The Internet has been a huge boon to the African fashion industry affording greater exposure and the broader distribution channels of e-commerce. At the forefront of capitalizing on this development are a handful of African women-led businesses, whose talented leaders are simultaneously advancing and transforming the African fashion industry. Nisha Kanabar, a Tanzanian of Indian descent, built Industrie Africa in 2018, along with Georgia Bobley, to challenge the stereotypical constructs and bias of what people perceive African fashion to be. Ghana-born fashion tech entrepreneur, Pinaman Owusu-Banahene, brings her background in public policy together with her love for fashion in Africa in running ADJOAA – a one-stop shop for consumers looking to purchase garments that value sustainability and are from young design talents in Africa. Based between New York City and Cape Town, Amira Rasool has nurtured The Folklore into an e-commerce company that gives a diverse range of brands the tools they need to reach their customers. Nigeria’s Aderonke Ajose-Adeyemi is the founder of Losode Inc., a multi-hyphenated e-commerce platform that places itself between fashion designers and brands that make affordable clothing and accessories in Sub-Saharan Africa, and buyers or merchandisers. Like almost every success story in fashion, Elorm Dela-Seshie was introduced to an appreciation for clothing at a young age.
