​​African Fashion Foundation: The African Fashion Futures Incubator Welcomes 14 New African Fashion Designers.

Introducing the 14 fashion designers who have been selected for the first cohort of the African Fashion Futures Incubator and enrolled in the program for training and grants.

The goal of the incubator is to provide up-and-coming fashion designers and companies with the knowledge and funding they need to build companies with an ethical foundation of people, place and profit.

The African Fashion Futures Incubator will provide 14 participating fashion designers a place to experiment with ideas and business models, and access mentors and resources. This incubator also covers business models, market positioning, comparative advantage, sustainability and impact, and other related topics.

Introducing the African Fashion Future Incubator created by the Impact Fund for African Creatives (@IFFAC_Official) in Ghana, including seed stars (@Seed Stars) as a program implementation partner.#AfricanFashionFutures Incubator pic.twitter.com/9fAKMoRLP4

— Africa Fashion Foundation (@AfricanFashFndn) January 23, 2023

The incubator aims to foster cross-cultural learning and peer mentoring among participants, as well as provide a strong operational and commercial foundation to future-proof participants and support expansion. The program aims to improve the business skills of fashion designers while also creating a financially sound business.

Impact Fund for African Creatives has established the African Fashion Foundation in Ghana as a partner of the African Fashion Futures Incubator, with Seedstars as the implementing partner of the programme.

“Since its inception, the African Fashion Foundation platform has collaborated with established stakeholders to foster employment and educational potential and support the growth of the creative sector in Africa. , to support emerging designers by providing access to resources such as start-up funding, training, mentorship and investment opportunities, said Oninye Fafi Obi, Project Director of the African Fashion Foundation. Told.

The African Fashion Foundation (AFF) is a non-profit organization that helps Africans in the creative industries and members of the diaspora to flourish in the global fashion industry.

AFF was selected as an aggregator and incubator of fashion designers and brands in the Impact Fund for African Creatives, leveraging its extensive experience in providing Professional and Educational Development Opportunities (IFFAC).

IFFAC invests in African SMEs targeting the creative, fashion and lifestyle sectors. The fund strives to solve the shortage of expertise in raising and managing emerging brands.

Here are the names of the 14 fashion designers participating in the African Fashion Futures Incubator:

1. Omahume Niemoga of Pepper Row (Nigeria)
2. AJABENG’s Travis Obeng-Casper (Ghana)
3. Cynthia Otiyo-Abila of Cynthia Abila Studios (Nigeria)
4. Jermaine Blue’s Jason Jermaine Ashidhu (Ghana)
5. Orire Aleshinloye from Oríré (Nigeria)
6. Kusi Kubi from PALM WINE IceCREAM (Ghana)
7. Mariko’s Ebka Omariko (Nigeria)
8. Kelvin Vincent of Anku Studio (Ghana)
9. Abiola Adeniran-Olusola of Abiola Olusola (Nigeria)
10. Jafar Larry (Ghana)
11. Victor Anate of VICNATE (Nigeria)
12. Nadia Eman Ibrahim of TABOu (Ghana)
13. Aline Mukamsoni of AMIKE (Rwanda)
14. George Tetteh of Atto Tetteh (Ghana)

“We are delighted to help designers in their work by combining commercial knowledge with creativity.
According to Seedstars, networks that support and empower creatives in all facets of work are what fuel creativity in every industry. Seedstars program his manager Tom-Chris Emewulu said:

IFFAC Founder Roberta Annan said:

Participants will participate in an exponential and innovative program over a 5-month incubation period to develop their business and improve their value chain.
Through proven technology, fashion designers receive practical assistance from industry experts within our global network, raise up to $5,000 per person, and receive further funding assistance.

courtesy of the content tech economy & NFH