past work

Designer Accelerator: 2020 – 2022

The EFI Designer Accelerator focused on the specific needs of African fashion brands ready to push into new global markets that would benefit from additional support to cultivate and sustain business growth. The programme’s 360° business development approach prepared emerging African fashion brands to expand their supply chain, develop & scale their production capacity, and become investment-ready.

Designer Alumni

Laurenceairline

Côte d’Ivoire, 2021-2022 Accelerator

Atelier VO

Benin, 2021-2022 Accelerator

Lukhanyo Mdingi

South Africa, 2020-2021 Accelerator

Katush

Kenya, 2021-2022 Kenya Accelerator

Ohiri Studio

Côte d’Ivoire, 2021-2022 Accelerator

Oudy K

Mali, 2021-2022 Accelerator

Jiamini, Kenya

2020-2021 Accelerator

Rummage Studio

Kenya, 2021-2022 Kenya Accelerator

Kente Gentlemen

Côte d’Ivoire, 2021-2022 Accelerator

Maota Studio

Mali, 2021-2022 Accelerator

Margaux Wong

Burundi, 2020-2021 Accelerator

Hamaji

Kenya, 2021-2022 Kenya Accelerator

Production Support

Brands were assigned a production mentor, with whom one-to-one support meetings took place. The accelerator supported the management and production of the key designs of one collection, manufactured through experienced companies selected within the EFI network. The production programming covered: Sourcing materials Choosing manufacturers within the African continent Establishing communication with suppliers International quality standards Building a sustainable supply chain Shipment and delivery Critical paths Production planning Introduction to legal requirements for raw material testing Creating a production team Costing and pricing Import and export regulations

The production programming covered:
– Sourcing materials
– Choosing manufacturers within the African continent
– Establishing communication with suppliers
– International quality standards
– Building a sustainable supply chain
– Shipment and delivery
– Critical paths
– Production planning
– Introduction to legal requirements for raw material testing
– Creating a production team
– Costing and pricing
– Import and export regulations

Business Processes

The accelerator fast-tracked emerging African designer labels, identifying and strategizing growth and funding opportunities to support the development of a new product, process or service. Seasonal diagnostic business reviews were performed to assess progress and tailor the programme to best suit and benefit the business.

1–1 Mentoring session topics included:

– Financing for fashion business
– Collection planning and design
– Sales, promotion and marketing
– E-commerce & digital strategies
– Social and environmental sustainability
– ESG due diligence
– Working towards the SDGs

Building Brand Value

The programme helped businesses understand investment, develop strategies for maximising brand equity, build a funding proposition and market themselves as an attractive investment proposition to angel investors or VC funds. The programme concludes with an opportunity to pitch to investors at a networking event.

Industry expert workshops and 1-1 mentoring sessions:

– Maximising brand equity
– Brand valuation and proposition
– Funding options – pros and cons
– Building your proposition
– Preparing your business and team
– Legal structure of the investment
– Tax incentives
– Alternative forms of finance
– Funding pitfalls and how to avoid them
– How to prepare a killer pitch

Mentors

Participating brands were painstakingly selected by EFI with the support of Hirofumi Kurino, co-founder and senior advisor for creative direction at United Arrows, and Dakore Egbuson-Akande, UN partner & multiple award-winning film/stage actor, TV personality, vocalist/dancer and humanitarian.

Inside the programme, an expert team provided approximately 2000 hours of masterclasses. Our thanks to:

Hirofumi Kurino, Byron & Dexter Peart, Cristiano Seganfreddo, Carlo D’Amario, Dakore Egbuson Akande, Jennifer Faust, Julie Wynne and Cornelia Mattig, Lucille Mosimann, Head Designer, Marine Serre, Auret van Herrden, Simone Cipriani, Itxaso Lecumberry, Vincent Oduor, Sam Lambert and Shaka Maidoh, Dina Khalil, Nicky Roughan, George Mwangi, Andrew Ondrejcak, Heather Barnes, Alexander Julian, Connie Aluoch, Sadiath Aminou, Oceane Joncoux.

past work

Homeware Accelerator: 2022 – 2023

After several successful terms of the accelerator in Africa, EFI launched a new and first-of-its-kind Accelerator dedicated to homeware designers based in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

This eight-month programme provided interior design brands and designers with tailored support to develop their business model, enhance their sustainability credentials and amplify their creative capacities. The chosen designers received support in a number of areas including production and creative direction, accessing new markets, and building a sustainable enterprise.

