Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
The global fashion industry is at a crossroads. Rollbacks in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), coupled with a shift away from climate-conscious production methods, mean that emerging, sustainability-focused BIPOC designers face a growing number of challenges when breaking into the fashion scene.
Afro Fashion Association (AFA) is a not-for-profit platform founded in 2015 by social entrepreneur Michelle Ngonmo to tackle systemic racism in the European fashion design industry — and to create a pathway for talent from Africa to Europe. Since its inception, it has helped support over 4,000 people of colour working in the creative industries.
As a talent incubator, AFA equips emerging designers with the technical and professional know-how required to overcome initial stumbling blocks.
The organisation works to dismantle the barriers that BIPOC designers face throughout the industry, from limited funding opportunities and restricted shelf space to systemic racism. AFA advocates for greater exposure and representation while conducting workshops that highlight the importance of diversity. Through its talent incubator, the organisation provides creatives of colour with essential business guidance, targeted mentorship and industry access, directly addressing their most common obstacles.
Among this year’s cohort of designers are Akilah Stewart, Eileen Akbaraly, Victor Reginald Bob Abbey-Hart, Romy Calzado and Gisèle Claudia Ntsama — all launching fashion businesses with sustainability at their core.
With upcoming environmental regulations like the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and California’s Fashion Act, corporate sustainability has evolved from a nice-to-have to a business imperative, aimed at curbing fashion’s pollution from overproduction and wasteful practices.
Here, The Business of Fashion (BoF) speaks to Stewart, Akbaraly, Abbey-Hart, Calzado and Ntsama of this year’s AFA talent incubation programme to explore how they are striking a balance between thoughtful design with sustainable practices.
Akilah Stewart, Fatra
Akilah Stewart is the founder of Fatra, a creative waste management and fashion brand turning plastic and textile waste into luxury handbags. A designer and educator, Stewart champions circular design and social justice through her teaching at Parsons School of Design and her global upcycling workshops.
What is the mission and vision of your brand?
Fatra is a creative waste brand: it is about figuring out new ways to repurpose existing materials and extend their lifecycle. I make handbags with recycled plastic bottles and leather. I also dismantle other waste products to use the hardware as a structure. If you can do that with small resources, why can’t the industry think about scaling it? If you can utilise things in a smarter way, why not do that?
I want to show that luxury and premium goods can be made sustainably from the very beginning.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a fashion entrepreneur?
You are constantly fighting for your audience’s attention today, especially with the prevalence of social media. Once you do capture your audience, they will see the price of your products, but the real challenge is helping them understand the true value of what they are looking at – and then bridging that gap between price and perceived value.
What makes you approach design through a sustainable and innovative lens?
I think right now, we have completely lost the plot on how we consume things.
I’m a first-generation American, born to two immigrant parents. Everything that we use, everything that we touch – from food to fabric to spices – is done with respect. People ask, “How did you become sustainable?” It’s actually cultural. It’s my heritage. It’s about helping others understand how to have that respect for whatever they bring into the household.
How has AFA as an organisation helped you?
AFA recognises talent and places it where it needs to be, without bureaucracy or unnecessary red tape. It’s very simple. The constructive criticism and continuous feedback is what is most valuable to me. Receiving feedback that is ultimately encouraging is what matters most.
What advice would you give to someone starting a fashion brand today?
I would definitely say: use your own perceptions and life experiences. There’s somebody out there who wants to know your story. There’s something special in everyone’s experiences — something that can be extracted, shaped and transformed into something truly beautiful. Lean into that, rather than chasing what’s trendy, because trends will always fade.
Eileen Akbaraly, Made for a Woman
Eileen Akbaraly is an Italian-Indian entrepreneur and founder of Made For a Woman, a sustainable fashion brand and social enterprise based in Madagascar. Championing women’s empowerment, transparency and ethical luxury, Akbaraly has collaborated with leading luxury fashion houses and was named to the 2025 Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list.
What is the mission and vision of your brand?
I have always been aware of injustices and the impact poverty has on an individual’s ability to succeed in society. Fashion has always been interesting to me because it employs so many people in developing and underdeveloped countries who aren’t given the attention or dignity they deserve.
I founded Made For a Woman to prove to the world that through an inclusive business model – one that provides resources and tools for employees, regardless of their background, origin or economic status — people can succeed and thrive in society.
We have sought to create Madagascar’s first traceable supply chain for raw materials, complete with a digital passport. We employ some of the most vulnerable individuals: people with disabilities, sex workers, single mothers and survivors of gender-based violence.
How has AFA as an organisation helped you?
I’m half-Italian and half-Indian, and I grew up in a very small Muslim community. Although I was born in Italy, I always felt different from everybody around me. Through Michelle Ngonmo’s work and the efforts of AFA, I felt part of a community for the first time.
It also gave me the opportunity to highlight the value of working collaboratively and as part of a community. AFA is about sharing the same values and visions to create one movement, regardless of your background.
What advice would you give to someone starting a fashion brand today?
