After a decade building her eponymous brand in New York, designer Tia Adeola is now relocating her entire supply chain to Nigeria. Her Fall/Winter 2025 collection, titled From Lagos with love, will highlight local artisans and Nigerian craft, including cowrie shell beadwork and screen printed Ankara on satin. Adeola is also working with local creative talent, from models and photographers to hair and makeup teams.

“It made sense to bring my 10 years of experience in New York back home and reinvest that knowledge and those resources in Lagos,” she says. “There’s so much talent here, but the infrastructure hasn’t caught up yet. Many people don’t even have phones with cameras, so I had to be physically present every day, checking every piece myself. It’s been challenging, but it’s also rewarding because by showing up, I’m helping to build something that lasts.”

Adeola joins a wave of brands intent on building the local infrastructure across West Africa, laying the foundation for it to emerge as a sourcing market for fashion. It is a mammoth and complex task, but this generation of designers believes there’s an opportunity to bring the region’s rich textiles heritage to the global stage, from traditional indigo dye pits to cutting-edge pattern making techniques.

International luxury brands are beginning to take notice. Anya Hindmarch collaborated with Lagos-based Dye Lab in 2023 on hand-dyed kaftan dresses. Karl Lagerfeld, in partnership with its sustainability ambassador Amber Valletta and the Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI), introduced a limited-edition tote bag made from fabrics handwoven in Burkina Faso and crafted in Kenya. In Ghana, DTRT Apparel Group is producing garments for international brands with backing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to expand sustainable textile manufacturing across the region.

Karl Lagerfeld, in partnership with sustainability ambassador Amber Valletta and the EFI, introduced a limited-edition tote bag.

Photo: Courtesy of the EFI

As brands look to diversify away from Asia-centric supply chains, a trend accelerated by trade tensions and tariffs, Africa is being positioned as an alternative manufacturing base. Regions such as North Africa (notably Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt) have become hubs for fast-turnaround apparel production, while East Africa (particularly Ethiopia and Kenya) has attracted investment in large-scale garment manufacturing.

This move comes with risk, however. Bangladesh offered similar promise in the 1990s; low costs, trade preferences and developmental potential. Cambodia and Vietnam followed in the 2000s. Each time, initial optimism about ethical development eventually gave way to familiar patterns: downward pressure on wages, weak labor protections and brands prioritizing cost over conditions. West Africa currently has minimum wages ranging from $44 per month (Nigeria), compared with Bangladesh’s $113 per month and living wage estimates of between $250 and $320 per month in urban manufacturing zones, according to 2023 data from the Fair Labor Association.

Many African countries currently have less developed labor regulations and limited union presence in the apparel sector, raising questions about whether the continent’s growing role in garment production may replicate the race to the bottom dynamics previously seen across Asia. “We’re watching this closely,” says Sarah Kraak, research director at the Worker Rights Consortium.

There are also logistical constraints. West Africa’s garment manufacturing industry remains largely underdeveloped, leading to smaller scale production and unpredictable lead times. Although many West African countries grow cotton, for example, most of it is exported as a raw fiber rather than being processed domestically into yarn, fabric and finished garments. Power reliability, port congestion and limited technical training continue to restrict scale.

“Although boasting enormous potential, the African textile industry still requires the restructuring and streamlining of industrial processes,” says Vikas Budhiraja, head of marketing at Arise Textile Park & Apparel, a regional hub focused on sustainable industrialization and value chain development. “To fill this gap, we need to ensure control over all factors crucial for building a sustainable ecosystem — raw material availability, power, skilling, logistics, nearshoring, customer networks and government policy implementation.”

That said, the region offers proximity to European and US markets via Atlantic ports, and a growing ecosystem of vertically integrated facilities like DTRT. Countries like Ghana, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire are also benefiting from intra-African trade frameworks such as the AfCFTA, which reduce tariffs and encourage cross-border production networks.

While Western brands may be hesitant due to informal supply structures, language barriers and relationship-driven operations, local brands say these gaps can be bridged with trust, social infrastructure and a respect for communal craftsmanship. Local industry voices say there’s an opportunity to build a sourcing hub that celebrates Africa’s rich creative heritage, but stress that it will require global brands to engage with long-term commitments rather than short-term optics. As sustainability scholar and just transition expert Dr. Hakan Karaosman notes, examples such as Vivienne Westwood’s Made in Kenya collaborations, Africa Collect Textiles (which is developing circular ecosystems for fashion in Kenya and Nigeria) and Lagos Fashion Week (which has just been named one of the winners of The Earthshot Prize 2025) show that ethical, locally grounded production models already exist across the continent.

“The infrastructure has strong foundations, it just needs recognition and belief,” says Rukky Ladoja, co-founder of Dye Lab, a small-batch craft brand based in Nigeria. “It’s sustainable, heritage-driven and ready for global markets.”

Photo: Courtesy of Dye Lab

Leading the charge

One of the biggest challenges in West Africa has traditionally been that many workshops are based in rural communities where infrastructure is still developing. Local entrepreneurs and craft-led brands are finding solutions. Studio 189, a fashion brand based between Ghana and the US that produces African-inspired apparel, partners with artisanal cooperatives across Ghana to create jobs, provide skills training, and invest in dye houses and weaving collectives that strengthen local production capacity.

