Good morning {{first_name|Operators}},

Are you an accidental fast fashion brand? Vogue business sustainability editor Bella Webb asked that question on Linkedin this week, ahead of a live conversation with Maliha Shoaib, the reporter behind a new Vogue Business story that puts the luxury industry’s long standing fast fashion behaviour on display.

Great conversation and an important perspective update for anyone who still sees brands owned by some of the world’s most powerful conglomerates as green because their heritage identities are still associated with slow, handmade high craftsmanship.

Catch up on their call here, where you’ll be introduced to an incredibly frank questionnaire brands can use to self-determine their fast fashion status.

In other news, behind-the-scenes policy and development moves continue to plant seeds for the industry in West and Central Africa, US tariff fall out is felt from Lesotho to China, and European fashion group BESTSELLER has invested in an American start-up that makes an automated sewing robot.

With thanks,
Modupe

Across Africa

Trump modifies tariff rate for Lesotho to 15% as small country reels from tariff impacts The nation continues to reel from high tariffs the administration had threatened to implement earlier this year.

Nigeria launches designer training program to boost Fashion Industry  Nigeria is betting on its fast-growing creative economy to cement its status as a continental hub for fashion.

Kenya offers textile firms tax incentives to create jobs Executives in the textiles industry said the changes included allowing them to sell 20 per cent of their annual production locally without sales taxes and without paying import duties on the production materials and equipment.

Meta and Ifeanyi Nwune Launch AI-Powered Fashion Collection at AFWL 2025 The Fall/Winter 2025 line used Meta AI tools like Search and Imagine to merge African heritage with technology, streamlining design from fabric selection to storytelling.

Zimbabwe bans second-hand sales and nighttime vending in major towns Authorities in Zimbabwe have banned the sale of second-hand clothes in all the central business districts of all the municipalities.

South Africa's Woolworths flags 29% decline in annual profit Woolworths expects an up to 29% decline due to the weaker-than expected performance of its Australian clothing chain Country Road Group, it said on Thursday.

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Elsewhere

Italy's fast fashion hub becomes Chinese mafia battlefield The gangs are battling to control the production of hundreds of millions of clothes hangers each year - the market is estimated to be worth $115 million and the bigger prize of transporting apparel.

BESTSELLER invests in automated sewing robots American company Softwear Automation, specialised in automated garment production, secures USD 20 million in a funding round led by the family-owned fashion company BESTSELLER.

UK expands skilled worker visa for 70 Jobs, including fashion designers and technicians  With salaries starting from €29,000, the updated list offers a faster, more accessible pathway for foreign professionals as the UK moves to address urgent labor shortages across key industries.

China’s fast-fashion capital slows amid tariff war Guangzhou, China’s southern metropolis and the capital of Guangdong Province, is home to nearly 20 million people. It is also the humming, whirring and buzzing heart of the global fast fashion industry.

Good Fashion Fund Drives Efficiency at Sri Kannapiran Mills with $2.5M Investment Documentation of these results, presented in an industry-first deep dive case study, highlights financial savings, improvements in resource efficiency, and social benefits at SKML’s Tier ll and Tier lll manufacturing facilities.

Your favourite model? Thanks to AI, they might not be real A Guess campaign in Vogue featuring an artificially generated model has reignited debate over what it might mean for real-life models pushing for greater representation and diversity, and consumers who often face unrealistic expectations of beauty.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

*PS — it’s cowboy boots.

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Hi {{first_name|Operators}},

As it turns out, free trade areas and other regional economic organising models work — when you work them. One of today’s featured stories highlights how fashion designers, artisans and traders in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda are enjoying the fruit of a functional East Africa Community, the trade bloc made up of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Sudan.

First, you make the bloc. We’ve mostly ticked this box — there’s the EAC of course, as well as ECOWAS in West Africa and SADC in the South. [North Africa has the AMU, but it’s mostly inactive due to political tension in the region.] All this takes is recognising that there’s obvious value in doing more business with the countries that it’s (usually) easiest and cheapest for your country’s businesses to reach — your neighbours.

Next, you align and harmonise in the policy integration process: Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate until your trade policies and regulations mirror each other in a productive way that actually eases trade. It’s best to agree on some rules for that first, which you typically do at the trade bloc level. For example, the EAC’s Common Market Protocol is the set of rules that allows free movement of persons, labour, goods, and services while the Simplified Trade Regime cuts paperwork and tax at every border.

Then, you benefit. Businesses have access to more suppliers and customers, deliveries that used to take weeks start to take days, they spend less on the costs that come with sourcing and selling, and professionals expand their horizons with cheaper access to events and collaborators beyond their local network. Happy days.

It would be lovely if those 3 steps always worked that simply, but whatever the challenges involved, it’s worth it when you work it. That’s why there’s so much riding on the proper implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

If you’ve been in business long enough to witness the state of affairs before and after trade policy integrations in your region, what’s changed?

With thanks,
Modupe

Across Africa

Industrie Africa Expands Into B2B With Launch of Retail Consultancy Industrie Africa launches Select, a B-to-B retail consultancy for luxury hospitality, with a capsule collection by Tongoro for Zanzibar's Bawe Island Cocoon Hotel Resort.

SA’s clothing and textile industry caught between global trade, local development As trade imbalances persist, local manufacturers and circular economy advocates are working to rebuild domestic production capacity.

Temu launches warehouse in South Africa Temu says it has launched a local warehouse in South Africa, allowing it to offer next-day delivery.

New policy integration fuels East Africa’s fashion identity The East African Community (EAC) is the most integrated regional economic organisation in Africa.

Nigerian, Chinese Firms Collaborate to Establish 10 Embroidery Innovation Hubs to Boost Creative Sector Embroidery Chief Abdulsalam partners with Chinese firms Dahao and Futong to provide 50 subsidized embroidery machines per hub across 10 states.

Epic Show 2025: Championing funding, Sustainability, and creativity at the Heart of African Fashion The recently concluded Epic Show 2025 by Fashions Finest Africa for 2 days spotlighted Africa’s boldest new voices in fashion.

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Apply now: $10K up for grabs in AfDB’s 2025 Fashionomics Africa Programme Applications are now open for the 2025 AfDB Fashionomics Africa Incubator and Accelerator Program, which is powered by the Africa Development Bank Group.

Calling SA designers for the 2025 Durban Fashion Fair Designers from across South Africa are invited to showcase their creativity at the 14th Durban Fashion Fair, taking place from 17 to 19 September. This year's theme, 'The Awakening,' promises to highlight bold creativity and empower emerging talents in the fashion industry.

Top 15 Finalists Unveiled in RLSD Africa 2025 Leather Design Showcase The showcase has officially entered its next phase, with the unveiling of the Top 15 finalists, emerging from hundreds of bold, imaginative entries submitted from across the continent.

Discover the 2025/26 AFI Fastrack Prize semi-finalists From a flood of compelling entries, 12 promising young designers have made it through to the semi-final round, selected for their boundary-pushing design, strong technical skills, and innovative vision.

Elsewhere

Tranoï Turns to Saudi Arabia as Next Step in Global Push After Africa and South Korea The French show consolidates its international mission in emerging markets with a Saudi showroom in Paris.

France Says No To Ultra Fast Fashion. Will The World Follow? France moves to penalise ultra-fast fashion giants like Shein and Temu. Why this policy matters, what it leaves out and what's next for the future fashion industry.

Indian MMF sector should tap the potential in “affordable synthetic fashion”, says study Indian Manmade Fibre (MMF) textile sector has huge potential to tap, provided it has policy support and infrastructure, says CITI-Wazir study

Can Generative AI Predict Fashion Trends and Improve Design Efficiency? Researchers in South Korea have explored how generative AI models can forecast trends and improve design efficiency.

CaaStle founder charged with fraud, turns herself in Christine Hunsicker has been charged with wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and lying to financial institutions.

Rami Al Ali becomes first Syrian in Paris fashion programme Syrian couturier Rami Al Ali made history Thursday as the first fashion designer from his country to feature in the official Paris Haute Couture Week calendar.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Hi {{first_name|Operators}},

Can’t talk much today but some quick notes:

• If you understand the Condé Nast leadership structure, you know that the Anna Wintour news basically amounts to her hiring a deputy editor.

• H&M’s long relationship with Circulose (formerly Renewcell, in which they invested $29M before the bankruptcy) may finally be bearing some fruit, even if exactly how much fruit is not being specified… this is happening while Syre is partnering with GAP and Target, and while Circ increases its processing power. It’s taken fashion until 2025 to take textile recycling — just recycling — seriously.

• We are far from done with the China conversation.

With thanks,
Modupe

Across Africa

Is China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Africa a Development Catalyst or Debt Trap? As China’s Belt and Road Initiative is reshaping Africa’s economic landscape, opportunities in infrastructure development clash against rising debt, raising questions of sovereignty and long-term sustainability.

Galeries Lafayette Pop-up Celebrates African Fashion Designers Galeries Lafayette's 'Africa Now' pop-up showcases 12 African fashion brands, as the continent gears up to launch the Pan African Fashion Alliance.

Ibukun Awosika launches African Marketplace Dubai 2025 The platform is expected to aggregate the finest export-ready SMEs, brands, and products from Africa and the Caribbean, spanning fashion, agribusiness, technology, textiles, the creative arts, and multiple sectors, and connect them to the world.

Instagram post

Ulusoy Tekstil Launches $18M Investment in Egypt Ulusoy Tekstil, one of Turkey’s leading textile manufacturers, is joining the growing list of Turkish companies investing in Egypt’s booming

Apparel firm announces acquisition Strends Print Limited, the powerhouse behind Nigeria’s premier on-demand customisation and apparel company, DynasTees, has announced its acquisition by Blanks, an apparel brand and manufacturer from India.

