THE FUTURE OF AFRICAN FASHION: THE AFFI MENTORING EXPERIENCE

I had the distinct pleasure and honour of participating in the African Fashion Futures Incubator (AFFI) programme, showcasing the incredible talent of 14 African fashion designers. Over two months, the AFFI programme helped these fashion designers refine their business capabilities, encourage peer learning and cultural exchange, and provide resources and mentorship to produce sustainable and financially viable enterprises. AFFI was a partnership of Seedstars, African Fashion Foundation, and The Impact Fund For African Creatives.

Seedstars

Seedstars is an international investment and education company that fosters impact entrepreneurship by supporting dedicated entrepreneurs across 90 countries to grow and scale their companies and create lasting impact. Explore their programmes here.

African Fashion Foundation

African Fashion Foundation is an NGO that empowers fashion designers and creative professionals from Africa and its diaspora to succeed in the global fashion industry. Explore their projects here.

The Impact Fund For African Creatives

The Impact Fund For African Creatives is an investment company that nurtures and develops the African creative and cultural industry by providing technical and financial support to transform businesses in this sector into sustainable enterprises. Explore the brands in their portfolio here.

I must commend the impeccable organisation of the programme, led by Tom-Chris Emewulu , the Entrepreneur-In-Residence and Programme Manager, who is also the visionary founder of the Ghana-based social enterprise Stars From All Nations.

Participating in the three-month-long incubator programme, attending some of the participant webinars, delivering mine on how to prepare a pitch deck, and especially my experience in mentoring two entrepreneurs from Nigeria, Ebuka Omaliko and Omafume Niemogha, was a transformative experience.

I learnt a great deal about the fashion industry and the programme gave me insights into the challenges and opportunities within the African fashion industry. I expanded my knowledge and understanding of the intricate process of bringing a fashion design from its inception to a finished product. All the fashion designers showcased the exceptional craftsmanship and skill of African artisans who breathe life into the vibrant world of African fashion. I am sincerely grateful to AFFI for inviting me to mentor in this remarkable programme.

I look forward to sharing more about my mentees from the programme and their incredible work, but for now, I will share their own words on what they took away from the AFFI mentorship sessions.

From Ebuka Omaliko of MALIKO:

When I started the mentorship session, I was not organized the way I should be because I was only a creative. The first thing I learnt was being organized for my classes, which translated to the way I handled my business.

In the course of the sessions, I also learnt not to give excuses as to why things can’t work. It was a major mindset shift for me. So, I had to stop making excuses. I became more optimistic about any task I was given and also about my business.

After that, I learnt the power of having a strong brand story. Parminder would always tell me “never underestimate the number of years you have been in business; you need all that data to navigate or move to the next level”. That made me realise that I needed to go back to my data and analyse who my business caters for, and how best I can reach them.

She also taught me the importance of documenting all the processes that go into running my business, as these are things that make a strong brand story.

Above all, I learnt the importance of stopping and re-evaluating from my sessions. As entrepreneurs, it is okay to pause, re-evaluate, and reassess when things are not working, because you are not alone.

See Ebuka’s AFFI pitch for MALIKO here.

About Parminder Vir OBE

Over a 40-year distinguished career, Parminder Vir OBE has passionately devoted her life to amplifying untold narratives and resourcing the skills and imagination of underserved communities. At the core of her mission lies an unshakable faith in the transformative potential of ideas and stories to ignite profound change. Her diverse expertise spans African entrepreneurship, an impressive portfolio as an award-winning film and television producer, and unwavering advocacy for the arts and culture.

Currently, Parminder Vir serves as the Executive Director of Wazima Health , lends her strategic insights as an Advisory Board Member of Mamamoni Limited and HelpMum Africa , and contributes as a Narrative Advisor at Mustard Venture Agency. She is also a director of ZIKORA Media & Arts African Cultural Heritage Initiative , an inspirational cultural institution for Africa.

In her prior role as CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Advisory Board Member, she masterminded and executed a comprehensive entrepreneurship programme, impacting over 10,000 African entrepreneurs across 54 African nations from 2014 to 2021. Her tireless commitment to championing entrepreneurship as the keystone for Africa's social and economic advancement continues to be a resounding call to action.