A celebration of the mothers who reshaped Africa’s fashion industry 

African fashion’s rise rests on the vision of its designers, curators, and founders, many of whom are mothers. Against all odds, they built the industry while redefining motherhood and power.

Style and art are foundations and old in Nigeria; however, the fashion industry, as we know it today, is relatively young. The scheduled fashion weeks in the “ember” months make it to publications globally. The streetwear youthquake attracted the attention of international acts like Virgil Abloh, Yoon Ambush, and Drake’s Nocta. The prevalence of Nigerian models walking multiple fashion weeks. It is all rather recent.

The juggernaut Lagos Fashion Week, which has people flying from across the globe to watch Nigerians express style, is only 15 years old. The birth of the streetwear convention, Street Souk, held in 2018, and the global expansion of model management in Nigeria happened in the 2010s. Models like Mayowa Nicholas and Eniola Abioro took over the scene. They were cover stars for several magazines. Nicholas became the first Nigerian ambassador for Tiffany & Co, and Abioro was the first Nigerian to walk for Prada. 

Now, it is normal to see Nigerians across shows and ad campaigns, while at home, our fashion industry equally prospers. A lot happens behind the curtains, and the most influential people in Africa’s fashion industry are mothers.

They are our fashion designers, like Onalaja, Odio Mimonet, Deola Sagoe, and Lanre Da Silva. They are our go-to beauty suppliers like Tara Fela-Durotoye (House of TARA) and Oke Maduewesi (Zaron Cosmetics).

Despite societal limitations on mothers — including the disbelief that they can manage both business and family — they have spent decades building infrastructure and sustaining the continent’s creative economy.

Today, as we mark another Mother’s Day or Mothering Sunday, we’re honouring the mothers who created the structure we stand on today. From the high-concept showrooms of Lagos to the artisanal workshops of Dakar, these African mothers are proving that motherhood and entrepreneurship are the ultimate power pairing.

Read also: These six Nigerian women are shaping the art industry through their impactful work

The playmaker: Omoyemi Akerele

Omoyemi Akerele centres the explosive nature of our current fashion industry. She is the founder of Lagos Fashion Week and a mother of three. Her platform has become a mandatory stop on the international fashion calendar. But her impact includes her advocacy for circularity and sustainable growth.

Recently honoured with a global sustainability award, Akerele has seamlessly combined her passion for fashion and the environment through her “Green Access” initiative. 

The platform trains designers in waste-free manufacturing. She balances the rigorous demands of global diplomacy, interfacing with organisations like the United Nations, with a grounded approach to mentorship. 

Akerele understands that fashion is a serious business — one that must create jobs while protecting the environment, ensuring that the earth her children inherit is as resilient as it is beautiful. 

 The curator of culture: Reni Folawiyo

I remember where I was when I first discovered Alára, the concept store founded by Reni Folawiyo. It is hard to forget a high-end boutique committed to selling African luxury goods.

A lawyer by training and a mother of two, Folawiyo redefined how the world perceived African craftsmanship. She placed high-end African labels alongside global giants like Valentino and Gucci, and forced a conversation about value and prestige.

The creation of Alára is as vital to our fashion ecosystem as it was one of the leading pioneers of the homegrown brands movement of the 2010s. “Made in Nigeria”, a phrase that was once the punching bag in upper echelons, became a marker of taste.

Her work is deeply rooted in the Yoruba concept of Alára, meaning a wondrous performer, and she applies this ethos to her business. Additionally, Folawiyo has become a cultural curator using her platform to tell the stories of African artisans. Her installation of African fashion at the Brooklyn Museum ensured that their work is presented with the same reverence as any European couture house.

The guardian of legacy: Aisha Ayensu

In Ghana, Aisha Ayensu of Christie Brown has turned her grandmother’s name into a symbol of elegance. As a mom of three kids, who famously designed stage costumes for Beyoncé, she often speaks about how motherhood has sharpened her focus on legacy.

Her brand is a love letter to the African superwoman, the woman who is professional, traditional, and modern all at once. Contrary to Western stereotypes, Africans have always been multidimensional, and Brown’s work reflects that. 

She incorporates the Kente and hand-painted fabrics into refreshing silhouettes. Ayensu wants Ghanaian heritage to remain relevant to a younger, globalised generation. She has successfully scaled her business while retaining her deep connection to her roots, proving that honouring one’s foremothers is the most effective way to lead the next generation.

Read also: Why is womenswear so male-dominated?

The architect of fusion: Loza Maléombho

Over in francophone Africa, based in Côte d’Ivoire, Loza Maléombho has become a beacon for mothers who refuse to choose between their artistic edge and their cultural duties. She is best known for her eponymous atelier launched in 2009, which showed her love of traditional fusion and her commitment to local production. 

As a mother, Maléombho’s work has evolved into a dialogue between Ivorian tribal aesthetics and New York urban chic. A fun fact she once shared is that when Beyoncé famously wore her brand, she was in the hospital giving birth to her first child.

Her workshops are in West Africa, where she provides stable employment to local artisans, many of whom are mothers themselves. Her presence on the global stage, including feature spots in major musical films and international galleries, affirms that a boutique brand can turn into a worldwide phenomenon without losing the soul that comes from home-grown craftsmanship.

The pillar of Nigerian style: Folake Folarin-Coker

No discussion of the modern African matriarchy is complete without Folake Folarin-Coker, the creative brain behind Tiffany Amber. Launched in 1998, her brand was the first to bring structured, luxury ready-to-wear to the Nigerian market. 

Now a seasoned leader in the industry, Folarin-Coker has mentored an entire generation of designers while raising her three children. Her influence is seen in the “quiet luxury” movement that is currently sweeping the continent. It is a shift away from overtly loud prints toward sophisticated, silk-infused silhouettes. She did that first!

Recently, the brand celebrated its 25th anniversary with a lovely speech by the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. She remains a stabilising force in the industry, reminding the world that while trends fade, impeccable tailoring and cultural integrity never go out of style.

The digital trailblazer: Sarah Diouf

Sarah Diouf, the founder of the Senegalese brand Tongoro, represents the bridge between the established matriarchy and the digital future. Born in Paris to a Senegalese father and a Central African mother, Diouf’s multicultural upbringing informs every stitch of her brand. 

Tongoro is a digital-first powerhouse that produces everything in Dakar, utilising local tailors to create the bold, graphic prints that have become favourites of global icons. 

Diouf is protective of her community, her business dealings, and unapologetically proud of her heritage. She will openly call out a European heritage house for theft. She has upheld the legacy of  African mothers who can own their narrative and their profits in the 21st century.

The future of fashion 

These women reshaped African fashion by refusing to compromise on their values. Sometimes that means insisting on fair wages for rural weavers or using high-tech digital modelling to reduce textile waste. 

Looking at the runways of 2026, it is clear that they have helped turn the African fashion industry into a self-sustaining ecosystem that is finally being valued on its own terms. 

We can’t discuss fashion in Africa without the hands that cradle it, indeed, the hands that rule the world of style; these are our mothers. To every mother in fashion, we see you, love you, celebrate you, and wish you a wonderful Mother’s Day.

Read more: These are the Nigerian female creative directors in fashion you should have on your radar

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