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Elsewhere

How ZYOD Is Powering A New Wave Of On-Demand Fashion Manufacturing ZYOD utilises AI tools for fashion trend prediction and claims to have compressed the production cycle to 50 days compared to the usual 120-180 days.

Luca de Meo to succeed François-Henri Pinault as Kering CEO The luxury group confirmed speculations reported by a number of media outlets this weekend. Pinault will retain his role as Kering chair.

H&M Group inks multi-year deal with Circulose The group aims to replace ‘significant volumes’ of its virgin viscose with the recycled next-gen material in a partnership that signals a new commercial strategy for Circulose.

Robin Givhan chronicles Virgil Abloh's rise to fashion fame Virgil Abloh artfully challenged the fashion industry's traditions to leave his mark as a Black creative, despite his short-lived career.

American Vogue Seeks New Head of Editorial Content Anna Wintour will continue as chief content officer for Condé Nast and global editorial director, Vogue.

Colorifix secures $18m to rollout sustainable dyeing process Colorifix has closed its funding round to support the full-scale commercial manufacturing of its sustainable biological dyeing process.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Hi {{first_name|Operators}},

While AGOA remains in limbo (at least for Kenya; for everyone else it’s over in just 10 weeks), Africa’s biggest trade partner is introducing a similar trade platform.

Right now, China has special trade terms for 33 African countries considered the ‘least developed.‘ A new update announced this week brings middle-income countries under the special conditions umbrella and now covers the entire continent, with the exception of Eswatini — the only African country that maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan (which to China is a province, not a country).

That means very soon, when your export-ready business sells fashion to Chinese retail buyers, they won’t pay an import tariff as part of the landing costs when they collect the order at a Chinese port — the same competitive advantage as AGOA. The goal is basically to allow us to sell to them on more favourable terms in the hope that we also end up buying more from them on the back of that growth to partially replace American demand that’s disappearing in the tariff war. [We actually already are — 12.4% more so far in 2025.]

Every pro has its cons: China’s growing economic power in Africa comes with a lot of opportunity but it also has the potential to put us in a different kind of tough spot.

Example: Chinese influence across Africa right now is mainly in infrastructure development. If current trends continue — like China using their lending power and state-owned construction company to build key transport infrastructure in Tanzania — we could end up with a continent heavily dependent on infrastructure we don’t own.*

*Okay, technically we would own it, but in the same way that you own a house you’re contractually obligated to pay for over the next 20-30 years. That isn’t really a lot of time in economic development years, so our growth needs to speed up. Seriously.

With this deal, Chinese influence in other sectors (like textiles and apparel) is likely going to deepen, with a similar power dynamic to AGOA. This time I hope we strategically bake more diversified global trade pies than say, Lesotho’s AGOA dependency, for example.

Let me be clear, none of this means we should be wary of selling to China — in fact, African fashion (and African everything else) should do as much trade as possible with China and its fast-growing base of curious, experimental, style-conscious consumers, and we can if we produce clothes that truly compete on more than price or ‘curio’ value, and if we leverage our ‘soft power’ (aka cultural influence) to drive global demand for Made in Africa. We just need to limit dependency on Chinese trade to lower our risk and do business on more equal footing.

The long and short of it is that Africa needs lighting fast trade volume growth: we need to be selling so much more than we’re selling right now, quickly (and not just to China), to pay back development loans ASAP, to create more jobs and grow economies, to increase trade negotiation power, and to use trade deals like this to become more independent, not remain dependent but in a different direction.

With thanks,
Modupe

PS, about 60% of you have been steadily reading all year (thank you!), meaning you’ve followed the tariff drama as it unfolded, so by now you’ve got to have an opinion and I would love to hear it. What do you think Africa should do differently in a zero-tariff deal with China than what we did with the USA? Hit reply to share thoughts.

Across Africa

Exporters face hurdles in Europe’s fast fashion market Ethiopia is encountering significant challenges in the European Union’s fast-paced and highly competitive “fast fashion” market.

Mr Price Foundation’s new R3m entrepreneur fund The fund aims to help young entrepreneurs scale with financial support, capacity development, and mentorship.

Africa Fashion Week Lagos Strengthens Global Push for Indigenous Textiles The Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture has held strategic talks with key stakeholders to elevate indigenous fashion and textiles on the global stage.

Foundation Seeks FG’s Partnership on Creation of $500bn Fashion Economy The Lai Labode Heritage Foundation has proposed a collaborative project with the Federal Government for creation of a Nigerian Fashion Federation.

China grants duty-free access to all African countries amid shifting global trade dynamics  China has announced plans to eliminate tariffs on all imports from African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations, in a major shift in trade policy.

Cape Clothing and Textile Cluster Drives South Africa’s Economic Recovery The CCTC is playing a pivotal role in South Africa’s economic recovery and re-industrialisation, according to Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Andrew Whitfield.

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This year, Africa Textile Talks brings three days of talks, with basket weaving and knitwear repair workshops also on offer.

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Elsewhere

After Ambiance Apparel raid, Fashion District businesses, workers wait in fear The flurry of immigration raids across Los Angeles in recent days has cast a pall over the historical Fashion District in downtown.

Chanel unveils new recycling platform Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion at Chanel and Chanel SAS, explains why the French house is determined to develop recycled materials at scale.

Refiberd wins the Global Fashion Agenda and PDS Trailblazer Award US-based startup Refiberd has developed an artificial intelligence-powered textile-detection technology

Nike’s first Indian design collaboration nods to a 5,000-year-old tie-dyeing technique The collection celebrates “culture and craftsmanship” in India, where Nike has often struggled to make commercial inroads.

Global Fashion Leaders Descend on Copenhagen to Unveil New Sustainability Insights and Initiatives The forum was held at the iconic Copenhagen Concert Hall, with side events hosted at prestigious cultural venues around the city

Asos Breaks Into U.S. Retail With First Pop-up Store in New York City's SoHo The temporary retail space, named 'Summer, Styled by Asos,' is located in SoHo, New York City. "This pop-up is about bringing that experience to life in a real, physical way," Sean Trend, Asos managing director, told WWD.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Good morning {{first_name|Operators}},

No thoughts to share today but I wanted to say 2 things:

• Thank you for reading The Fashion Operator 🙂 Thanks for sharing it, responding to it, liking posts about it on socials, sending kind and encouraging words about it — everything. I really do appreciate you being here.

• If you haven’t taken the survey yet, this is another reminder. Knowing who is reading helps me make changes, identify your needs, all of that (responding to tell me what you need helps too!)

Have a lovely week!

With thanks,
Modupe

Across Africa

Ghana hosts historic sustainable fashion conference Powerful conversations, new tech unveilings, and a show-stopping runway spotlighted critical steps needed to build a truly sustainable and circular fashion industry.

‘In the planning stage’: Deputy Minister Peace Mabe discusses vision for Designers Indaba According to Mabe, the government should create an enabling environment for designers by providing financial and other forms of support.

Farming is fashion, and here is a place to witness the value chain of it The Karoo Winter Wool Festival is one of the few places where one can truly appreciate the entire value chain of the sheep industry.

Temu and Shein are reshaping Africa’s biggest online retailer Jumia is ramping up the number of China-based merchants on its platforms as it struggles to counter fierce competition from Chinese e-commerce giants Temu and Shein.

Tanzanian designer Anjali Borkhataria named on the Forbes Africa 30 under 30 list At just 27, the founder and creative director of fashion brand Ekantik, is proving that Tanzanian creativity belongs on the global stage.

Statement of identity: Gen Z revive kitenge as designers push for local industry growth At the 8th edition of the Kitenge Fashion Festival in Eldoret, bold prints, eco-conscious designs, and tech-inspired fashion lit up the runway.

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Elsewhere

Google’s Shop with AI Mode has price tracking, agentic checkout, and virtual try-on Google announced that it is adding multiple AI-powered features for online shoppers, including a new visual panel in Google Search's AI.

Fashion’s Musical Chairs Ends — With Men in Almost Every Seat. While the designers who got the top jobs are more than qualified, the lack of female representation speaks to deficiencies in how the industry considers its talent pipeline.

Eco – Age Relaunches as a Visionary Force for Future Fashion Pioneering sustainability consultancy Eco-Age has relaunched with a powerful new mission: to be the agency for future fashion.

Tommy Hilfiger joins Cadillac Formula 1 team as official apparel partner Tommy Hilfiger has announced a multi-year partnership as the official apparel partner and lifestyle sponsor of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team.

Tariffs and Conglomerates Are Chasing Them. Italy’s Biggest Fashion Families Are Unfazed. Family-run Italian labels like Zegna, Tod’s and Brunello Cucinelli are clinging to homegrown independence—and an enviable work-life balance—in a luxury landscape that rewards scale.

H&M, Eileen Fisher top fashion environmental scorecard Climate group Stand.earth graded 42 fashion brands on a scale of “A+” to “F” based on progress they made to decarbonise their supply chains between 2021 and 2023.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Hello again {{first_name|Operators}},

Welcome to June, the last month of the first half of the game. A large theme in this week’s headlines is the industrialisation of textile manufacturing in Nigeria, with investments announced for 2 textile clusters. There’s also a new report by Consonance Investments breaking down the sourcing, funding and spending behind Nigeria’s wardrobes.

It’s encouraging to see the public sector respond helpfully to the private sector’s development ventures, especially if the result is fewer textile imports — according to the Consonance report, 90% of ankara is imported.

Further afield, the BRICS+ Fashion Summit is just 3 months away. Created by the BRICS+ International Fashion Federation and hosted by Moscow Fashion Week, the event has previously had a heavy focus on Africa (and not just BRICS member South Africa). If you’ve been to a previous edition, I have questions! Please hit reply and let me know.

