For years, the retail fashion industry has grown exponentially without much care as to how this growth is impacting the environment. The term "sustainable" serves as a word that suggests the use of recyclable materials, ethical labor practices, and fair trade in the fashion industry. Today, a number of consumers are opting for second-hand and eco-friendly clothing. Below are the ethical and sustainable African fashion brands that are doing the work and caught our eye.

1. Mayamiko

A limited number of printed fabrics from Africa using local artisanal traditions make Mayamiko’s collections oh so special. All of their clothing and accessories are season-less, making you love them all year round. Mayamiko lifts up disadvantaged women out of poverty by nurturing their creative talent in their Fashion Lab in Malawi where they carefully craft each garment. Among many pieces, the Chifundo maxi dress is dedicated and named after one of these wonderful women. The label also turns their scrap fabric into recyclable sanitary pads and donates them to young women in the community so they feel safe and hygienic during their periods. Actress and activist Emma Watson is an official Mayamiko supporter and was proudly wearing their beautiful Laos Dome Earrings on the Ellen Show.

2. Osei Duro

Osei-Duro produces textiles and turns them into stylish contemporary garments in Ghana, India, and Peru. Each item is hand-dyed using traditional techniques such as West African batik, botanical dyeing, block printing, hand painting, wood carving, and many more! The socially responsible brand works with local artisans, designers, and fine artists.

3. Tongoro Studio

Okay, Beyoncé loves Tongoro. Do we need to say more? – Not really, but we will. The 100% Made In Africa label creates statement pieces with the 70s inspired prints for conscious women mainly using silk sourced on the continent. Tongoro’s Afro-boho-chic dresses, ensembles, jackets and more are produced by local tailors in their atelier in Dakar, Senegal. P.S.: Bee looked damn good in the Zanzi Set, obviously!

4. Ahluwalia Studio

Priya Ahluwalia, the London born Indian-Nigerian designer behind the upcycled menswear brand, Ahluwalia Studio, went from a stint at Beyoncé's IVY Park to pursuing a masters in menswear from the University of Westminster. While there, she was challenged to alleviate fashion's problem with waste. Trips to both Lagos, Nigeria and Panipat, India, where she was met with piles of surplus clothes, further ignited a flame in her to attempt to combat the issue. Her Spring/Summer 2019 graduate collection, made in collaboration with the Indian women's union SEWA Delhi, was her answer. The trench coats, oversized denim jackets, and vintage football jerseys were all produced using second hand clothing. She would go on to show at London Fashion Week, be featured in Vogue, win an H&M Design Award, and more recently, collaborate with Adidas Originals. Today, she continues to study the application of ethical methodologies to fashion.

5. Buki Akomolafe

Buki Akomolafe's eponymous Berlin-based contemporary women's clothing line prides itself on a hint of androgyny, meticulous tailoring and high quality eco materials like certified cotton, organic Hemp-Silk, and african wax prints. The line purposefully juxtaposes Europe and the African continent; an homage to Buki's two worlds.

6. Lemlem

You might have seen Liya Kebede starring the cover of prestigious fashion magazines or on the catwalk for well-known designers. And Liya is even more than a successful supermodel from Ethiopia. She is a maternal health advocate and founder of lemlem. The brand offers clothing and accessories for women, men, and kids made by craftswomen across Africa. We find it fascinating how their traditional hand-weaving techniques come to light in lemlem’s African motifs – just like their popular tibeb pattern.

7. Sakina M’Sa

Sakina M’Sa was born in Comores, graduated from L’institut Supérieur de Mode in Marseille and now lives in Paris. Meanwhile, her name has become a statement in the contemporary Africa-inspired French fashion world. You can find her bold pieces in her own eco-fashion boutique & workshop Front de Mode located in the Haut-Marais district. In here, you can also find over 50 other eco-friendly brands. 

8. Afriek

Afriek is a Dutch brand made in Africa. For each collection, the designers work closely together with local tailors in their atelier in Kigali, Rwanda. Here, every personal input from everyone counts equally. This results in African-inspired styles and colorful patterns with the name of the tailor in (almost) all items.

9. Akoma 1260

Ghana X Colombia: the ethical luxury fashion label Akoma 1260 uses handmade African fabrics and responsibly crafts them into exclusive ready-to-wear garments in Colombia. Founder Stephanie focuses on tailored outerwear for women with a modern edge, aiming to express the cultural heritage of both Africa and her home country Colombia.

10. Arraei Collective

With a simple and conscious lifestyle in mind, the South African designer and artist Natalie Florence decided to create a capsule collection of 5 timeless pieces using predominantly hemp – one of the world’s most sustainable resources. This way, she wishes to bring people and nature closer together. Under fair conditions, the entire collection is handcrafted in Vancouver, Canada.

11. Suave Kenya

Suave Kenya creates eccentric leather goods, backpacks and accessories from materials like kitenge and denim. Founder Mohamed Awale has been turning waste into quintessential items for traveling around Nairobi since 2014. The sustainable brand, whose products are created with unwanted fabrics and leathers, offers a variety of bold or subtle prints and patterns.

12. Studio 189

Ghanaian designer Abrima Erwiah co-founded eco-friendly label Studio 189 with actress Rosario Dawson. Together they work with local artisans in Accra to produce garments. The craftsmen use plant based dye, hand-batik and kente weaving. The brand partners with the United Nations ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative, NYU School of Business and has worked with LVMH and Net a Porter.

13. Olooh Concept

Kadar Diaby is the auditor who doubles as a photographer and the creator of Olooh Concept—an ode to Ivorian artisans. Where female workers in the commune of Treichville dye the eco-linen used for the clothing, the bronze buttons seen are made in the commune of Grand Bassam's artisanal center. The wide-brimmed wicker hats and leather sandals featured also hail from Abidjan. "Olooh" which signifies "Our" in the Senufo language is influenced by Ivory Coast, Morocco, and the creator's exposure to the West. It is a boundless passion project aimed at clothing both women and men.

14. Artesan

For the past few months, Anne-Lise Fotso has been working collaboratively with female artisans from the Fondation Jean-Félicien Gacha in Cameroon to build the brand, ARTESAN. ARTESAN is a handmade clothing brand that incorporates African traditional beadwork and delivers both high-fashion and culture fusion. It aims to bridge the gap between African makers and consumers, through authentic stories. The first capsule collection is comprised of a repurposed army jacket and workwear clothing with embroidered beading.