Africa Fashion Up Celebrates African Creativity for its 5th Edition
Africa Fashion Up, a programme run by Share Africa and founded by Valérie Ka, celebrates contemporary African fashion by supporting young designers from the continent and its diaspora. It offers world-class training in partnership with Balenciaga, Galeries Lafayette and HEC, and concludes with a prestigious event in Paris every year. On Thursday evening, The Bridge hosted the 2025 Fashion Show, featuring live performances by rising Afro-pop stars Papi Del Sol, Hiro and Team Paiya. The collections of the winners – Hawi Midekssa (HAWII), Oshobor Odion Peter, Samkelo Boyde Xaba (B O Y D E), Frank Aghuno (Fruché) and the three founding sisters of Eloli World – revealed the creative wealth of a new generation, alongside guest designers Collé Sow Ardo, Algueye and Yoni Mode. By offering a stage to these talents, Valérie Ka reasserts her vision: to help structure and promote the African fashion industry on a global scale.
Attending the event were the following personalities: Ludivine Pont, Chief Marketing Officer at Balenciaga; Alexandre Liot, Director of Galeries Lafayette France; Yann Rivoallan, President of the Fédération Française du Prêt-à-Porter Féminin; Flora Coquerel, Miss France 2014; Aïssa Maïga, actress; Clarisse Reille, Managing Director of IFTH and DEFI, incubator and growth accelerator for the clothing industry in France; and Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur, Creative Director of Chanel Parfum Beauté.
Photo : Tomy Do
