Aisha Ayensu, founder of luxury fashion brand Christie Brown, has called for deeper collaboration between Anglophone and Francophone African fashion brands, saying trust and a clear understanding of each region’s strengths are key to growing the continent’s industry.
Ms. Ayensu said Ghana’s closeness to Francophone countries has not produced enough cross-pollination, with language still standing as a barrier between creatives. “I find that there’s work to be done in building trust amongst ourselves,” she said. “I think, first of all, that’s critical.”
She expressed hope that Africans would one day share a common language through which they connect, so that a customer ordering from a Ghanaian brand would not doubt that the item would arrive in Abidjan.
According to Ms. Ayensu, Africans are not as different as they have been made to appear, since they share communal values. She explained that anyone who defrauds another person risks shaming their family name, because they can be traced back to the family home. “We are not as different as we’ve been made to think,” she said.
She also said collaboration would be strengthened if countries and regions recognised and patronised one another’s strengths. As an example, she said African brands could source well-spun cotton from Egypt, keeping the business within the continent’s economy.
Ms. Ayensu noted that many Ghanaian and Nigerian designers hire Francophone tailors, including those from Benin, who are known for excellent garment construction and finishing. Ghana, she added, is known for its weaves and kente. “How do we trade amongst ourselves?” she asked. “That’s how I see it.”
She stated that once designers understand their own aesthetic and strengths, it becomes easier to identify partners in countries such as Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. The best collaborations, she said, happen when brands are aligned in value and aesthetic, so that they complement rather than compete with one another.
By: Emmanuel Armah