Vivian Ozoemena, a seasoned Nigerian entrepreneur with a passion for sportswear

October 30, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Vivian Ozoemena, owner and ceo, LaBelle Sporties (Nigeria)

Vivian Ozoemena is the owner and ceo of LaBelle Sporties in Nigeria. She is a seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for sports, hence the name. The business renders services in the designing, production, and selling of sportswear. Since its inception in 2021, the company has employed two staff members who have grown with the company. LaBelle Sporties seeks to empower more people, especially women, from all across Africa through employment in the next few years to be their own bosses and enjoy the journey.

Mércia Cossa Bomba, a Mozambican woman entrepreneur creating unique accessories that celebrate capulana

September 18, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Mércia Cossa Bomba, founder, N`sky Arte Da Felicidade & Serviços (Mozambique)

Mércia Cossa Bomba is the founder of N`sky Arte Da Felicidade & Serviços in Mozambique, a small company with four workers focused on manual arts and crafts, and which has been in the market for 5 years. She started her company at the time as a hobby whilst also employed as a secretary for a cosmetics distributor. But because she has a son with chronic atopic dermatitis, she was forced to quit her job in order to take care of her son. However, as she always tried to be financially independent, she started to make handmade invitations and bracelets, and her business was born.

Dr Mejury Chipato, a Zimbabwean medical doctor and entrepreneur building multiple businesses

September 4, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Dr Mejury Chipato is a Medical Doctor, a Microbiologist, a Philanthropist, and a growing force in the world of entrepreneurship through her multi-faceted business, ProMJ Incorporated Company. She is also a Pastor, a Life & Business Coach, a Mentor, a Leader, a Published Author of the Book “I’m in charge of my Narrative“, and a multi-Award Winner both in Business and as an Author. Recent recognition includes the Zimbabwean Achievers Award Winner for Fashion Designer of the Year 2021 (China Edition). She was also honoured as one of The Most Inspiring Women Awardees of 2022, won The Young Achievers Award presented by the Pride of Africa Awards and received The Leadership & Inspiration Award from Gumiguru Achievers Awards 2022. She is also the Founder of Patience of Hope Foundation which is a non-profit organization whose aim is to pay school fees for orphans and underprivileged children in Zimbabwe and across Africa.

Lioness Launch / Top Malawian fashion label launches its new 100 Year Plan Collection

August 21, 2022 Melanie Hawken

The Lilly Alfonso fashion design label, created by its founder of the same name, has evolved over the years to become one of the top fashion labels in Malawi and is slowly becoming a global fashion brand. Building on its success to date, the Lilly Alfonso brand is introducing an exciting new clothing collection for men and women called the 100 Year Plan collection.

Fatima Babakura, a luxury accessory brand-builder in Nigeria

August 14, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Timabee Inc, an accessory brand that redefines luxury in Africa and beyond

Fatima Babakura is the founder, chief executive officer and designer of Timabee, an accessories brand that “redefines luxury in Africa and beyond”. Timabee is a premium women’s accessories brand. Fatima started Timabee at the age of 19 and it has since grown to become a global brand with customers all over the world. Fatima holds a BSc Honours Commerce degree from Canada’s prestigious McMaster University. Fatima has won many awards which include being acknowledged as one of Nigeria’s Top 100 Most Inspiring Women, WEF’s Iconic Woman in 2017, and has been nominated for prestigious awards like Forbes 30 under 30 in 2022. Fatima launched the business in 2013.

Lailate Talaquichande, a Mozambican fashion retailer bringing luxury clothing to customers

July 24, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Lailate Talaquichande, founder, Super Fashion, Lda (Mozambique)

Wearing beautiful clothes can improve a woman's self-esteem and give that feeling of self-confidence through comfort and elegance, and in Mozambique, Lailate Talaquichande, founder of Super Fashion, Lda, is helping customers to do just that.

Carla Frankel, a South African luxury sleepwear brand builder

July 10, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Top Drawer Collection, a luxury South African personalized sleepwear brand celebrating self-love

Carla Frankel is the founder and CEO of luxury sleep and ready-to-wear brand Top Drawer Collection in South Africa. She is a creative entrepreneur and award-winning, Forbes-listing business leader who loves business, fashion, food and travel. Carla’s inclination for luxury experiences is expressed through her love of timeless design, high-end materials and her endless love affair with the “finer details”. Within 3 years of founding Top Drawer Collection, which was launched in October 2018, the brand has stylishly and effortlessly stolen the hearts of South Africa’s elite, as well as uplifted the talented women from her local community who make up her female dominated team. At the mere age of 29, Carla has built a global brand and shown a resilience of spirit in fulfilling her dreams, no matter the circumstances.

Lioness Launch / Ethiopian ready-to-wear clothing brand, Kunjina, launches new concept collection

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Kunjina Tesfaye, founder, Kunjina (Ethiopia)

Kunjina, a unique Ethiopian ready-to-wear clothing brand that mainly caters to women within the age range of 25-40 and founded by Kunjina Tesfaye, is launching its new concept collection this month. The collection named UDET, a Geez word meaning cycle, is Inspired by Kunjina's personal experience. The collection revolves around topics like fear, productivity guilt and growth. It shows the process of self-doubt, transformation and self-actualization using the metamorphosis cycle of a butterfly as a metaphor.