Your vision and mission should be crystal clear. Mine started with a clear purpose and grew from that. There’s no point in chasing trends or specific roles within companies. What matters is pursuing what’s meaningful to you and allowing everything else to flow from that.
Victor Reginald Bob Abbey-Hart, Victor-Hart
Born in Ghana and based in Bologna, Victor Reginald Bob Abbey-Hart is a sculptor, consultant and fashion designer specialising in denim. Victor-Hart, the brand he founded in 2021, merges Ghanaian tradition, Italian craftsmanship and sustainability.
What is the mission and vision of your brand?
Victor-Hart is about changing the narrative around workwear and how clothing can be adapted to be even more functional through thoughtful design. More importantly, the brand is all about telling the story of Ghana — where I’m from — and its culture.
I aim to preserve my heritage and honour traditional “Made in Italy” craftsmanship. Through thoughtful design, each piece is created with longevity in mind to support greater comfort and productivity at work.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face as an entrepreneur in fashion today?
Networking and finance. It is difficult to get in front of the right people when you come from a place without any prior connections to the industry — particularly as a person of colour. For example, in the retail sector, I have approached countless businesses about stocking Victor-Hart but I have encountered considerable resistance. This also parallels the pay inequity, where white designers are typically paid more than equivalent designers of colour.
What makes you approach design through a sustainable and innovative lens?
I have a guiding principle of thinking about how we can use as little material as possible — to transform what we already have into something good. How can we utilise various techniques to create garments that ensure extended longevity? I’m also consciously thinking about how garments can be made more functional to make the wearer’s life easier.
What advice would you give to someone starting a fashion brand today?
You need to be coachable and open to mentorship. Your strength and success will come from the thoughtful guidance of those around you.
You also need a great deal of patience. Today, many people are focused on achieving a viral moment to propel them to stardom — but true recognition comes through patience and the discipline to build strong foundations.
Romy Calzado
Cuban-born Romy Calzado is a fashion and textile designer based in Italy. After studying at Istituto di Moda Burgo in Milan and gaining experience at Etro and Musani, Calzado founded her own brand, which fuses Latin vibrancy with Western elegance.
What is the mission and vision of your brand?
I always design through a sustainable lens while also focusing on Latin-European aesthetics. I am particularly passionate about using digital innovation to create more environmentally conscious production methods that reduce waste. I’m also studying how these technological developments can improve my work and aesthetic.
How has AFA as an organisation helped you?
AFA has truly helped me better understand my identity. Being half of one culture and half of another shapes how I view the world, and AFA made me more aware of how this influences the aesthetics and unique elements of my designs.
There are also many opportunities to hear from — and work alongside — some of the world’s top designers. Edward Buchanan, the former director of design at Bottega Veneta, was one particular mentor who was able to give me a different vision of fashion and increase my awareness, perception and skills.
What advice would you give to someone starting a fashion brand today?
As an introvert, I tend to feel more comfortable focusing on my work and how my designs are created. However, I have come to realise that a person’s ability to network and to put themselves out there is what gives them an advantage and more options to gain visibility and succeed.
It’s about finding someone who supports me and provides guidance that is relevant to my specific field.
Gisèle Claudia Ntsama
Gisèle Claudia Ntsama is a Cameroonian-born fashion designer who founded her eponymous label in Bologna, Italy, in 2020 after studying at the Accademia di Belle Arti. Inspired by African heritage and Italian craftsmanship, she is acclaimed for sculptural, artisanal pieces using hemp textiles.
What is the mission and vision of your brand?
The mission of my brand is to turn clothes into works of art. I also create garments that are complex in their construction because simple things bore me. I use hemp in my clothing designs because the fibre has so much value that people often overlook. After studying its history and the depth of its practicality, I wanted to centre my brand around it.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face as an entrepreneur in fashion today?
The biggest challenge is gaining visibility. Being of African descent, it is not easy for me to convince companies that I am worth considering. However, I spent time working at Valentino Garavani’s style office in Rome and at Giorgio Armani in Milan. After these various roles in fashion, I developed a strong vision that led me to start my own brand.
How has AFA as an organisation helped you?
AFA has helped me believe in what I was doing and achieving — and not to give up when faced with obstacles. AFA works to promote foreign talents in Italy and to give a voice to underrepresented communities in fashion. While it is not easy, they do their best. But it is clear we need to support them in accomplishing even more than they already are — ideally with the backing from institutions that have the power to make a real difference. The more institutional support their project receives, the more they will be able to continue uplifting emerging talent.
What advice would you give to someone starting a fashion brand today?
There is no exact science and no precise rule. However, a few things are worth considering: have self-confidence, know how to design, how to pattern cut and how to tailor. Ensure your storytelling is compelling and rooted in meaningful narratives. Have trusted confidants who listen and offer advice. Even with limited funds, you can begin. It’s easier said than done and there is no guaranteed path to success — but the secret is never giving up in the face of difficulty.
This article is part of a community partnership with Afro Fashion Association.
