Celebrating the diversity of female beauty through tops made in Africa.

LIBAYA is a soon to be launched online fashion brand, specialised in a variety of high quality women’s tops, born and made in Africa. The brand is currently producing in Accra, Ghana, where founder Nsimba Valene Lontanga has been travelling back and forth to the continent and is constantly connecting with local creatives.

LIBAYA is not just an African brand producing and shipping to a global consumer. There is a strong desire to tell and share local style stories, boost female empowerment and celebrate African elegancy.

Set to open in 2017, LIBAYA focuses on producing a variety of high quality tops that will ease daily style decisions whilst carrying an African story at heart. Think of simple, featherweight blouses with an elegant twist, detail or print such as ruffles, bare shoulders or even an elongated over-cuff sleeve. These non-seasonal tops will be exclusive items available and affordable for style conscious yet strong and successful women in an international market.

The collection is currently being produced in a workshop in Accra, Ghana where local tailors and their craftsmanship as well as the founder’s high involvement play an important role in the creative process.

Taken from a Bantu language mainly spoken in DR Congo – Lingala – ‘libaya’ means a traditionally tailored women’s top. Still, it transcends this single definition as ‘libaya’ holds several powerful messages.

“The name also refers to our way of working. There exists this African tailoring culture where passion, details and personality are fundamental and highly valued elements to create a piece that reflects the wearer’s lifestyle and personality”, says founder Nsimba Valene who is of Congolese descent herself. Dutch fashion entrepreneur, fashion inspirer and trend researcher Nsimba Valene aims to enrich people, places and products with meaningful stories and facilitate creative opportunities between Africa and the rest of the world and goes on to say that “LIBAYA is a tribute to our motherland, grandmothers, mothers and sisters who have constantly shared their own stories through their unique and individual style choices and have inspired many of us to be become the women we are today.”

LIBAYA would like to contribute to the fashion development in West and Central Africa and act like an ecosystem by not only working with tailors but also collaborating with industry’s creatives such as models, photographers and stylists within the continent. The creative founder feels that holding a title of ‘fashion made in Africa’, it is important to represent diversity in the fashion industry. LIBAYA focuses on building a fashion community that celebrates the diversity of female beauty by means of highlighting style stories of insightful women through their personal journeys and achievements. The brand hopes that this will encourage and inspire all women to believe and embrace themselves, and use that belief system to fight for their dreams, no matter their backgrounds. LIBAYA links Africa and the West by speaking a language every successful woman understands, which is fashion.

So LIBAYA, welcome you to celebrate this new story with them – inspired by you – through style.

Keep an eye on LIBAYA by following the brand on Instagram (@libaya) or subscribe to their newsletter to stay up to date at www.shop-libaya.com or email them at: contact@shop-libaya.com

Look book images

Model – Georgina Akanlanyabah

Photographer – Amfo Connolly,

Location – Accra.

Nsimba Valene Lontanga – art direction, styling and beauty.

contact her via: www.nsimbavalene.com.

Wazi, the first prescription eyewear brand made in Uganda, launches open call for African artists to design next eyewear collection

Glasses made by Africans for Africans, Wazi has launched an open call for creatives from across the continent to submit ideas for new, Afro-centric eyewear designs Ugandan prescription eyewear company Wazi has launched an open ...

SNEAK PEEK OF THE INSIDE OF A WAXPRINT HOUSE!

Always wondered what it is like actually INSIDE a waxprint african print printhouse IN Africa! Then watch this video here ≥≥ https://youtu.be/vZjNYGD–0c The full video over on my YouTube channel highlights compani...

Lidl Backs Cotton made in Africa

The Cotton made in Africa initiative (CmiA) is now able to significantly boost sales of sustainable cotton from Africa thanks to its partner Lidl, which is primarily working with CmiA to achieve its goal of using 100 percent su...

ABOUT Africa Fashion Guide

Africa Fashion Guide is a sourcing and production consultancy and platform which promotes the full supply chain of the African fashion and textile industry to the greater global textile industry. It is a one stop shop linking African designers, craftspeople, manufacturers and textile designers, and more, with UK and EU fashion design companies and consumer markets, as well as with retailers worldwide.

The Africa Fashion Guide website aims to be THE platform for fashion and textile business in Africa, providing information and news on the full supply chain of the African fashion and textiles industry.

Fashion