My key story in this round up? Bogotá Fashion Week. In just 4 days of shows, talks, exhibits and wholesale business rounds, the event generated and secured trade worth about $4M in sales. How? By attracting 80 buyers from 22 countries as part of an internationalisation program meant to make Colombia a regional fashion hub. I’m hoping to find more stories fully breaking this down so I can take notes (and share them, of course).

Let me know what you’re up to in your job or business this week, and have a good one!

With thanks,
Modupe Oloruntoba

Across Africa

Moscow Mayor Highlights BRICS+ Fashion Summit Business Opportunities The international BRICS+ Fashion Summit will be held from August 28 to 30, as part of Moscow Fashion Week.

South Africa wins Miss World 2025’s designer award Juan Willem Aria’s dress design for Zoalize Jansen Van Rensburg steals the spotlight at the second round of Miss World 2025 in Hyderabad.

Trade uncertainty opens up “Nigeria First” manufacturing opportunity A leading pan-African industrial park developer is betting that uncertainty around global trade will drive the continent’s most populous nation to support local manufacturers

Nigeria to launch textile clusters in Lagos, Abia: Minister John Enoh The Nigerian government is set to launch industrial hubs in Kano, Abia, Lagos and Ogun states. These include textile clusters in Lagos and Abia.

Paul Collier: ‘Africa has a good 15-year window for manufacturing’ UK economist Paul Collier points to pressing economic issues but is convinced Africa can win a strong share of factory growth in the years ahead.

Financing Nigeria's Fashion Economy - Report Who is dressing 220+ million Nigerians? And how are they being funded?

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Real Leather. Stay Different. Student Design Competition 2025

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Elsewhere

Major US trade bodies welcome Trump’s hint at tariff relief for apparel, footwear Five American trade bodies sent joint letter to Trump regarding proposed higher tariffs on May 29.

Victoria Beckham saved her fashion brand with 2 big changes The designer said two big changes reduced losses at her namesake fashion company from 2022 to 2023.

Maria Grazia Chiuri Has Officially Left Dior After 9 years as creative director of women's, the house's Resort 2026 show on Tuesday was her last.

Consumers rate quality over politics: report Shoppers care about a brand’s values but also look for consistent messaging, durability and affordability.

BIRD Fashion Fair in China aims to connect global markets   China is set to host BIRD Fashion Fair 2025, a new international trade fair dedicated to the advancement and innovation of womenswear.

Bogotá Fashion Week closes with over $4 million in business deals The fair has become a hub for the internationalisation of fashion brands from Bogotá and Colombia.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Hello again,

I feel like SAFW was basically yesterday, and now, entries are open for the Scouting Menswear competition, ahead of the next season of shows (likely in October). Time is seriously flying by this year; I can’t believe it’s almost June. [I also can’t believe the cold in Johannesburg, but being shocked every winter is a South African tradition.]

In other surprises, Kenya’s foreign ministry seems to be striking a deal that would keep AGOA alive for them. We’ll wait to see if the deal holds and if other African countries will be able to do the same.

This week also served up a big win for fashion recycling: Circ has just signed a $500m deal with the EU and the French government, who will fund the construction of the first commercial scale textile recycling plant for polycotton. Overproduction is fashion’s primary sustainability problem, but the ability to recycle mixed fibres would change a lot, especially in the global north where the vast majority of fashion waste takes place.

Ending on a great note: Congratulations to Ghana’s The Revival Circularity Lab on winning the wildcard award in H&M foundation’s 2025 Global Change Awards! Along with the other 9 winners, they’ll receive support in their efforts to decarbonise fashion with funding, coaching and systems thinking support.

With thanks,
Modupe Oloruntoba

PS — I certainly didn’t, but did any of you know that sports brands were producing shoes in kangaroo leather?

Across Africa

Big relief: Over 66k Kenyans to keep jobs in upcoming deal with United States The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that the AGOA deal is set to be renewed after September 2025. This means that 66,000 workers will keep their jobs.

Mechanised adire production can boost Nigeria’s economic growth—Familoni Entepeneurship Professor Olajumoke Familoni explains that Nigeria has what it takes to boost its economic development with the  ‘adire’ mechanised production process.

Taking Care of Business turns retail waste into a $31mln micro-enterprise economy Every year TCB recruits new participants into their programmes with up to 1,000 unemployed individuals receiving business growth support and eradicate poverty in their families at any given time

Cameroon’s cotton revival knits past resilience to future gain After years of innovation, farmer mobilisation and industrial planning, Cameroon’s cotton sector is reversing recent declines and is now on track to produce over 350,000 tons in 2025.

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Scouting Menswear Competition — South African Fashion Week

Elsewhere

Meet the winners of Global Change Award 2025 Each year, the H&M Foundation Global Change Award backs early-stage innovations that could help transform the textile industry. The ten winners of 2025 are no exception.

Vinted is the leading clothing retailer in France Second-hand fashion marketplace Vinted sells the most clothing in France in terms of sales volume. It even outranks omnichannel sellers.

Circ to build $500 million cotton, polyester recycling plant in France U.S. textile recycling firm Circ has received backing from the French government and European Union to build a $500 million plant in France that will be the first to recover cotton and polyester on an industrial scale.

Gentle Monster And Warby Parker Announced As Partners For Google's New Smart Glasses Google has confirmed that Gentle Monster and Warby Parker will be the inaugural eyewear brands to integrate its new Android XR platform into their smart glasses.

Steve Madden sues Adidas to thwart challenges to designs Steve Madden said it has grown "tired" of Adidas' decades of complaints about footwear whose designs bear no resemblance to its three-stripe design.

Chanel Pulls Back on Price Hikes as Sales Fall 4% The French giant is easing off punchy price increases and investing in new markets amid luxury market challenges as Chanel prepares to revamp its fashion image under new artistic director Matthieu Blazy.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Across Africa

Kenya's mitumba, domestic apparel industry can coexist: Report New report forecasts 15-year roadmap for Kenyan growth, showing that Mitumba and domestic textile manufacturing are complementary sources of growth.

Science of Trade Conference 2025 Delivers Bold Vision for Africa This event brought together government officials, trade experts, entrepreneurs, and investors from across Africa and the diaspora, emphasising the theme “Access to Market.

Pepkor merger could strengthen market dominance The Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) says the Pepkor Holding merger with national clothing retailer Big Daddy Clothing will strengthen an already dominant market position.

Report: Risk of forced labor in clothing industry rises Deteriorating living and working conditions for workers in garment supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the risk of forced labor.

The Nigerian startup helping tailors ditch 'paper and pen' operations Two Nigerian entrepreneurs have launched a software they believe will change how the African fashion industry manages operations.

The business of second hand shopping in Africa Pre-loved fashion is taking over the world, with the global market projected to grow 127 per cent by 2026. We explore the world of second-hand fashion with Yaga.

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Merck Foundation FASHION AWARDS 2025

All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues.

Elsewhere

Burberry Stocks Spike 18% With Large Layoffs Burberry workforce down by 20% to remain competitive in failing luxury fashion industry. See how ESG solutions can help businesses avoid similar action.

Demerger of Aditya Birla Group company; record date, ex-date May 22 An Aditya Birla Group company is set for demerger or business split.

The Debrief | The Trade War’s Off, For Now. What’s Next for Fashion? The US and China’s 90-day trade truce is welcome news for fashion, but uncertainty lingers.

Pierpaolo Piccioli discusses his appointment at Balenciaga Piccioli spoke exclusively to Vogue Business and Vogue Runway about joining the Kering-owned fashion house.

ANDAM Doubles Down on Fashion Innovation Award With Two Prizes ANDAM bestowed its Fashion Innovation Award on upcyling start-up Losanje, while the experts committee special prize went to Goldeneye Smart Vision.

Game-changing breakthrough could solve dangerous issue in fashion industry Scientists have developed a green technology that turns old textiles into new garments.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Across Africa

Experts caution govt against policies that will stifle SMEs Awofesobi, the convener of the event, urged governments to create a conducive environment for SMEs to thrive and provide soft loans as well as more support for the young adults who are into small enterprises.

GM cotton disappoints, threatens Nigerian textile sector's revival Industry stakeholders have cautioned that hopes for a resurgence of the country’s cotton and textile industry have reduced.

"Zero chance of extension": 66k Kenyans could lose jobs by Sep on AGOA's expiry The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, a trade deal that has significantly benefited Kenya's export sector, is set to expire in Sep. This could lead to job losses.

President Mahama to walk the runway at Ghana Fashion Week in July President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that he will make a special appearance on the runway during the upcoming Ghana Fashion Week in July 2025.

Policy gaps in Ethiopia's textile-garment sector; wage reforms needed The challenges are further compounded by high labour turnover and absenteeism.

WATCH: Technical analysis on Mr Price, The Foschini Group and Truworths Business Day TV speaks to Moxima Gama from The Money Hub

Careers

Elsewhere

Italian fashion group OTB assessing extent of price hikes in US Italian fashion group OTB, which owns brands such as Diesel, Jil Sander and Maison Margiela, is assessing the extent of price increases in the United States if trade tariffs are confirmed, the group's CEO said on Monday.

US and China agree to drastically roll back tariffs in major trade breakthrough The United States and China agreed Monday to drastically roll back tariffs on each other’s goods for an initial 90-day period, in a surprise breakthrough that has de-escalated a punishing trade war and buoyed global markets.

US accuses China, India, EU of unfair textile-apparel trade practices The USTR has alleged that 'unfair trade practices' by China, India, the EU and many other nations are 'harming' the US textile and apparel sector.

