Creative DNA is back, and this time it’s more ambitioius than ever. The British Council initiative in collaboration with Fashion Scout supports sustainable fashion designers in Africa to build their brands and local creative economies. The incubator programme began with a focus on Kenya in 2020 offering mentorship, skills training and seed grant funding. This fostered skills and knowledge as well as opportunities to forge cross-cultural connections, albeit predominantly virtual ones due to the pandemic. Fast forward to 2023 and the latest edition, Creative DNA: Africa, has stepped up another gear. Led by the British Council Senegal, seven rising stars from seven Sub-Saharan countries were selected for a week-long residency at London Fashion Week in February. And their journey now comes alive in the WOOOOHOOOO digital zine (discover it here).

“Widening out the programme was important as we seek to build multi-lateral relationships amongst the UK and a wide number of African countries,” says Sevra Davis, Director of Architecture Design & Fashion at the British Council. Martyn Roberts, Founder and Creative Director of Fashion Scout, adds: “Our aim was to showcase a strong selection of designers from across the continent that will challenge people’s preconceptions of African fashion.”

Enter the formidable CDNA: Africa line-up: Fozia Endrias (Ethiopia), Ekua Addo (Ghana), Sharon Wendo of Epica Jewellery (Kenya), Sophie Nzinga Sy of Baax Studio (Senegal), Fikile Zamagcino Sokhulu (South Africa), Kasoma Ibrahim and Katende Godfrey of IGC Fashion (Uganda) and Danayi Chapfika-Madondo of Haus of Stone (Zimbabwe). Ranging in career stage from new talents to established names, many of them represent countries often left out of the African fashion conversation, making this an exciting opportunity for a range of voices to be seen and heard.

Once in London, the cohort presented two looks each as a group installation at Fashion Scout’s LFW space in Shoreditch. They worked with neon artist Eve de Haan of Half A Roast Chicken, and Bevan Agyemang, stylist, photographer and designer behind The Space Around Us (TSAU), to envision an Afrofuturist tableau. This was unveiled to industry professionals during a special evening event. Agyemang also did a shoot capturing the synergy between each designer’s aesthetic and the energy of LFW for WOOOOHOOOO zine. “We spent two days getting to know the designers. It was important that we understood how they approach their work. That balance and trust between us really helped to build the story,” he says.

Other highlights of the residency included a studio visit with Bethany Williams, a textile workshop with Ellen Rock, a session with Positive Retail’s Anna Woods, a tour of the V&A’s Africa Fashion exhibition and attending several LFW shows. They also took part in the Much The Same panel discussion organised by Girls About Peckham. Founded by Natalie Worgs to help young female creatives in her community to thrive, the talk was became an enlightening cross-cultural exchange. “We all agreed that fashion is a powerful language that crosses borders and connects us to new faces, spaces and ideas, but it comes at the cost of local culture and natural resources,” says Worgs. “There was a lot of common ground as they discussed approaches to collaboration, respect for the planet and local craftsmanship.”

For many the designers, the Creative DNA: Africa experience has proved revolutionary. “I had these pre-conceived notions that other designers had it all figured out when actually, we’re all just trying to find solutions. It’s also made me rethink collaboration and how I structure CSR,” says Danayi Chapfika-Madondo, who uses handcrafted techniques including crochet and macrame to innovate textile production in Harare.

Ekua Addo, whose aesthetic weds her Ghanaian, Columbian and Caribbean heritage, wholeheartedly agrees: “It’s been great to bond with other African designers. Even though we’re from different countries, we have the same progressive ideas.” Meanwhile Sophie Nzinga Sy, a leader in sustainability in Dakar, emphasises the value that the cohort offered to their host city. “It was an opportunity for the UK fashion industry to get to know African fashion designers, which is invaluable.”

And now, as the designers return home armed with the new knowledge and relationships they’ve built, WOOOOHOOOO brings their story to the world. The zine documents their take on this this exhilarating programme and envisions a brighter fashion future navigated together.

Discover WOOOOHOOOO on the Fashion Scout platform here.

Learn more about the British Council’s Creative DNA programme here.