Our Work
Founded in Italy in 2015 by Michelle Francine Ngonmo, the Afro Fashion Association is a Black-led volunteer-driven non-profit organization. We believe in the transformative potential of fashion, art, and culture as a means for cross-cultural exchange, empowerment, and sustainable economic development.
In 2018 we founded a satellite association in Cameroon, followed by offices in Rwanda and Ghana. We work to strengthen the local capacity to leverage arts and culture as an engine for social and economic development. Our work across countries is synergistic, tuned to the needs and opportunities of each local context.
Services
Workshops & Courses
We collaborate regularly with universities and companies on innovative courses and workshops in fashion, art, and media that center a diversity of lived experience and perspectives. We emphasize hands-on experience and providing access to creative tools to students who may otherwise have more limited opportunities to specialize in fashion and the arts.
Past and present clients and collaborators include Apple Creative Studios, LABA Douala Free Academy of Fine Arts, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, and more.
DEI Consulting & Training
Entrust the inclusive future of your school or company’s culture to our team. As Italy’s leading advocates for diversity and inclusion in the professional sphere, we can facilitate open conversations, lead engaging talks, and provide tailored training packages to meaningfully explore the complex questions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. For a more holistic approach, join some of the fashion industry’s top brands in reaping the benefits of our bespoke DEI-centered strategy and consulting services.
Events & Projects
Afro Fashion Week
Our flagship event. Every year with Afro Fashion Week Milano, we bring the latest trends in Afro fashion to the catwalks and showrooms of Italy’s fashion capital.
B2C
Social meets environmental sustainability. The Bag Second Chance project provides mentorship and job opportunities to women who were formerly incarcerated in Cameroon, all while transforming discarded plastic bags into beautiful and functional accessories.
The Black Carpet Awards
Since our inaugural gala in 2022, the first global awards dedicated to celebrating achievements in diversity and inclusion in the global community.
The Unseen Profiles
We maintain the largest online database and jobs board to increase diversity of representation in the arts, fashion, and design industries.
Afro Walk
We bring Afro fashion to Milan’s most celebrated squares in this pop-up event dedicated to multiculturalism, empowerment, inclusion and the fight against discrimination.
Fab 5
A showroom, production ecosystem, and mentorship program for Afro descedent designers working in Italy and worldwide, demonstrating that “Made in Italy” is not a question of colour but of know-how and talent.
Events & Exhibitions
Through design fairs, exhibits, and public spectacles we create moments of cultural exchange among Afro-descendent and Afro-inspired creatives and the broader public.
Afro Fashion Cameroon
In Cameroon, we work to strengthen the local capacity to leverage arts and culture as an engine for social and economic development. We have an ongoing partnership with LABA Douala university, where we lead fashion showcases, courses, and workshops for students and emerging professionals.
Meet Our Designers
Trade shows and buyer events meant to connect buyers, industry specialists, and retailers directly with up-and-coming Afro-descendent and Afro-inspired designers.
Showroom
Experience the latest collections of our designers and rent pieces for high-profile events and photoshoots at the Afrofashion Showroom in Milan.
In Africa
We collaborate with universities, artisans, and local organizations to expand educational and economic opportunities for women and young people in Cameroon, Rwanda, and Ghana. We build bridges to Western markets for Africa-based designers through our events and partnerships in Italy.
In Italy
We create events, educational opportunities, and experiences that center the achievements of Afro-descendent and Afro-inspired designers, artists, and creatives. We build an enduring relationship with every designer we showcase, providing mentorship and supporting their work through our network of industry professionals, fabricators, event designers, and press.
The Afrofashion Association is also a founding partner of the We Are Made in Italy (WAMI) initiative, alongside designers Stella Jean and Edward Buchanan, with the collaboration of La Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana.