The Folklore Connect Guide to the 2022 African Fashion Week Calendar

The African fashion calendar returns this October and beyond, with a schedule full of runway shows, pop-up trade shows, panel talks, brand presentations, established and emerging fashion designers and plenty more to look forward to.

From hugely anticipated big hitters such as Lagos Fashion Week and South African Fashion Week to growing markets such as Ethiopia’s Hub of Africa Fashion Week, the events on the African fashion schedule are instrumental in increasing the visibility of designers, bringing together other industry players such as buyers and retailers, manufacturers and international media.

Some of the diverse designers available here on The Folklore Connect will be showing their new collections, while there are sure to be talented newcomers to watch out for. The rise of sustainably minded design and a circular fashion process also means there will be special events dedicated to sustainable fashion.

Read on below for what to expect and look out for on the African fashion calendar in 2022.

Hub of Africa Fashion Week
October 19-23

Addis Ababa’s Hub of Africa Fashion Week was founded in 2010 to contribute to the development of Ethiopia’s growing fashion and design industry. With a goal of transmitting the richness of African heritage, culture and design to the global audience through fashion, HAFW gives a platform to emerging talent across all sectors of the industry, hosting panels, seminars and a pop-up marketplace across its five days of events. HAFW also welcomes designers from neighboring countries and will this year be hosting South Africa’s MaXhosa and Kenyan brand LilaBare.
hafwaddis.com

South African Fashion Week
October 20-22

Now in its 41st year, South African Fashion Week is one of the most anticipated events on the continent’s fashion calendar. Since 1977, SAFW has aimed to provide a much-needed platform for designers to present their brands on the big stage and grow their businesses.

This year’s edition of SAFW will take place at Mall of Africa, where it has been held for the past three years. A line-up of 27 designers is scheduled to showcase their autumn/winter 2023 collections on the runway across three days starting on October 20. Among the line-up this year are Amanda Laird Cherry’s ALC and Michael Ludwig Studio.
safashionweek.co.za

Glitz Africa
October 21-23

Glitz Africa was established in 2012 as a lifestyle magazine and fashion week event of the same name by Ghanaian-born entrepreneur Claudia Lumor to display creative and authentic African fashion. A decade on, the annual event has grown into a significant and influential platform for talented creatives from Ghana and across the continent. The theme for this year’s Glitz Africa fashion week is Creativity and Sustainability, with a whole day on the schedule dedicated to sustainable fashion. Taking place at Grand Arena, International Conference Center in Accra, the runway shows will feature designers the likes of Atto Tetteh, Clatural and Duaba Serwa.
glitzafrica.com

Lagos Fashion Week
October 26-29

Lagos Fashion Week is one of the most significant events on the African fashion schedule. Since it was started in 2011 by Omoyemi Akerele, Lagos Fashion Week has grown into an instrumental platform that shapes the Nigerian fashion landscape as well as the continent. For more than 10 years, it has brought buyers, fashion insiders and the media to witness the best of Africa’s fashion industry from designers such as Lisa Folawiyo, Orange Culture and Andrea Iyamah.

Featuring runway shows and presentations, talent discovery programs, and business masterclasses, Lagos Fashion Week acts a conduit for various areas of the fashion industry to intersect. This year’s fashion show will see the presentation of new collections by Cute-Saint, Pepper Row, Tia Adeola, Cynthia Abila and many more.
lagosfashionweek.ng

Accra Fashion Week
December 7-11

An annual event in Ghana’s capital city, Accra Fashion Week is designed to shed light on growing talent from the continent. It aims to provide a platform of an operating fashion infrastructure for emerging creatives and designers across the continent. Senegalese brand Ashara and Ghanaian swimwear label Mikoko Deluxe are just a couple of brands scheduled to appear this year, while past participants include D’Marsh Couture.
accrafashionweek.org