The latter has been on a roll lately: finalist of the LVMH Prize and one of the three winners of the Karl Lagerfeld Prize in 2021, the South African designer based in Cape Town collaborates with local artisans to create ultra-desirable subtle pieces, with elaborate details, often spun in bright colors such as yellow, orange, green or red. Having grown up in the Kenyan countryside, surrounded by nature (with a botanist mother and a forester father to boot) designer Louise Sommerlatte could only put this experience into practice and use to crafts in all their forms, with her label Hamaji. Since 2017, she has been developing her own slow fashion brand, fed by all her childhood memories as well as the ancient textile traditions of indigenous and nomadic tribes. This year, 9 designers from the Designer Accelerator program were able to showcase their work in a unique presentation during Paris Fashion Week. From Dinka beaded corsets to dresses borrowed from the Wodaabe culture, she draws from multiple references to create ever more inspiring designs.

    Founded by Simone Cipriani under the patronage of the International Trade Centre, the EFI initiative helps young African brands develop on an international scale.

Source: https://www.vogue.fr/fashion/article/young-designers-spotlight-african-fashion