Twyg urges African designers to build on local craft and materials

African fashion designers are seeking methods to establish sustainable businesses while upholding the traditional craftsmanship and local practices that have historically influenced the continent's fashion industry. Jackie May, the director of Twyg, believes that African designers can leverage their existing strengths in sustainable fashion rather than adopting fast-fashion systems.

She stated that the continent's decentralized and deliberate approach to fashion production already offers a solid foundation for sustainable practices. However, she cautioned that African nations must refrain from incorporating environmentally harmful industrial techniques. May addressed this during the eighth Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards in 2026, an event that places greater emphasis on artisanal fashion and designers from across Africa.

This is the second year of the Pan-African Award, a platform that recognizes designers from the continent for their work. May highlighted the prevalence of artisanal practices across different regions of Africa. She cited designers like IAMISIGO, Hertunba, and Yoshita 1967 as examples of artisans using this approach. Supporting artisanal fashion is also a means of preserving African crafts and cultural heritage, according to May.

She explained that it's a way of sharing cultural histories through fashion. African designers are also exploring the use of locally available materials. May pointed to designers working with Nigerian adire fabrics, Ugandan barkcloth, and materials such as cotton, wool, mohair, and jute. However, processing these materials locally remains a challenge, she noted.

Yet, access to materials is only one hurdle for sustainable fashion businesses in Africa. Access to funding and markets can also pose difficulties in scaling up sustainable fashion enterprises. May suggested that designers could explore textile waste as a more cost-effective source of materials, referencing the work of African upcyclers.

She also mentioned organizations aiding designers in gaining international market exposure. In South Africa, boutiques such as Africa Rise, AKJP, and Merchants assist in connecting local fashion brands with consumers. May emphasized the importance of consumers understanding the craftsmanship and labor involved in producing artisanal garments.

Although artisanal fashion may be pricier than mass-produced clothing, she argued that each piece is unique and purchasing it supports artisans and their communities. Twyg is also planning to provide ongoing support to designers beyond the awards. This year, the winners will participate in a year-long impact program to help them enhance their sustainable practices.

After eight years of establishing a platform for sustainable and circular designers in South Africa, May expressed that Twyg now aims to expand its impact across the continent. "We have built a platform, and now it's time to grow our impact," she stated. Looking forward, May advised African fashion to continue developing its own strengths instead of attempting to replicate fast-fashion systems.

"We need to focus on what we are good at, for instance, artisanal fashion and excel at that," she concluded.