National Lottery Support Secured for Fashion Museum Bath Fashion Museum Bath will champion fashion’s transformative power as a global industry and expression of creativity, culture and identity. The ground-breaking

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Hi {{first_name|Operator}},

New contract + ongoing projects + SAFW = ending my 12-week-straight publishing streak, but we go again, with a shift to Monday morning publishing for now. As markets (try to) settle, news headline focus has shifted to activity that isn’t about the T-word:

Nigeria’s government may finally be taking the fashion industry’s economic potential seriously after stamping approval on the creation of a new dedicated private-public partner board. Its work will reportedly be funded by import levies on fabrics (your regular reminder that dutch wax prints aren’t actually African), but there’s no mention of what happens to activities that money used to fund.

Elsewhere, ChatGPT creators Open AI want to fold all the steps between search and purchase into a single prompt for fashion shoppers, with the launch of new features to bring the online shopping experience into a chatbot interface. Think e-commerce search bar that can see images (not just read product names), combined with every possible filter — price, colour, available size, shipping options — in a single prompt.

The applications for this could light a new fire under traditional search engines — where the shoppers go, the ad money and optimisation spend goes. What SEO and SERP ad spend would look like in a chat-first shopping world… No idea. Do you pay Open AI for first consideration in responses to prompts that match your product? Will be keeping tabs on this; let me know your thoughts if you try it out.

With thanks,
Modupe Oloruntoba

Across Africa

Nigeria clears creation of Cotton, Textile, Garment Development Board The board will operate as a public-private partnership to enhance local production and reduce import dependence, and will be funded by import levies on textiles.

CROSSROADS 2025 Full Playlist | The Business of Fashion From April 10-11, BoF brought together top business and creative leaders to examine the business opportunities for fashion, beauty and luxury brands in the Middle East, Central and South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Leather’s transformation story takes centre stage at ASFW Nairobi A powerful panel titled “From Waste to Wonder: Transforming Leather into Timeless Products” brought together changemakers championing innovation, inclusion, and circular design.

Stakeholders eye fashion industry boom in Nigeria Stakeholders have predicted a Nigerian fashion industry boom as it gains traction among global investors and designers for its local labour capacity, cost-effectiveness, and rising technical standards.

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Careers

FG Opens Competition For Fashion Designers, Creatives

The Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy has announced an open call for fashion designers and creatives to participate in the "Nigeria Everywhere: The Creative Collection" competition. According to a statement by the

PolyU opens global textile, fashion tech innovator competition

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is inviting global technology innovators, projects and startups to take part in its competition.

Elsewhere

Worldview | Turkish Entrepreneur Stages Abu Dhabi Modest Fashion Week This week’s round-up of global markets fashion business news also features anxious Chinese exporters, Mercado Libre’s $2 billion Argentina bet and the gold traders fuelling Sudan’s civil war.

Hermès overtakes LVMH to become the world’s most valuable luxury company | CNN The owner of Louis Vuitton and Dior lost its position on Tuesday as Europe’s largest luxury company in terms of market capitalization after being overtaken by Hermès.

ChatGPT launches new shopping features OpenAI has announced updates to the shopping experience on its generative AI platform ChatGPT, recommending products and where to buy them. Is this the future of online shopping?

New York Fashion Week partner unveils multi-year revamp KFN has stepped in to improve the experience for September’s New York Fashion Week, with support from the CFDA. Is it what the industry has been waiting for?

Textile giant Bangladesh pushed to recycle more waste As global demand for recycling in the fashion industry grows, textile hub Bangladesh is pushed to rethink how it handles waste.

Fashion is the next frontier for clean tech as textile waste mounts The $1.7 trillion fashion industry is a major polluter: By one estimate, it’s responsible for between 8% and 10% of annual greenhouse gas emissions, more than aviation and shipping combined.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Hi {{first_name|Operator}},

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first:

• Yes, Trump paused his tariff plan by 90 days (for all but China), because according to him people were getting ‘afraid‘, but the baseline 10% that applies to everyone still holds.

• It’s clear the equation used to work out tariffs for each country doesn’t actually rely on the tariff percentage the US (mostly falsely) states that a country has imposed on them — it’s got a lot more to do with closing gaps in trade deficits (how much the US spends with you vs how much you spend with the US), and even then, the math is alarmingly unsound. The pause could be an excuse to recalculate.

• After saying he couldn’t imagine going higher than 125%, he announced yesterday that the US import tariff for China is going up to 245%.

Anyway.

AGOA was not the only trade deal to fall apart in the last few weeks of a global economic meltdown triggered by the USA turning their global economic policies upside down. Australia & South Korea lost out too. It made me think about what countries and their governments are looking for in trade partners.

I’m sure its easier (and obviously wise) to seek out deals with the largest economies — one negotiation, endless opportunities for various businesses. But as the world is pushed into trade diversification work that many countries should probably have prioritised a long time ago, they are learning what the whole fashion value chain learned during the COVID-19 lockdowns: All your eggs in one basket can tie your hands completely.

Yes, economies closer in size to Nigeria or South Africa (or Australia or South Korea) have less demand to offer than a trade partner like China or the USA (and less overall disposable income — important for fashion). But these same economies have lower supply volumes that mirror each other closely. What if you could still sell your country’s whole supply of an industry’s goods with a few like-for-like trade partners, without the intimidating power dynamic?

I think enough countries will be pushed into trying this in 2025 that we’ll find out, no matter which way the US tariff situation goes next, because what’s happened so far has introduced enough uncertainty into the global market that long-term resilience plans will need updates. This is not a scenario anyone saw happening (not even the business owners who voted for him and are now in distress), and it changes the rules for managing risk.

There are obviously lots of variable factors – how most other countries don’t shop at the volume and speed of the typical American consumer, how sharper cultural nuances that are more country specific and less reflective of the West’s influence on global culture may shape demand differently, how dealing in currencies of similar buying power changes profit strategies based on charging in USD and spending in local.

All things considered, some will survive this change. I’m working on figuring out who and why.

With thanks,
Modupe Oloruntoba

In more inspiring news, here’s the all Africa panel at BoF’s Crossroads 2025 event, a great watch for this weekend.

Across Africa

Egypt to launch 2 integrated textile cities, eyes $3.5 bn investment The cities will cover the entire textile value chain and include training, logistics, and R&D facilities in Minya and Fayyoum, each spanning 5.5 million square metres.

'Next decade of innovation will come from Global South', says Business of Fashion chief Imran Amed in Dubai Founder of content platform says consumers feel 'disconnected' from the West and believes Dubai is a 'crossroads'

Shein under siege in South Africa Slant Research revealed that Shein’s market share in South Africa has declined significantly since last year due to the revised import duty regime.

Renewed drive to ban ‘mitumba’ risks Kenya, US trade ties The government is considering a second-hand import ban following US-imposed tariffs on Kenyan imports, sparking debate

African nations that faced steep Trump tariffs get some relief but mostly more uncertainty Countries facing some of the steepest reciprocal tariffs are in a moment of relief with the pausing of the duties.

Online sales, ‘Buy Local’ Movement shore up adoption of Made-in-Africa Fashion African fashion’s domestic competitiveness is growing alongside growing local brand preference from consumers

Careers

Role	Company	City
Director, Brand Comms	adidas	Cape Town
Trend Forecaster, Boyswear	Recruiter	Cape Town
Marketing Manager	Woolworths	Cape Town
Jewellery Allocator	The Foschini Group	Parow
Designer	Zaynoor	Kaduna
Designer	Joseph Expensive	Abuja
Stylists, Designers, Tailors	The Ease Multiverse	Lagos
Operations Director	Moneo the Label	Lagos
Assistant Designer	Shrekahnth	Accra
Merchandise Buyer	Truworths	Cape Town
Trainee Planner	Truworths	Cape Town
House Model	Truworths	Cape Town
Garment Technologist	Old School Brand	Somerset West
Social Media Manager	Mr Price Group	Durban

Dr Moloi-Motsepe’s AFI opens search for the next great fashion designer Some names that won the AFI's Fastrack fashion prize include Thebe Magugu, Rich Mnisi and Shamyra Moodley.

TRANOÏ x CANEX: A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP From April 15 to May 15, TRANOÏ and CANEX are joining forces to launch a call for applications to showcase 15 African designers at TRANOÏ TOKYO on September 3 and 4 , and 20 designers at TRANOÏ PARIS from October 2 to 5.

Elsewhere

Trump pauses plan to hike tariffs for most countries, but not for China US President Donald Trump backtracked on Wednesday, announcing a 90-day pause on tariffs, with the exception of China, which will see rates increased to at least 125 percent. The US stock market soared…

Shein's tariff-busting shift hits home in Chinese factory hub The rapid rise of ultra-fast fashion retailer Shein has been so key to the fortunes of a group of urban villages on the outskirts of China's southern metropolis of Guangzhou that they have been colloquially dubbed "Shein villages".

Pakistan looks to appease Trump with cotton, soy purchase offer Pakistan will offer to buy more US cotton and soybean, hoping to halve its bilateral trade surplus and escape Trump-imposed tariffs.

Arab Fashion Council Launches $500,000 Designer Fund The AFC Fashion Fund aims to propel an emerging designer from the Arab world onto the global stage every two years by financing runway shows and showrooms.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Good morning {{first_name|Operators}},

Before we begin, a request: only about 10% of you have taken the reader survey. If you haven’t, and this newsletter brings you any value at all, please take 3 minutes to do it — it helps SO much with choosing what to write about, what headlines to source, etc. I appreciate it! Now let’s talk news.

Table of Contents

• Lesotho without AGOA

  • Across Africa

  • Career Opportunities

  • Elsewhere

Lesotho without AGOA

You know that small African country Trump has ‘never heard of’?

