Bold Designs, Green Futures: Nairobi Fashion Week 2025 Highlights African Innovation in Regenerative Fashion

The fashion industry is a major contributor to textile waste and carbon emissions with billions lost each year due to the underutilization of clothes and lack of recycling. It is estimated that the sector produces around 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually, which is equivalent to a rubbish truck full of clothes being dumped every second. In addition, the industry is also responsible for about 10percent of global carbon emissions, which is more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. When it comes to the impact of second-hand clothes or mitumbas, it is estimated that in recent years over 300 million items of damaged or unsellable clothing made of synthetic – or plastic – fibers are exported to Kenya annually where they end up dumped, land filled or burned, exacerbating the plastic pollution crisis.

With the global fashion industry accounting for significant environmental challenges, the urgency for regenerative fashion has never been more critical.

The Kenyan fashion industry is increasingly making strides toward sustainability, with a growing awareness of the environmental and social impacts of traditional fashion practices. As the global fashion industry faces an urgent need to adopt sustainable practices, African designers are leading the charge by integrating regenerative fashion principles that go beyond simply reducing environmental harm. Season Seven of the Nairobi Fashion Week shone a spotlight on the next generation of designers who are redefining fashion for a more sustainable and restorative future.

Among the Kenyan designers who showcased include:

Eva Wambutu, A sustainable fashion designer who believes that sustainability in fashion is all about creating responsibly—minimizing waste, repurposing materials, and producing garments that have longevity. For her, sustainability goes beyond environmental impact to include ethical production, skill-building, and innovative approaches that ensure fashion contributes to both cultural and economic growth and she showcases this by repurposing waste fabric using techniques like cording, appliqué, bleaching, and sanding to create new textiles. These fabrication methods are developed and taught within the workshop, ensuring continuous innovation. She also works with organic fabrics such as denim, linen, cotton, and raw silk to produce collections that align with sustainable fashion principles.

Kyllie Muchiri of Merkeba brand believes that sustainability is all about ensuring that the ecosystems serves a people ethically, allowing them to truly live in their higher self fashionably.

Merkeba shows sustainability by repurposing fabrics from Gikomba to make their products. In addition, they host at rhythm and thread which  is a safe spaces where fashion enthusiasts up-cycle their old clothes while learning and developing their art skills.  This helps us spread awareness on sustainable fashion and expression.

Maisha by Nisria is a non-profit fashion and design studio from Nakuru Kenya that creates unique and handmade clothes from upcycled materials. Maisha offers a unique approach to fashion; they challenge the linear treatment of unused textiles by employing upcycling and creative reuse, to transform old clothing and fabrics into contemporary fashion pieces.

Tatiana Teixeira the founder of Afro Wema a beacon of sustainable fashion, weaving together culture, creativity, and conservation. The inspiration to start the project came from her time volunteering in Kibera, where Tatiana saw immense artistic talent that lacked opportunities.

She desired to merge sustainability with cultural storytelling, giving artisans a global platform while promoting ethical fashion. Their designs incorporate upcycled denim from Kibera, ethically sourced cotton from Tosheka, and Kitenge fabrics from different African regions, ensuring minimal waste and supporting local economies. Additionally, we work with artisans, providing fair wages and training opportunities to help uplift marginalized communities.

Jewellery and accessories brand Apar Gadek also added a unique flair to the event. Led by designer Shirley Anyango in collaboration with artisans from Kibera, Apar Gadek offers distinctive pieces made from materials like brass, recycled glass beads, and upcycled cow horn and bone, each item telling its own story. Shirley ensures that her jewelry is created from the highest quality possible using these recycled materials and she educates buyers on the environment and the need to buy sustainable items.

LA OCULTA: is another fashion house that’s has a fascinating journey through the cultural crossroads between Colombia and Africa. Inspired in the deep-rooted connections that link these two magical places, LA OCULTA is a women’s clothing and accessories brand that blends geographically distant materials, unique craftsmanship and a palette of neutral colors in a minimalist and timeless designs. The brand is deeply committed to both the environment and our community and strives to minimize their ecological footprint by employing sustainable, natural, and recycled processes, inputs, and materials in all our operations. They also take pride in working hand in hand with artisan communities, driving a social and transformative impact.