Celebrating Womanhood: 5 African Fashion Brands Designed for Women, by women

Fashion has always been a powerful tool for self-expression, but in the hands of visionary African women designers, it becomes much more. It’s a celebration of womanhood, culture, and empowerment. In honor of International Women’s Day, there’s no better time to spotlight the incredible African fashion brands that champion women not just today, but all year round.

Women’s Day usually comes with grand speeches and celebratory campaigns, but the reality is that for many women, little truly changes. Policies promising progress often fall short, and beyond the hashtags and symbolic gestures of March, real issues persist, like lack of autonomy over our own bodies, economic disparities, insecurity and safety concerns for women and the ongoing fight for space, respect, and recognition. Yet, in the face of these challenges, African women continue to carve out their own power, and fashion has become one of their loudest tools. The designers we celebrate today do more than create clothing; they craft armor for the modern woman, shaping narratives of strength, resilience, and self-expression. Through bold prints, fluid silhouettes, and designs that honor femininity in all its forms, they remind us that empowerment isn’t just a buzzword or a catchphrase we pick up in March, but something we can wear, embody, and carry with us every single day.

Photo Credit: @christiebrowngh/Instagram`

In this feature, we highlight five exceptional women-centric African fashion brands—founded or led by women, inspired by women and created for women—that are designing clothes that inspire confidence and self-expression for women everywhere.

#1. ITUEN BASSEY

Photo Credit: Anuel Modebe Photography/GTBank Fashion Weekend`

The founder and creative director of the name brand, Ìtuenbasì, is a Nigerian fashion designer who’s well known for her creative costume designs for musical theatre like ‘Colored Girls’, ‘HearWord’, ‘Saro the Musical’, and her catwalk shows. She founded the label in 2008 and it has since grown to become a household name in women fashion and with good reason. Her pieces encourage the African woman to take pride in her roots, drawing inspiration from Nigerian stories, people and elements, and creatively infusing it with modern sensibilities while bringing the overall vision to life with beautiful craftsmanship. One of her past notable projects is the 27 collection inspired by the 27 wives of Fela. This beautiful glimpse into the incredible lives of these women through the 27 pieces of the collection perfectly encapsulated everything the Ìtuenbasì brand is known and loved for—from the exquisite attention to detail, to the unabashed use of vibrant colors and innovative silhouettes.

Photo Credit: @Ituenbasi/Instagram`

#2. NANFE JEMIMAH KEFAS-OYELEKE

Photo Credit: @Mimzbee/Instagram`

Hailing from Northern Nigeria, the model and designer is the founder and creative director of the eponymous brand, KNANFE. She is heavily influenced by her northern roots as a designer, enthusiastically taking inspiration from the elements that shaped her experience growing up in that part of the world. Her pieces are not only rich in heritage, they also emphatically celebrate femininity, from fabric choices to flattering silhouettes. Knanfe designs give to its women the feeling of being home, surrounded by familiar things that you adore and wrapped in the warm embrace of loved ones.

Photo Credit: @Knanfe/Instagram`

#3. AISHA AYENSU OBUOBI

Photo Credit: @aisha_ayensu/Instagram`

She is a Ghanaian award-winning fashion designer, known amongst other things, for her brilliant costume designs for celebrities like Beyoncé & Jackie Appiah. She founded the Christie Brown fashion brand in 2008 and was listed as one of Forbes’ Most Promising Entrepreneurs in 2016. Her designs are revolutionary, pushing the boundaries of what is familiar into the possibilities of what could be. The love and appreciation for women can be seen in the intricate craftsmanship of her pieces, like with her signature looped, cut-out element that is featured in a number of her designs. The label represents the multifaceted woman that is bold but not reckless, revolutionary but not power hungry, stylish but not jarring and strong but not cold. If you ever wonder what balance feels like for an outfit, think Christie Brown.

Photo Credit: @christiebrowngh/Instagram`

#4. DAMILOLA ONOSOWOBO MARCUS

Photo Credit: @onoxoxoxo/Instagram`

A talented artist from Nigeria, Damilola designs for Shopbawsty—a people favorite brand that caters especially to busty women. In an industry that can many times alienate certain groups of women that do not necessarily fit the ‘standard figure’, Shopbawsty brand has committed to creating designs that feel like a love letter to their women, moving beyond just aesthetic to functionality and inclusivity.

Photo Credit: @shopbawsty/instagram`

#5. LOZA MALEOMBHO

Photo Credit: @lozamaleombho/Instagram`

Famously known for being the creative genius behind the iconic black and white outfit worn by Beyoncé in the music video of song ‘Already’, the undeniably talented Ivorian American fashion designer after a rich background in fashion, launched her self-titled brand, Loza Maleombho, in 2009. Her designs are edgy and singular, instantly grabbing your attention with the deconstructed shapes all the while sparking your creative curiosity.

Photo Credit: @lozamaleombho/Instagram`

Fashion would always be a core form of expression, and these iconic women through their designs have helped many women around the world find their unique voices. Their brands have built vibrant and inclusive communities of amazing women, creating for them a safe haven in fashion. Their stories serve as a reminder that as we celebrate International Women’s Day, we should not just celebrate women, but also support them, amplify them, and invest in the spaces where they are making real, tangible change.