I grew up there.

I was 3 when we left Nigeria for Lesotho, settling in its capital Maseru for my dad’s job as a doctor in the main public hospital. We stayed 9 years before moving to South Africa.

I didn’t know it back then, but even with the water export project that boosted the economy and dominated the headlines, Lesotho already ran on fashion. When AGOA came along in 2000, investing in manufacturing (and inviting manufacturers to set up shop) made more and more economic sense for participating countries like Lesotho.

Efforts could have focused on any product category, but my bet is that it was fashion for one of the key the reasons I believe in it as a driver of economic change for Africa: It’s relatively easy to train people in sewing and other production skills from any background or education level.

Eventually, textiles & apparel became the biggest formal sector employer in the country with over 35,000 employees (it doesn’t sound like a lot, but Lesotho is only 2.3M people, and has major challenges with unemployment & poverty).

Along with other sectors, the growth in textiles & apparel was built on the back of AGOA, which allowed for better profit margins on exports to the US thanks to duty-free trade terms. The manufacturers (some local but many Chinese and Taiwanese as well) built businesses in Lesotho and benefitted from the deal, but so did their clients — companies like Levi's, Walmart, Reebok and even Ralph Lauren. Lesotho became the largest clothing exporter to the USA in Sub Saharan Africa, sending 80% of exports there under AGOA.

That’s what they stand to lose, because AGOA is over now. The new tariffs don’t change manufacturing costs, but they change landing costs: every charge tied to getting an order to its final destination, including tariffs, a type of custom duty charged at the importing country’s border.

Contracts vary but in one way or another, the landing cost ends up with the client, who either pays it as part of their factory invoice, or directly to customs when they collect their delivery from a port. Imagine waking up one day to collect an order in the US that suddenly costs an extra 50% of the customs value of the clothes. [Customs value = the price of the order ± any adjustments made according to customs rules.]

Most garment worker jobs in Lesotho are paid the monthly minimum wage of $146-$163 and are nevertheless highly sought after. Photograph: Roberta Ciuccio/AFP/Getty | The Guardian

We already know some of what comes next: Ethiopia was suspended from AGOA in January 2022, so it’s a vision of the future for AGOA-dependent economies that invested heavily in textile and apparel manufacturing (90% of exports were fashion related). 11500 jobs were lost, and most belonged to young women.

Mauritius, another AGOA beneficiary and major fashion manufacturer, has more economic diversification than Lesotho, so they might do better with their slightly lower tariff (40%) and other industries to fall back on, but textiles & apparel is a huge industry for them too, and they’ll see similar losses.

On one hand, these are quite simply the consequences of being too reliant on any one sector or market. You are completely vulnerable to any change that affects a whole country like the US or a whole industry like fashion.

On the other, America seems to have forgotten why they make deals like AGOA in the first place: to boost their economy by using these preferential rates to support the buying power and profit margins of American companies.

American fashion brands that work with Lesotho have 3 options right now: Stay and eat the new cost in their profit margin (why?), stay and pass the cost onto consumers by raising prices (risky), or leave and find new partners in a country they can afford to do business with (probably — they’re already pausing and cancelling Chinese orders).

Where should they go? Where should we go? It’s important to remember these rates only affect the reality of doing business with the USA, even if they are world’s biggest economy (likely to be unseated by China soon); the tariffs have nothing to do with all the business other countries do with each other that doesn’t involve the USA. Lesotho and others will need new demand from new markets and with so much upheaval, they may find it.

So maybe we manufacture at home and sell to Chinese consumers, like we discussed last week. Or we go to neighbours on the continent if AfCFTA goes as hoped, at least partially replacing each other’s US manufacturing orders. Maybe Europe; they do so much of their own manufacturing that they hardly need it but it would be interesting if we could compete on price. Countries like Eswatini, Kenya and now Ethiopia that deal in textiles & apparel but only got hit with the minimum 10% may just keep it moving, finding themselves in a more favourable position as others’ costs rise a lot more.

Across Africa

‘Only job I know’: Lesotho’s garment workers reel from Trump’s 50% tariffs Lesotho hit with highest tariff rate at 50%, overturning decades of global trade policy

New U.S. tariffs create opportunity for Ethiopia’s clothing industry While Asian exporters face tariffs of up to 47%, Ethiopian exports to the U.S. are only subject to a 10% tariff, making the country’s products significantly more cost-effective.

Trump Tariffs to Supersede US Congress-Backed Africa Trade Pact President Donald Trump’s tariffs on most of the US’s trading partners will undermine a 25-year-old pact that gave many African nations duty-free access to US trade.

US reciprocal tariffs: Impact List for African apparel exports Key African exporters like Madagascar, Lesotho, and Tunisia face severe cost hikes, risking reduced competitiveness, job losses, and trade volume drops, as US buyers diversify sourcing.

Kenya thinks it can win from U.S. tariffs, but global recession risk looms Kenya is among those exporters hoping a smaller Trump tariff blow might help them emerge as winners in the nascent global trade war.

African Creative Economy Database Communiqué's new comprehensive guide to Africa's creative economy includes a fashion & beauty section.

Career Opportunities

Role	Company	City
Marketing Executive	Spitz Group	Johannesburg
Senior Fashion Category Manager	Bishyaka	Cairo
Seamstress	KOIKOI Clothing	Cape Town
Pattern Grader	Truworths	Cape Town
Buyer’s Assistant	Refinery	Bellville
Sustainable Brand Manager	Recruiter	Lagos
Fashion Designer	Truworths	Cape Town
Junior CAD Designer	Recruiter	Midrand/Johannesburg
Sewing Instructor	Jonsson Workwear	Hlotse, Lesotho
Product Developer	M.O.T. the Label	Lagos
Brand Manager, Fabiani + G-Star	The Foschini Group	Parow/Cape Town
Production Manager	Recruiter	Lagos
Assistant Buyer, Foschini	The Foschini Group	Parow/Cape Town
DTP Operator/Graphic Designer	Sneaker Lab	Cape Town
Design and/or Merchandising Grad Internship	Recruiter	Johannesburg

Elsewhere

Op-Ed | Fashion’s Reset: What Tariffs Are Forcing Us to Finally Fix Collapsing margins and surging inventory costs are more than a crisis: they’re an opportunity to rebuild our broken fashion system, argues Lawrence Lenihan.

Lyst, a fashion marketplace once valued at $700M, sells to Japan's Zozo for $154M Fashion goes in and out of style, and it turns out, so do fashion startups. High-end fashion marketplace Lyst has been acquired by Japan’s Zozo, a fashion and e-commerce business.

Trump tariff shock stings Bangladesh, Sri Lanka garment giants, may help India U.S. President Donald Trump slapping a 37% tariff on Bangladesh exports endangers an apparel hub already reeling from domestic political upheaval.

Vancouver Fashion Week’s inclusion of Shein in their designer lineup shouldn’t have come as a surprise After swift and substantial criticism on social media, Vancouver Fashion Week walked back on its decision to include Shein.

British Fashion Council cancels June Fashion Week The June menswear iteration of London Fashion Week will be replaced by a London Show Rooms showcase in Paris, to drive commerce.

Livestream shopping soars in Europe, fashion leads the charge This year, thirty-seven per cent of European consumers are shopping more frequently on live platforms compared to the previous year

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Good morning {{first_name|Operators}},

The smiling faces above are behind some of the 22 fashion brands that just took part in the latest trade project at Africa Reimagined, a flagship program of Development Reimagined — they’re a development consultancy and the first wholly-owned Kenyan company in China. Designers presented collections on the Shanghai Fashion Week schedule and in the Shanghai MODE Showroom at the end of March.

Why China? Growth, plain & simple. China is well on its way to claiming the title of the world’s largest economy. They’re the largest e-commerce market in the world, their curious consumers represent the demand for more than 20% of Africa’s exports, and their trade relationship with the continent has grown at unbelievable speed in the past few years.

Granted, a lot of that speedy growth has been from China flexing their construction might on the continent through development and investment, so much of it that some experts are already concerned about how much new infrastructure in Africa is essentially Chinese-owned. On the flip side, Africa is in a position to get money flowing the other way through the export of finished goods that China is showing demand for — like premium fashion.

The headlines suggest that, at least in fashion, Africa’s ready to take on the world. Is the world ready to shake hands? Much has been said about global bias against Africa — the persistently negative stereotypes, the extractive and uneven trade relationships, and the abusive colonial backdrop of it all. Not nearly enough has been said about our lack of scaled, organised efforts to brand African countries differently.

Mzukisi Mbane’s IMPRINT in the Africa Reimagined MODE Showroom section

Make no mistake, powerful countries got that way not just because of what they could offer the world in trade, but also because they executed strategic, federal-level marketing campaigns:

• America’s longstanding position as the loudest voice in global culture & politics is a strategic play and always has been.

• Korea’s ‘Hallyu’ is the result of a 25-year long national culture development and export campaign.

• The world’s obsession with the British royal family is a flame that was strategically fanned into a chunk of the UK’s tourism revenue.

All these years of Africa exporting culture-leading entertainment and fashion inspiration and talent haven’t done the trick because without scale, strategy, and intention at the national level, those wins aren’t connected to any amplifying base. It’s nowhere near enough for lasting traction. We’ll need to put the same level of vision, planning, effort and money into cultural diplomacy and promotion to change the way the world thinks about Africa and what we sell — perception really is everything.

Thoughts?

Across Africa

African Designers Want Chinese Market, and Investment, to Grow Local Fashion Industry Some 22 designer brands from 12 African countries came to Shanghai Fashion Week to attract Chinese buyers — and investment in African manufacturing.