Maureen Obaweya, a Nigerian entrepreneur building a luxury leather accessory brand

May 22, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Maureen Obaweya, founder and Creative Director, Morin.O Designs (Nigeria)

Maureen Obaweya is the Founder and Creative Director of Morin.O Designs in Nigeria. She is an award-winning designer whose initial career was in a pharmacy before taking an unchartered course. The Morin.O brand is a luxury brand focused on creating leather items and accessories for individuals with the aim to share African beauty, craftsmanship, and creativity with the world. Maureen established her brand in 2013 and opened her first store in Lagos in 2015. She has over 29 years of experience that cuts across arts, decor, gift company, pharmacies, and many more.

Zainab Ashadu, a Nigerian entrepreneur building a renowned handbag brand

May 22, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Zashadu, an award-winning luxury and sustainable handbag design and manufacturing business in Nigeria

Zainab Ashadu is the founder and Creative Director of Zashadu Ltd, a renowned handbag brand founded in 2010 in Nigeria, a business which today employs 20 people. She is a seasoned entrepreneur and award winning Creative. Zainab’s business is focused on creating beautiful handcrafted, design led handbags in a slow and sustainable way. Her bags have are retailed internationally and have been worn by notable and powerful leaders such as Beyonce, and Chimamanda Adichie. In 2022, Zainab she was recognized by the Lagos State Government as one of the state’s 100 most influential women. She is also the founder of Harmonious Whole, a wellness and Intuitive Energy Healing enterprise set up in 2022.

Gracia Bampile, a South African entrepreneur taking African fashion to the world

March 27, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Gracia Bampile is the founder of fashion brand, Haute Afrika based in South Africa. The company has built a reputation for creating clothes for every occasion and every kind of person, inspired by traditional fabrics that are authentically African.

Brigette Mashile, a South African fashion entrepreneur creating custom designs for discerning clients

March 4, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Brigette Mashile, founder, Roka Roko (South Africa)

Many people dream of wearing clothes that are unique to them, designed to reflect their tastes and personalities. Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko is a South African fashion design entrepreneur who understands how to take a client idea for an outfit and turn it into a wonderful reality.

Rwanda-based eco-shoe brand, UZURI K & Y, wins 2021 Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge

January 16, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Rwanda-based eco-friendly shoe brand, UZURI K & Y, which uses recycled tires from sub-Saharan Africa and employs local young people, has been announced as the joint winner of the 2021 Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge. Kevine Kagirimpundu, co-founder and CEO of UZURI K & Y together with Ysolde Shimwe, CFO & Co-Creative designer, were awarded the prize of € 100,000. Speaking about the recognition and award win, Kevine said: “We are honored to be the winner of the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge. This opportunity provided us with mentorship and strategic guidance, and a platform for sharing our dream of bringing sustainable shoe options from Africa to the global market. We are dedicated to creating a real impact and inspiring young people today to build a cleaner future.” The other join winner was Lalaland, a Dutch-based platform that uses artificial intelligence to generate customized and comprehensive synthetic models of different ethnic groups, which was also awarded € 100,000.

Zara Kattiems, building a legacy fashion brand in Nigeria inspired by her grandmother

January 16, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Zara Kattiems, founder, Caroline 1942 (Nigeria)

The story of Caroline 1942, a Nigerian fashion brand created by Zara Kattiems, is one that encompasses uniqueness and also a relatable experience. Caroline 1942 is nicknamed after Zara’s grandmother, Caroline Miner, who unfortunately passed away, but her legacy took off in the spring of 2017 with the launch of a brand created ‘For The Timeless Woman.’ Today, Caroline 1942 tells the story behind the brand and still creates that sense of oneness with the women of the world with every design produced.

Betelhem Abebe, an Ethiopian entrepreneur building a high street fashion brand

January 9, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Betelhem Abebe, founder, ZEWD Design (Ethiopia)

Betelhem Abebe is the founder and creative director of ZEWD Design based in Ethiopia, a growing high street fashion brand. She studied electrical engineering at Addis Ababa University and also fashion design at SITAM Fashion and Design School in Addis Ababa to sharpen her skills in fashion design after having partially developed the ZEWD concept in her final year at the university.

Taíla Carrilho, a creative Mozambican entrepreneur with a passion for design

November 14, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Taíla Carrilho, co-founder, Ruum Gallery & founder, Atelier Taila Carrilho (Mozambique)

Many entrepreneurs are born to create, and in Mozambique, Taíla Carrilho, co-founder of Ruum Gallery and founder of Atelier Taila Carrilho, is one such person. Her design talent has led her to co-found a creative gallery to showcase handcrafted design objects, and also her own fashion atelier.

Rumbidzai Matemachani, a Zimbabwean entrepreneur building a unique footwear and accessories brand

November 14, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Rumbidzai Matemachani, founder, Rungano Rwedu (Zimbabwe)

For lovers of eye-catching luxury fashion accessories and footwear, look no further than Rungano Rwedu in Zimbabwe, founded by Rumbidzai Matemachani. Her creative talent, combined with some of the finest specialist training in footwear and accessory design and manufacture in Italy, led Rumbidzai to launch her own brand back in her home country of Zimbabwe.

Lioness Launch / Africa’s luxury jewellery brand, Adele Dejak, launches its new Malaika Collection

October 30, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Adele Dejak, the brand, is an authentic jewellery and fashion accessories brand that offers a direct access to the true premium African experience. Founder Adele Dejak has built a powerful brand over the years, globally renowned for creating a wide variety of lovingly designed and handcrafted pieces including bracelets, earrings, necklaces and handbags. Every piece tells a story and is inspired by African textiles, cultures and traditions, with everything being produced directly in the Adele Dejak studio in Kenya or through collaboration with an established network of partners. On 5 November 2021, Adele launches the inspirational new Malaika Collection, a new capsule collection of jewellery and accessories for the modern warrior man and woman.

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