, visual storytelling and experimentation through handcrafted skills so expect each piece to be imbued with a hint of mysticism. In other words, expect the unexpected.