Morocco's fashion sector well placed to target European markets Morocco's fashion and textile industry lead official says the country is well placed to increase sales in European markets.

Kenya overtakes Nigeria as Africa’s largest importer of second-hand clothes Kenya has emerged as the largest importer of second-hand clothes in Africa, earning the unfortunate distinction of being an easy dumping ground for used apparel.

Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana to Anchor V&A’s Luxury Mall in South Africa Cape Town’s V&A is tripling the size of space available for rent to luxury retailers to almost 4,000 square meters (43,056 square feet) in a dedicated new wing, David Green, its chief executive officer, said in an interview.

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Careers

Role	Company	City
Jnr Photo/Video Editor	DENM Digital	Johannesburg
Marketing Intern	STYLE ID AFRICA	Johannesburg
Head of Buying @ The Fix	The Foschini Group	Cape Town
Production Supervisor	Recruiter	Lagos
Stylist	Cokoon	Lagos
Merchandise Planner	Mr Price Group	Durban

Elsewhere

US tariffs on Vietnam would be a blow to Nike and other sportswear brands Nike could soon face another blow in its effort to revive its brand and reverse a long decline in sales: U.S. tariffs on imports from Vietnam.

Primark's CEO resigned over an allegation of inappropriate behavior, which was an 'error of judgment,' company says The CEO of a major budget fashion retailer has stepped down.

Burberry to Renovate, Rename Victoria and Albert Fashion Gallery The Fashion Gallery at the V&A in London will shut in May and reopen in spring 2027 as The Burberry Gallery after a refurb bankrolled by Burberry.

Here Are the Finalists for the 2025 LVMH Prize The LVMH Prize has announced the finalists of the 2025 edition following the semi-finalists’ presentation during Paris Fashion Week last month.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Hi {{first_name|Operator}},

The first 3 months of 2025 basically FLEW by, and for me, it was one of those seasons with a lot of busyness but not a lot of fruit to show for it just yet. Life and business are just like that sometimes, but when you are trying to build something, there are hard limits on how long you can invest without a return. I’m pretty sure you relate. :)

I’ve hit a limit, and thankfully, an opportunity came along that allows me to switch gears for the rest of the year. It means steady income for the rest of the year, but it also means fixed hours for most of my week and serious limits on what I can take on with the time that remains — without inviting burnout and then crying about it like it wasn’t my call.

Everything is a trade off. While I love my flexibility, I’m happy to give up most of it for a season in exchange for steady, dependable cashflow fuel for what’s next. This means less time overall for projects like The Fashion Operator, but it also means more resources to pour into it, more structure in my week, and more breathing room in my head to recharge my creativity.

March madness is finally approaching some calm on my side, so expect more original features soon before (and after!) my new contract starts, like what happens to fashion businesses that split leadership into creative & operations.

PS, I registered for SAFW media accreditation this week, cross fingers for me. What do you want me to find out for you this season?

With thanks,
Modupe Oloruntoba

Across Africa

South Africa's Pepkor to buy Retailability adult clothing businesses

South Africa's Pepkor said on Tuesday it will buy fashion businesses Legit, Swagga and Style and homewares brand Boardmans from privately owned retail group Retailability, as part of its expansion into the adult clothing market.

Kantamanto Market Leaders oppose GUCDA’s authority, declare independence from clothing associations

The leadership of Kantamanto Market has formally distanced itself from the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association (GUCDA), the Importers Association, and other industry groups, asserting that they alone represent the interests of businesses operating within the market.

Why Aren't African Brands Hiring Creative Directors?

This week, we speak to African designers who have hired creative directors and breakdown whether designers are ready to "pass the baton".

How LSF boosted Cape Union Mart and others with retail sector master plan

The master plan aims to create 330 000 jobs and to grow South Africa’s local retail sales to R250 billion by 2030.

Mozambique: Second-hand clothing employs 200,000 – study

The second-hand clothing business represents a “survival alternative” in Mozambique, ensuring “more than 200,000 formal and informal jobs” and supports one million people, according to a study.

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Careers

IN 1 HOUR | Blue Box Session: Intellectual Property in Fashion

This webinar will equip you with essential strategies to safeguard your creative work and grow your business. This insightful session will be facilitated by Bernice Asein from The Fashion Law Institute Nigeria.

Shape SA Fashion Cotton Fest 2025 Designer Search

Join South Africa's most prestigious fashion collaboration as Cotton Fest 2025 opens its doors to emerging designers.

Elsewhere

Recycled fibre specialist Re&Up inks partnership with Puma

Dutch recycled fibre specialist Re&Up has signed a letter of intent for a multi-year collaboration with Puma, and will help the German sports brand deploy its Re:Fibre textile recycling programme in the USA.

Chanel acquires majority stake in Italian footwear specialist Grey Mer

Chanel, the iconic French luxury house, has announced its acquisition of a majority stake in Grey Mer, its esteemed footwear production partner of many years.

China defends trade practices as France moves to regulate fast fashion

Critics argue that the bill specifically targets Chinese fast fashion e-commerce giants like SHEIN and Temu, serving as a form of trade protectionism in violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) principles.

Shein, Adidas, Hermès and Chanel were big winners in apparel market last year - GlobalData

​New figures from the analysts at GlobalData show that both Shein and Adidas grew strongly last year, ending as the big winners among the mega-names of global mass fashion and sports.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Across Africa

Botswana targets rich young Americans with big, natural diamonds

Botswana, the world’s largest diamond producer, is betting that selling big gems to rich young Americans will ease its economic woe and it is trying to catch their eye via Instagram and TikTok.

Fake goods threaten South Africa's fashion industries

Counterfeit goods are wreaking havoc across multiple South African industries.

New Textile and Fashion Training Program to Benefit Youth in 15 TVET Colleges - Nairobi Wire

The Kenyan government is launching a textile and apparel training program in 15 TVET institutions to equip youth with specialized skills, boost employment, and support the growing fashion industry.

World fashion highlighted at the Mode trade show

Mode trade show emphasizes the growing synergy between global fashion markets and China, with a special focus on African luxury brands making their debut under the "Africa Reimagined China Market Plan."

RSVP to The Fashion and Design Summit Ghana (#FDSG) 2025

The Fashion and Design Summit Ghana (#FDSG) aims to bring together industry stakeholders, and creatives to exchange insights, offer guidance, and collectively shape an intentional and structured future for Ghana’s fashion industry.

It’s time for a brand-led ‘Made in Africa’ agenda

Africa has a continental and nation-branding challenge, says Thebe Ikalafeng.

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Careers

KZN Clothing & Textile Cluster SME Accelerator

Do you have what it takes to become the next supplier to industry giants in the clothing, textile, footwear and leather sector? ​Apply to the KZNCTC 2025 Business Accelerator before 14 April 2024.

Elsewhere

A new AI fashion app is trying to perfect the virtual try-on and tech investors are loving it

Doji lets users create AI avatars with their likenesses and virtually try on clothing. It raised funding from Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six fund.

Jonathan Anderson leaves Loewe after 11 years at creative helm

​Jonathan Anderson is stepping down from creative control of LVMH’s Spanish brand Loewe after an 11-year run that has been seen as a transformational time for the label.

The rise and fall of Forever 21, a pioneer of American fast fashion retail

Forever 21, the once iconic fast fashion mainstay of shopping malls, is now navigating its second bankruptcy in five years, as rising costs and new competition have led to several years of financial losses

Shein says US tariff hit won't stop fast-fashion flood

Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration will not eject fast-fashion juggernaut Shein from the US market, its executive chairman, Donald Tang, has told AFP.

From Iraq to the Netherlands: Inditex's global expansion strategy

Inditex continues to expand its physical store network, now operating in 97 markets worldwide. That number will climb to 98 in 2025 as Inditex prepares to debut in Iraq.

Thanks for reading! As always, I would love to hear your questions and thoughts on the headlines, so hit reply.

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Hi {{first_name|Operator}},

Running on fumes and a handful of brain cells this week, so no opining today, but if you would be so kind as to do the talking, tell me: How was your first quarter of 2025?

We all seem to have started the year on a high speed setting; I definitely expected a gentler pace by now but it hasn’t come, so its taking a lot of intention to choose rest. I encourage you to do the same — you know me, always on a soapbox about burnout — and do it unapologetically.

In lieu of perspective on the headlines, here are a couple of events you might be interested in that I also happen to be speaking at, plus a conversation with dillion s. phiri on the creativity knows no borders podcast:

• (Online this Sunday) The World Hope Forum: Hear from creative directors, photographers, artists and designers on the future of creativity in the Global South.

• (In-person, JHB, next Saturday) Conversations on Creativity: Exploring The Impact of Climate Change on Human Health through the lens of five talented African filmmakers (waitlist only, sorry, this one filled up fast)

Modupe Oloruntoba

Creativity Knows No Borders · Episode

With thanks,
Modupe Oloruntoba

Across Africa

Africa’s creative economy seeks more investors

Africa’s creative economy may be small by global standards, but it is thriving, prompting renewed efforts to draw investment.

HEVA Unveils Financial Solutions Targeting Creatives

The local creative and cultural industries sector has received a shot in the arm following the official launch of a first of its kind $5 million investment by HEVA Fund, to provide tailored financial solutions to creatives.

Bathu 2025 Conference Reveals Expansion With Five Brands

At the Bathu Annual Conference 2025 in Sun City, founder Theo Baloyi shared his ambitious plans for the future, including brand acquisitions that add 5 subsidiaries to the group.

WATCH — Google’s Hustle Academy talked to Adenike Ogunlesi about running a multi branch Nigerian and international online children’s clothing business.