The Homeware Accelerator is supported by the European Union and UNESCO.

Brand Alumni

AIKEN

Kazakhstan, 2022-2023 Accelerator

Camel Wool

Turkmenistan, 2022-2023 Accelerator

ORO

Tajikistan, 2022-2023 Accelerator

UYA Nomad

Kyrgyzstan, 2022-2023 Accelerator

Tigran Erdman

Uzbekistan, 2022-2023 Accelerator

Production and Creative Direction

Through their own assigned production mentors, brands receive the help needed to expand their supply chain and scale up their production, source new products and develop their production team. The Accelerator supports the management and production of the first collection.

Accessing New Markets

Brands are supported to launch their collections in new markets following an analysis of their international business potential. Following a thorough analysis of the brand’s international business potential, chosen brands are guided and mentored through the launch of their collections in new markets. Tailored merchandising support is provided, and brands have the opportunity to present at an international event. Over the course of the eight-month Accelerator, brands benefit from visibility on EFI social media platforms, as well as the EFI network, connecting them to new markets and new consumers.

Building a Sustainable enterprise

Embedding sustainable practices into existing business models are a core area of this Accelerator. Brands address how to evaluate their brands against the Environmental, Social and Governance Criteria (ESGs), with EFI’s sustainability framework.

accelerator stories

STORY

African fashion shines at Paris Fashion Week

COLLECTIONS

Horizon: Ethical Fashion Initiative for African brands at Paris Fashion Week

COLLECTIONS

Polimoda partners with the EFI Accelerator to award scholarships to Kenyan fashion designers

COLLECTIONS

Lessons from the Designer Accelerator and what’s next for these 3 designers

COLLECTIONS

A new wave of design talent from Central Asia selected for the EFI Homeware Accelerator

COLLECTIONS

HORIZON SS23 showroom for African brands opens in Paris

COLLECTIONS

West African creatives receive spotlight in our next Designer Accelerator

COLLECTIONS

Spec sheets and prototypes: accelerator training in Nairobi

COLLECTIONS

Three brands selected for Kenya Accelerator

COLLECTIONS

Exclusive: Accelerator Designers at Pitti Uomo

COLLECTIONS

Kenya Accelerator: open call for brands

COLLECTIONS

Announcing the Accelerator Designers 2020

past work

EFI Podcast: 2020 – 2022

Explore the issues driving the ethical fashion conversation with your hosts Simone Cipriani, Head and Founder of the ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative, and sustainable fashion journalist Clare Press in the Ethical Fashion Podcast

Textile Exchange’s Claire Bergkamp on Reducing Fashion's Climate Impacts

The fashion industry’s carbon footprint is massive. According to McKinsey, it’s around 4% of the global total. That’s roughly equivalent to the C02 emissions of the UK, France and Germany combined. Many brands have joined the UNFCC Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, and made commitments in line with the Paris agreement, but there’s a lot of work to do to reduce emissions. Textiles play a key role. What are ‘preferred materials’? How sustainable is cotton? Is recycled polyester the answer? What about the new innovations in biotech fibres? And how can brands and consumers make the best choices, and avoid greenwashing? Textile Exchange is a global non-profit that seeks to positively impact climate through accelerating the use of preferred fibres across the global textile industry. They aim to get the industry to reduce emissions from fibre and material production by 35 – 45%. Can we do it? What will it take? In this info-rich Episode, Simone and Clare ask the expert – Claire Bergkamp, Textile Exchange’s COO.