NKWO, a Nigerian label pioneering sustainable design through textile recycling and its signature Dakota handwoven fabric made from upcycled waste, is developing a digital platform to map and connect small-scale artisans, tailors and textile recyclers, bridging the gap between informal craft communities and larger fashion supply chains. Through this ecosystem approach, the brand demonstrates how technology and tradition can combine to reduce waste and empower local makers within a transparent, traceable network.

Iamisigo — the brand first founded in 2009 by Bubu Ogisi, which won Zalando’s 2025 Visionary Award, securing its place on the official Copenhagen Fashion Week schedule — is another compelling example of West Africa’s homegrown approach. Rather than relying on large-scale factories, the brand invests in decentralized artisanal capacity, partnering with community-led hubs and independent master artisans across Nigeria and its sourcing countries. This model allows for quality control and transparency, while simultaneously building cultural infrastructure.

Iamisigo has partnered with global brands such as Victoria’s Secret and Zalando, while retaining complete creative control over sourcing and production. The brand’s priority remains intracontinental collaborations that reinforce the African creative economy. “West Africa is not an alternative to other manufacturing regions; it is our primary source of creative and production identity,” says a spokesperson for Iamisigo. The brand’s position is that, while unit costs are higher due to handcrafting and logistical complexity, the value of narrative, craft and social impact far outweighs external sourcing considerations.

Togo’s Adetikope Industrial Platform project transforms local raw materials such as cotton, cashew and soybeans into value-added products, creates thousands of jobs, attracts investment and advances Togo’s national industrialization strategy. Similar initiatives are emerging across the region: in Ghana, DTRT is expanding vertically integrated garment manufacturing with IFC backing, while Ethical Apparel Africa and other local operators are upgrading facilities and training to meet international export standards. Together, these efforts signal that while large-scale infrastructure gaps remain, the foundations for a regional manufacturing ecosystem are rapidly taking shape.

“These ongoing partnerships have provided assistance with incentives for initial skilling, wage subsidies, tax benefits and duty-free imports of raw materials, machinery and accessories,” says Budhiraja. Initiatives such as the International Trade Center’s (ITC) Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) demonstrate how this support translates into practice, linking West African textile cooperatives, including Faso Dan Fani weavers in Burkina Faso with brands like Karl Lagerfeld. For international labels, these measures reduce costs and make local investment and production more appealing, creating stronger opportunities to collaborate with regional manufacturers and artisans. ITC also provides data on trade measures, helping companies understand the changing tariff landscape, and has established production hubs across countries like Kenya, Burkina Faso, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire

On the ground, challenges remain. “We face challenges with everything, from unstable electricity to finding the right fabrics,” says Vanessa Erogbogbo, director of the ITC’s sustainable and inclusive trade division. “We often have to look abroad for alternatives, meaning we pay higher tariffs adding to the pressure on small manufacturers. It slows down production and makes it harder to grow.” Erogbogbo adds: “We work to support product and market diversification, which is always a good strategy to build resilience and help companies cope with trade shocks.”

Growth, but not at the cost of identity

As international brands increasingly seek partnerships with local, vertically integrated labels that source and produce within the region, African designers are navigating how to align global demand with local values. Protecting intellectual property, strengthening artisan networks and sustaining community-led production models are key to ensuring that growth doesn’t come at the cost of identity.

Nigerian fashion label This Is Us begins its production in Katsina with handwoven Funtua cotton and ends it in Lagos after dyeing in the centuries-old Kofar Mata pits of Kano. The founders trace their cotton from seed to textile, ensuring every stage is rooted in Nigerian craftsmanship. “We pay well and maintain close personal relationships. I know the families of our artisans. That relationship of respect keeps us going,” says This Is Us co-founder Osione Itegboje. Collaborations with creative communities inspired its everyday line Uniform Wear. Beyond clothing, the brand actively preserves and innovates traditional practices, from indigo dyeing to shibori and cassava printing techniques.

This Is Us dyes handwoven Funtua cotton in the centuries-old Kofar Mata pits of Kano.

Photo: Courtesy of This is Us

As international fashion brands become more interested in partnering with West African garment manufacturers and artisans, there are necessary considerations around cultural appropriation. “Sometimes, proof of success is when everyone’s copying you — then you know what you have is valuable,” ITC’s Erogbogbo says. “But at the same time, we have to make sure that African design and African intellectual property is protected.” To address this, ITC is working with the World Intellectual Property Organization to provide intellectual property support to African fashion brands, helping them protect their designs while maintaining the visibility and attribution they deserve in international collaborations.

Dye Lab is similarly vigilant about cultural preservation. The brand experiments with dyeing techniques to create modern products that balance practicality with artisanal sensibility, such as through its Anya Hindmarch kaftan collaboration. “The problem arises when designs are copied outright without compensation or attribution. Our mission is to educate audiences on heritage, patterns and artisanal practices,” says Dye Lab co-founder Ozzy Etomi. By prioritizing transparency and fair compensation, brands can help preserve cultural integrity while creating authentic, contemporary expressions that honor their sources.

Despite challenges around infrastructure and protecting local identity, industry experts emphasize that West Africa is ready for long-term, ethical and visionary partnerships that celebrate its unique craft ecosystem. “There are so many materials and local crafts emerging — things that Africans have known for a long time that get ‘discovered’ and create buzz and excitement,” says Erogbogbo. “When you see African design, it’s like, ‘Wow, this is bringing value to the mix.’ That’s what’s exciting — you surprise people and change their perceptions.”