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Career Opportunities

FASHION EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The Fashion Education Scholarship Program is a means of promoting the growth and development of the Ghanaian creative space by providing support as well as internship opportunities, mentorship, networking, and career development opportunities for young, talented, and aspiring fashion creatives.

Elsewhere

It’s Demna at Gucci! Fashion’s master maverick will helm Italy’s largest luxury house

Balenciaga’s creative director since 2015, Demna was today announced as the new creative lead at Gucci.

Boohoo Group gets new name and business model as Debenhams success sweeps all before it

Boohoo Group will now be known as Debenhams Group as the success of its e-department store continues and as it adopts a marketplace model company-wide.

Why fashion should think carefully about using generative AI

Generative AI could help fashion companies streamline their supply chains and save emissions, but the technology is energy intensive. Experts warn against jumping on the bandwagon.

Donatella Versace steps down as creative director of namesake fashion house

Italian designer hands over to Dario Vitale after nearly 30 years as group nears sale

Why a major shift to US clothing production is unlikely

President Donald Trump's Made in America push is prompting some U.S. clothing retailers to expand domestic production of everything from T-shirts to coats and suits, several executives told Reuters this week.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Hi {{first_name|Operator}},

Well, Trump’s tariff policies have landed, and along with deep and swift cuts to USAID, their impact is being felt across Africa.

The centre of the conversation for fashion is AGOA — the African Growth Opportunity Act. It’s a set of special terms and conditions for US imports that allows some African countries to sell B2B goods & services to the US more competitively, if they opt in and meet qualifying criteria. One of the ways it does that is by allowing products covered by the act to be imported to the US tariff-free.

Countries like Ethiopia and Kenya have built successful development projects in fashion’s supply chain on the back of AGOA, mostly selling textiles & clothing manufacturing services. Unless its renewed — which it has been for 25 years — AGOA will expire this September, and in the current climate, the jobs it helped create may now be in trouble.

The US is currently reviewing all its trade deals, and the results (set to be shared in April) should shed some light on AGOA’s future. It has typically received general support in congress, so some think there isn’t much to worry about, but the USA’s new approach to trade has others projecting different results this time around. Without AGOA, beneficiaries will have to find new markets for their goods, pivot their businesses or risk losing the jobs, income and development gains altogether.

With thanks,
Modupe Oloruntoba

Across Africa

Rewiring fashion: What global megatrends mean for Africa’s textile and apparel industry

The continent is positioned to reshape the fashion supply chain with abundant raw materials, a youthful workforce, a growing consumer market, and a wealth of design and creative talent.

Uncertainty grows over future of Africa-US trade deal under Trump

Africa policy watchers in Washington, DC, are increasingly skeptical about the future of the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade deal that offers sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the US market.

Nigeria sets up Sector Skills Council to revive textile industry

The aim of the 30-member council is to revive the domestic textile industry amid high levels of imports and make it viable, Idris Bugaje executive secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, said at the launch event in Abuja.

Gold Star Fashion invests $4.5m in garment factory at West Qantara

The Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) has signed an investment agreement with Chinese apparel manufacturer Gold Star Fashion to establish a garment production facility in the West Qantara Industrial Zone.

KAM pushes for friendly textile policies as AGOA uncertainties mount

This follows the expected expiry of the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) pact with the United States in September this year which has seen Kenyan products access the American market duty-free.

Reviving Ghana’s Textile Industry – A $2.1 Billion Opportunity

The Ghana Export Promotion Authority commissioned a short promotional film for Ghana Vision 2026, a government initiative to create 300,000 direct jobs and meet a $2.1 billion export target by investing in Ghana’s textile sector.

Drip footwear saga ends in second chance

With a TAPE distribution deal in place, Drip footwear returns as Drip Sportif, after forced liquidation in October last year following a court case over unpaid advertising services.

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Careers

Africa Leather Design Competition 2025 Launched

Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase returns for the third year in Africa and the fifth year globally, offering designers a platform to participate in shaping the future of sustainable fashion.

Elsewhere

Louis Vuitton to enter beauty with Pat McGrath at the helm

Dame Pat McGrath, the British makeup artist, joins as Vuitton’s creative director of makeup

Can smarter warehousing boost Australia’s fashion industry?

Australian fashion faces challenges as fast fashion giants Shein and Temu reshape the market. Discover how local brands can compete with innovation and supply chain efficiency.

Prada inches closer to $1.6 billion deal for Versace

A potential acquisition of the fashion house founded by the late designer Gianni Versace in 1978 would allow Prada to create a larger Italian player to better compete with global luxury groups such as LVMH and Kering SA.

Italian Court Lifts Supervision of Dior Unit Over Labour Exploitation

The company said it had worked to enhance its supply chain operations since Italian prosecutors linked it to sweatshops on the outskirts of Milan.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

PS, AFDI is doing an 11-week follow-along series for writing a business plan; join them or send this to someone who should!

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Hi {{first_name|Operator}},

In case you missed it, AYANA launched today with 32 stores & online (which technically launched yesterday afternoon). The full collection of 128 items is now on display, including shapewear and shoes, two things there have barely been any hints of until now. SA operators, do send in your thoughts if you bought something (I won’t publish them without asking).

Something I missed in the Building AYANA story was where the collection was made. Like most major retailers, Pepkor has mixed offshore and local — all AYANA’s suiting as well as some dresses and tops were made in South Africa. They sent me images of some of the locally made items:

(skirt)

With no round up last week, today’s selection is a little longer, so grab a coffee and sit with it, especially AFDI’s breakdown of PAPSS, now that AfCFTA is officially in its operational phase (I really want AfCFTA to work, and after its effects become more visible in day to day market activities, I’ll explain why).

With thanks,
Modupe Oloruntoba

Across Africa

Naira's comeback: How buying premium Made-in-Nigeria goods can strengthen currency

Naira: It was a crisp morning in Lagos when Adamu, a leather goods manufacturer in Kano, received an unexpected call from...

African Bank partners with Khosi Nkosi for Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks

African Bank is collaborating with fashion house Khosi Nkosi to present two collections at Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks in March...

Mitumba, fabric imports stifling textile industry

Despite Kenya’s local sector making a mark in the global space through apparel exports, imports remain high.

The Retailers Unlocking Africa’s Luxury Market

Global brands have traditionally prioritised multi-brand stores in South Africa, Nigeria and Morocco to gain a foothold on the continent. Now, some are looking further afield to boutiques in Kenya, Angola and Egypt.

If not Shein, what? Affordable, locally produced fashion, of course.

Many South Africans feel like the only options for fashion are imported ultra-fast fashion or expensive local brands. But that’s not true – there are affordable, locally made options.

AfCFTA gains momentum as 48 African countries ratify agreement

As 48 states deposit their ratification instruments, trade under AfCFTA rules is well underway between 19 states.

CANEX Presents Africa

Through #CANEXPresentsAfrica, 10 designers are showcasing their work at #COTERIENewYork, one of the world’s leading fashion trade shows

Jobs + opportunities in African Fashion

The 5th edition of Africa Fashion Up is now accepting entries

Africa Fashion UP invites young talents and top African designers, selected by a specialized international committee, to present their creations at a show dedicated to them in Paris.

2025 Young Designers Competition

Now open for entries

Elsewhere

Ex-British Vogue Editor Enninful launches global media company

​Former British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful has announced the launch of EE72, a global media and entertainment company.

Diane von Furstenberg inks key Europe exclusivity deal with Zalando

​Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) and Zalando have announced a key partnership for the German e-tail giant to become DVF’s exclusive retailer in Europe.

Which Designer Brands Will Start Selling on Amazon With Saks?

Saks Global is set to open a luxury shop on Amazon, marking a significant move in the fashion relationship to the online giant.

Nike and Kim Kardashian’s Skims partner to launch NikeSkims

Nike has revealed it has partnered with Kim Kardashian’s Skims to launch a new activewear brand.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion, beauty & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Launching next week, AYANA is South African retail’s new womenswear challenger, and she’s got big ambitions. Pepkor’s specialty division wants to do more than claim a piece of the category — they want to dominate it.

The brief is stacked:

• Break through to customers in a highly competitive retail environment & category

• Divert and capture them from local and global category leaders and new, super-powered challengers

• Get shoppers who are already price-sensitive to break bread with a new brand, while dealing with a tough economic outlook

To win, AYANA won’t get to play small.

But with 32 stores ready to go next week (plus online), a collection of fashion-forward wardrobe heroes, and a ready-to-swipe price point, it doesn’t look like they intend to.

Table of Contents

• The Opportunity

• The Brand

• The Team

• The Collection

• The Big Question

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The Opportunity

Pepkor holds massive market share in value-driven kidswear. It’s an important segment for their bottom line, but it’s a huge piece of a modest pie. Womenswear, on the other hand, is the biggest fashion retail segment in South Africa — and also Pepkor’s smallest fraction of turnover.

“That was the initial kickstarter to it, and then they kind of went around trying to figure out how they're going to make this happen,” AYANA Buying & Creative Manager Sheri-Lee Carver-Brown began on a virtual call, breaking down AYANA’s origins, offering and ambitions.

The group’s first idea was to grow womenswear at Ackermans, the 109-year-old, 700+ store-strong value chain they acquired in 1984. The resulting standalone women’s stores didn’t stick, but they provided valuable lessons — as well as the brick & mortar sites for AYANA’s broad launch footprint.

