BY Nkosazana Ngwadla
Based in Johannesburg, Nigerian fashion writer Modupe Oloruntoba’s platform exemplifies these constructive shifts.
Amongst many things, Modupe Oloruntoba defines herself as a fashion journalist and consultant. Exercising a remarkable breadth and depth of her knowledge base that encompasses design and fashion business, Oloruntoba is also the founder and editor of African Fashion Weekly. Leading with a transformative mandate, the online publication defines itself as an “on-the-ground conversation about Africa’s fashion industries”.
Dedicated to relevant information that captures the culture, this platform stands out in its focus on connecting happenings in African fashion to the global climate. Not only does it position African fashion as relevant within the global canon of fashion, Oloruntoba herself asserts: “AFWeekly is in a position to join the global conversation from a perspective that puts Africa first”
Adopting a resourceful, Business-to-Business approach to building a voice in fashion media, African Fashion Weekly also includes a curated list of external sources. In addition to pioneering African Fashion Weekly and her bylines in Refinery29, GQ South Africa and InStyle, Oloruntoba’s enviable portfolio includes consultancy with the United Nations’s Ethical Fashion Initiative.
“I started out thinking that to help African fashion contribute to lifting the continent in a measurable way, I needed to attack the perception that creative industries in general and fashion in particular aren’t attractive ‘serious’ investments. The idea that creatives aren’t pragmatic enough, that culture and consumers are too fickle, and fashion is a ‘women’s interest’ thing that doesn’t have scalable business potential outside the global luxury sector.
Those things need changing, but my focus has shifted to equipping and enabling African fashion stakeholders to better navigate increasingly challenging market conditions. If they succeed, they’ll change that perception themselves. I still have plenty to learn about how to do that, but I can show my work and learn in community, Modupe said.
Image: LinkedIn
