6 African Sustainable Fashion brands you need to know

In today's world, we as consumers are becoming more conscious of what we wear and how it affects the Earth. Thankfully, there are fashion brands emerging with the mission of creating beautiful clothing while positively impacting the environment

The fashion industry is one of the most wasteful industries with 85% of our clothes ending up in landfills or burned. With a figure that high, it's amazing to see brands, not only in the West but in Africa, making sustainable clothing for the masses. Luckily for us, Africans, sustainability has always been apart of our culture from making beads from glass and plastic bottles to making bark cloth. 

Now with that in mind let's dive into 6 sustainable Fashion brands by African designers or based in Africa that we should know and shop from 

6 African Sustainable Fashion brands you should know and shop from

1.Suave from Kenya

This cool brand based in Nairobi, Kenya was founded by Mohammed Awale who saw a future in turning secondhand clothing into beautiful eco-friendly chic bags and accessories.

2. Studio 189 from Ghana 

Founded by Ghanian designer Abrima Erwiah and Famous actress Rosario Dawson, Studio 189 is a fashion brand aimed at supporting African craftsmanship like hand batik and plant-based dye. 

3. Tongoro from Senegal 

Tongoro is a fashion brand based in Dakar, Senegal founded by Sarah Diouf. This brand focused on eco-friendly clothing through local craftsmanship and even locally sourced the materials the use. Clearly they are doing something right because their work has been adorned by Naomi Campbell, Alicia Keys and Beyonce!

4. Lemlem from Ethiopia

Led by Liya Kebeda, lemlem is a fashion brand inspired by Ethiopia's century old weaving techniques that produce vibrant embroidered clothing. Plus, they ensure eco-friendliness by using locally sourced non-GMO cotton 

5. Olooh from Ivory coast

This fashion brand is founded by Kadar Diaby who's intention for the brand is to empower the female workers who dye the eco- linen used in their clothing. Olooh aims at dressing both women and men with clothing not only inspired by Ivory coast but other African countries like Morocco. 

6. Maxhosa Africa from South Africa

Established by Laduma Ngxokolo in 20111, Maxhosa Africa is a sustainable brand focusing on luxury Xhosa inspired knitwear. You can see some of their work in Coming 2 America film. 

These are just a few of the sustainable brands in Africa but if you know any more African sustainable brands, drop them in the comments below.