“They did a lot of research within the South African market, and it was actually quite cool to see that. I don't often see a lot of the South African retailers spending that many resources on research and really understanding the customer. They found that, the South African female shopper, she really likes to shop for herself and she wants a place that she can escape… when she's shopping for her kids and shopping for everybody else, she kind of puts herself second. So she wants a destination where it is just about her.“

The Brand

AYANA is a standout in the Pepkor speciality stable, a division that includes Tekki Town, Code, SPCC and Refinery — all acquisitions, in one way or another. Instead of retrofitting a purchase with existing elements that may or may not be fit for purpose, the decision was made to build from scratch. All they had to do was come up with a good name that wasn’t already taken.

“Every name under the sun is registered already… our executive Shaun Hoddy (CEO, Refinery & AYANA), he wanted a name that when you look at it, it doesn't really need much of an explanation, and when you look at the logo, when you look at the name, it's easy to pronounce, it's easy to spell… very passionate about finding a name that had African roots, in the sense that we are an African retailer; we are led by African team members. So he was quite passionate about the name having that angle. So AYANA is Swahili for beautiful flower; beautiful bloom… and when we looked at the meaning in other cultures as well, they were also beautiful and also positive. So it just felt like it ticked every every box.“

The clothes won’t be the only brand element shaking things up: Expect an in-store experience with a difference. “With our store design, the objective behind it was to really make it as modular as possible. Fashion is changing all the time… and we wanted the store design not to be too limited. You know traditionally you have a denim area, a lingerie area, and then when those consumer trends shift you’re a bit stuck with store design.“

Team Ayana, led by (top row left to right)
Sheri-Lee Carver-Brown, Buying & Creative Manager
Shaun Hoddy, Chief Executive
Karla Roodt, Marketing Manager
Nare Moloto, Planning Manager
Shona Bredenkamp, Operations Manager

The Team

With almost 15 years of marketing & buying experience across TFG, Media24 & Pepkor, Carver-Brown signed on to lead development at the brand (after being approached 3 times over the course of a year) on the condition that it would bring something different to the SA market. A 17-person team was assembled to define and materialise that difference, starting with the right buyers, store planners and designers. “They've really gone and scoured South African retail to find a group of really passionate, experienced retailers to come and make this dream a reality.“

Along with experience, skill & taste, the squad’s secret sauce is that they are the consumer they’re solving for. Aside from CEO Shaun Hoddy and 2 men who have since left the brand, AYANA is an all-woman team.

“We all have similar frustrations within the South African retail climate,” Sheri-Lee explains. “We're so passionate about the different fields that we work in, and we just want to bring beautiful fashion at decent prices to the South African customer… there's a taste level that’s not always there in South African fashion, there’s a limit on choice, and sometimes when you want that beautiful quality garment or that bespoke item, you've got to spend like, R2000+ on a garment… We’re saying, there's got to be a smarter way to do that, if we all pull our experiences and our skills together and collaborate, and we think we've cracked it.“

The Collection

Via webcam, Sheri-Lee presented an incredibly pragmatic collection that more than checks the function box on one end of its range, and nails the current mood with statement pieces on the other. It’s balanced, easy to wear, and far broader than launch photos (or even images supplied here) suggest.

“The buyers are the people that are making sure that the dream comes to life and that the customer is happy, but the focus is that we have to design more from scratch. We have to be creating more, and creating time in the critical path to allow for that.” The design-led lens offers a missing everyday edge, intentionally woven in from a confident, defined perspective on what the modern woman wants and needs.

The launch collection’s starting point was the brand’s core solution & identity: a desire to make everyday feel like a special occasion, transforming daily dressing into a fun part of your day in a challenging life — without leaving you ill-equipped for reality.

“We do want to give her the winter essentials, elevated, thought about maybe a little bit differently. We want to tick her workwear box and give her something a bit more aligned to trend… We do want to try and bridge that international fashion gap that we feel like sometimes lags a bit in this market, where you've got to wait like, two or three seasons before you get a certain item.”

AYANA will have to walk a difficult line in maintaining relevance alongside brand authenticity. Staying true to their positioning means choosing raw denim, 100% cotton, and better meltons and melanges than comparable brands, but it also means keeping prices on target (so no genuine leather yet) and keeping styles grounded in the present.

“We're not saying that we’re going to be like fast fashion and we want to, like, turn something on super quick. We're definitely not going after like youth or trend fashion, if I can put it that way. But if the hottest coat is the scarf coat, then we want to have the scarf coat; we don't want to wait until it's reached mass international level before we put it in.“

The make-or-break question of price was asked and answered: Expect a handful of pricier pieces to hit the R600-R1000 range, like a black cinched PU blazer with asymmetrical hem and a large scale grey cheetah print full length melton coat; but most of the collection consists of pieces between R200 and R500, like soft suiting in retro-classic cuts, barrel leg raw denim, and the bags, shoes & underwear set to join the launch collection in stores in a few weeks.

Fit, painstakingly developed, will be tested in fitting rooms next weekend. “We've got two very passionate product developers, QAs who are quite hectic about developing the fit. We tried [things] on all the girls in the team.“ Consumers should expect fit that prioritises ease and may need to size down from their typical retail sizing.

The Big Question

We’ve gone around in circles on this one for years: Do South African consumers actually have style as conservative as their shopping data would suggest, or do they simply settle for what’s available among the market’s conservative options?

On one side of the aisle, an influential handful of mainstream retailers with reach and dominance say, ‘based on what you’ve bought before, the data says you won’t buy anything different.’ On the other side are the consumers whose anecdotal feedback has long been a chorus cry of boredom: ‘if you give us more interesting fashion we can afford, we will.‘

AYANA is a bet on the latter, a bet that there are more than just a handful of fashion enthusiasts hungry for novelty, relevance and boldness in their fashion purchases. The local success of platforms like SHEIN — driven by style availability & variety as much as price — suggests its not only the right call for re-shoring those shoppers, but also for unlocking new spend with other consumers who are also dissatisfied with the styles and/or prices in their local mall.

All images supplied: Ayana

I’d love to hear your thoughts and first impressions of the brand, so hit reply and share! If you have questions, send those through too; they answer might be something that didn’t make the edit, or something I can find out at the preview tonight — follow along on @thefashionoperator to take a peek at the collection.

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion, beauty & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com

Hi {{first_name|Operator}},

Nigeria & Ethiopia lead today’s headlines, and the topics on the table are borrowing trade strategies from similar markets, investing in infrastructure, and expanding participation in global trade. Elsewhere, we’ve got designer and fast fashion news from India. I haven’t properly set up alerts for South America, but I’ll try to include headlines from Brazil in the next round up.

Knowing what’s happening in Europe & the US matters, but SO much of the coverage we are used to keeping tabs on focuses on rules of engagement that mostly apply to them and don’t quite fit our market reality. As my own lens (and the world’s) shifts further and further away from eurocentricity, I want to start bringing other markets into sharper focus in the Elsewhere section.

At first I simply assumed I needed to select the headlines I thought people would want to read based on what we’ve paid attention to before, but you know what they say about assumptions… I want The Fashion Operator to become the most useful thing you read every week, and this is my latest change in service of that goal. Africa’s fashion hub countries have a lot more in common with economies like Brazil & India, and there’s a LOT to learn from them.

As always, I’m very interested in what you think about this — hit reply and let me know?

With thanks,
Modupe Oloruntoba

Across Africa

SMEDAN, UNDP launch solar-powered Fashion Hub and Makerspace in Abuja

The initiative is aimed at tackling persistent power outages that hinder the efficiency of entrepreneurs and small businesses across Nigeria.

Replicate Ethiopia's Diaspora Strategy, Senator Natasha Tasks FG

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central/PDP), has called on the Federal Government to replicate Ethiopia, Egypt and India’s strategy to drive greater diaspora influence in Nigeria’s economic growth.

Nairobi to New York: Lessons for Nigerian entrepreneurs on innovation, global expansion

Nigerian entrepreneurs have profound lessons to learn from the quiet transformative evolution of local fashion simmering across Africa.

Ethiopia to Exhibit Thriving Textile Industry Products in Paris

As part of the “Made in Ethiopia” initiative, a delegation of 12 of the country’s leading manufacturers will exhibit their latest collections, demonstrating Ethiopia’s emergence as a competitive sourcing destination for international buyers.

Nigeria's Kano plans to collaborate with Tunisia on garment production

Nigeria's Kano state has vowed to strengthen economic ties with Tunisia, focusing on agriculture, infrastructure, and trade, with plans under way to collaborate with the country in garment production and the dye industry.

'A bold stride towards global expansion': Bathu opens shop in Namibia

South African footwear brand Bathy has opened its first shop in Namibia, expanding its reach beyond its home country for the first time.

Jobs + opportunities in African Fashion

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Elsewhere

Fashion Nova forced to pay out millions to customers after violating consumer protection law

The Federal Trade Commission is sending $2.4 million to Fashion Nova customers after the company suppressed negative reviews on its website.

Gucci sales tumble as Kering turnaround fails to take shape

GUCCI quarterly sales tumbled as Kering’s biggest label struggles to emerge from an extended demand downturn. Read more at The Business Times.

Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee is on a mission to reclaim cultural heritage

Rejecting seasonal trends, he is challenging Western perceptions and promoting Indian craftsmanship, fuelled by the Aditya Birla Group’s investment in his brand.

With tariffs looming, fashion and beauty brands weigh passing on costs to customers

It’s an unprecedented and chaotic time for consumers, already pressured by stagnating wages and now dealing with rapid price increases, and brands, which are deciding how to deal with their own increased costs.

Fast Fashion expands: 20-25% rise in new stores across India’s tier 3 & 4 cities

These comprehensive findings delve into the evolving growth patterns and key drivers shaping foot traffic in fashion stores across multiple categories and regions within India.

That’s all for today — thoughts?

With thanks,
Modupe

Writer | Speaker | Consultant Fashion, beauty & creative industries in Africa info@modupeoloruntoba.com