As the fashion world devotes an increasing amount of attention on African fashion, the Western world is beginning to embrace its wonders. To meet this rising design, a new crop of Diasporan fashionistas are making their mark with innovative Africa-inspired designs in places far from the African continent. Umoja Linn (formerly Umoja Production) is an Afrocentric fashion brand set up in Galway in 2017 by friends Liswa McDonald and China Soribe. The pair were studying together in Galway and chose the name Umoja “because it stands for “Unity” in Swahili, one of Africa’s oldest languages. Dubliner Florence Olufemi-Ojo is the founder of clothing brand, M.I.O Prints, which she launched in 2017. She says she always wanted to her own boss and wanted to create a business that would blend her heritage and values together. Emerald & Wax prides itself on being a truly multicultural business. Founder Virtue Shine draws on her Ghanaian heritage, Japanese design and African fabrics to bring her pieces to life along the Wild Atlantic Way. Irish friends Joan Hughes and Lindi Campbell Clause, both art and design graduates, founded The African Shirt Company after a trip to the Mount Kasigau area of South-Western Kenya.
SOURCE: THE IRISH TIMES
More Stories
Nigerian Official and Wife Found Guilty for Organ-trafficking Plot
Uganda Bill Makes Provisions for the Arrest and Imprisonment of LGBTQ People
Sex in a Mogadishu City
Algerian Authorities Dismantle an International Network of Migrant Smugglers to Europe
Blinken’s Trip is the Latest in a Series of Visits to Africa by US Government Figures
Film Tells the Story of a Tragedy Perpetrated in Africa by German Colonial Troops
The Top Ten Most Ethnically Diverse Countries are all African Countries
South Africa Still a Long Way Off in Building a National Culture of Human Rights
After Lawsuits and Demonstrations Led by Chagossian Women, Britain Paid Some Compensation through the Mauritian Government to the Exiled Chagos Population
Sister to Egypt’s Most Prominent Political Prisoner Takes the Fight to the UN and EU
MSI Reproductive Choices in Africa Helps Women and Girls Make Informed Decisions about their Bodies and Futures
Kenya’s ‘Linda Mama’ Policy is a Step in the Right Direction Towards Universal Health Coverage