African fashion, creativity, and industry development took center stage at the 15th edition of the Hub of Africa Fashion Week (HAFW), a four-day event held successfully at the Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa.

Reflecting on the milestone edition, Mahlet Teklemariam, Founder and Organizer of Hub of Africa Fashion Week, stated,

“Fifteen years ago, HAFW began as a vision to create space for African fashion to be seen, valued, and taken seriously—both locally and globally. This edition reflects how far we’ve come and the powerful future ahead, built through collaboration, belief, and a deep commitment to our creative communities.”

The four-day event opened with an exclusive showcase by luxury leather brand SAMRA Leather, a long-standing member of the HAFW family.

Day Two began with a closed-door Core Fashion Roundtable Talk, led by Linda Murithi, founder of The Core Fashion Kenya, in collaboration with Hub of Africa Fashion Week. Designers Ugo Monye, Ejiro Amos Tafiri, and Tumi Buys participated in discussions centred on intra-African collaboration, supply chain development, and positioning African brands as global industry players. The day continued with the CDNA 3.0 Ethiopian Designers Showcase, presented in partnership with the British Council, where ten Ethiopian fashion start-ups presented their collections to industry leaders, creatives, and international guests.

Day Three featured a cross-continental runway showcasing a mix of emerging and established designers, including Dagmawit, DANN, and MAFI from Ethiopia; Ejiro Amos Tafiri (Nigeria); Naked Ape and Mantsho (South Africa); Studio Fit (Kenya); Ermilov (Russia); and NGWISA (Cameroon).

The event concluded on Day Four with a pop-up marketplace, allowing designers to engage directly with consumers and reinforcing HAFW’s commitment to supporting brands beyond the runway through direct-to-consumer access and increased market visibility.

As the Hub of Africa Fashion Week looks ahead, it remains dedicated to strengthening Africa’s fashion ecosystem through cross-border collaboration, business development, and sustained global visibility for African designers.

Here are some highlights from the powerful event:

SAMRA Leather

Core Fashion Roundtable Talk

 

ASHARO

BEZA

SAIO

MEHON

LEYU GEM AND JEWELRY

RE.COLORED LAB

BERE HAR

QENA AFRICA

METII

DAGMAWIT

DANN

NGWISA

STUDIO FIT

ERMILOV

MANTSHO

EJIRO AMOS TAFIRI

MAFI MAFI


NAKED APE