Backstage Pass At AFWL 2025 : Highlights of What Happened at AFWL 2025

Highlights of What Happened at AFWL 2025

By Moriam Musa

A dazzling celebration of fashion’s most vibrant frontier, Africa Fashion Week London turns 15 this year—and it’s never looked more radiant. From its inception, AFWL has been more than just a runway; it’s been a cultural stage where ancestral heritage dances with contemporary design, and bold voices from across the continent redefine global style codes.

This milestone edition arrives with a spirit of reflection and reinvention. For fifteen years, AFWL has championed emerging designers, amplified African craftsmanship, and created a space where tradition and modernity coexist in perfect rhythm. London’s fashion capital transforms into a living gallery of color, texture, and narrative—where indigo dye pieces from House of Oodua  and futuristic silhouettes from the likes of Dimeji Ilori design studio collide in breathtaking harmony. Beyond the runway, the anniversary season also signals a new chapter: a deeper commitment to sustainability, cultural storytelling, and positioning African fashion not as an alternative, but as a global standard of excellence.

Here are some of the highlights

          Heritage meets high fashion- — Tóté London debuts Saffiano leather handbags at AFWL

Tóté London lit up Africa Fashion Week London with a star-studded showcase. Princess ‘Omooba’ Adesile, famed royal horse rider of Ojude Oba, opened the show in Black Adudu 007 Regalia. Fashion icon Fumi Desalu Vold stunned with the classic tan Ethereal Double Decker bag, while stylist Akinyemi James brought agbada chic to the runway. The brand also unveiled a Style Envie collaboration featuring 100% Saffiano leather handbags—cementing TótéLondon’s status as a symbol of African luxury and global style.

At Africa Fashion Week London, David Wej unveiled his runway collection, “House of Flannels”, as a tribute to his late grandfather, Chief Emmanuel Olukoya Adebanjo, the first Balogun of Omu Ijebu and founder of the iconic House of Flannels fabric store. He described the collection as a modern reinterpretation of the textiles his grandfather once curated—luxury jacquards, regal brocades, and rich damasks—reimagined into contemporary menswear silhouettes, with a runway designed to evoke the grandeur of a heritage fabric gallery.

Audience members described it as “crazy to witness the first-ever fashion collection imagined by @meta.ai and brought to life by Nigerian designer Ifeanyi Nwune.” The groundbreaking showcase, unveiled at Africa Fashion Week London 2025, merged cutting-edge artificial intelligence with bold African creativity. Many in attendance noted that the collaboration marked a defining moment in fashion history, positioning Nwune at the forefront of innovation while proving that technology and tradition can coexist in creating future-ready style.

              Faith, Fashion, and Honouring Friendship: Inside Mary Martin London’s Regal Collection

Mary Martin London unveiled her latest collection, “Queen of All Nations,” at Africa Fashion Week London as a tribute to Her Royal Majesty Queen Ronke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi. Created during her recovery from major surgery, Martin described the collection as a testament to faith, friendship, and creativity. Featuring taffeta, raw silk, and recycled plastics, the highlight was a striking multi-colour gown painted by artist Daphnia Stevenson. Martin said the experience reaffirmed her belief in resilience, divine guidance, and the support of loved ones.