Fifteen years on, Addis Ababa sharpens its focus and looks inward

Hub of Africa Fashion Week (HAFW) has never been about spectacle. Founded by Mahlet Teklemariam, it is an intimate, boutique platform built on care, conversation, and genuine human connection. Today, it stands as the third-largest fashion platform on the African continent, yet its strength has never come from scale alone. Its power lies in proximity: between designers and audiences, between makers and materials, between fashion and lived experience.

Held in January, HAFW in Addis Ababa comes at a significant moment in Ethiopia’s cultural and spiritual calendar. As an Orthodox country, January follows Christmas celebrations, when the diaspora returns home in large numbers. The fashion week is filled with reunions, shared meals, and a renewed sense of energy. Placing the fashion week in the heart of the city at this time was deliberate: the warmth, energy, and accessibility of Addis allowed audiences to flow in naturally, creating a room that felt present, engaged, and connected. In this moment of return, fashion becomes more than an event; it becomes a gathering.

Space to share

In an industry often defined by scale and spectacle, the choice of Hub of Africa Fashion Week to focus feels radical. Ethiopia has never lacked skill — weaving, embroidery, leatherwork, and textile knowledge run deep here. What has often been missing is context: the time and space to sit with the work, to hear its story, and to connect it to real possibilities. The 2026 edition, Rewired, gave that space. Runways slowed. Presentations became deliberate. Designers were given room to speak, explain, and simply be present alongside their work.

The week was structured to reflect creative growth. Designers from the Creative DNA (CDNA) programme, such as Re. Colored Lab and Bere Har, exhibited the journeys and mentorships that shaped their early practice. Emerging designers Dagmawit, Mehon, and Dann followed, revealing two to three years of development and refinement. Established Ethiopian designers Mafi Mafi and Samra Leather Luxury then joined, alongside selected designers from across the continent, creating dialogue, inspiration, and exchange.

This sense of intention extended beyond the runway. Through the Core Roundtable Talks and the Fashion Tour, developed with Strategic Fashion Facilitator and Entrepreneur Linda Murithi, designers and guests explored growth, collaboration, and sustainability. Visiting workshops and production spaces grounded the week in reality, reminding everyone that fashion begins long before it reaches an audience. These moments felt less like programming and more like shared learning.

Care and clarity

While HAFW continues to serve a B2C audience — connecting designers directly with consumers — this edition also laid the groundwork for a more strategic, curated model planned for 2027. For international guests, the difference was immediate. TInstead of a fast-paced spectacle, they encountered a thoughtfully paced experience shaped by care and presence. Designers were accessible, conversations unhurried, and creativity met with genuine warmth. Addis Ababa revealed itself not as a transactional fashion destination, but as a living, breathing creative community.

The collections themselves reflected this care and clarity. Samra Luxury Leather opened the week with quiet confidence, celebrating Ethiopia’s rich leather heritage and the craftsmen behind every bag. Naked Ape, back for its third showing, offered knitwear inspired by tribal patterns, quietly powerful and rooted in heritage. Ejiro Amos Tafiri from Nigeria presented timeless designs that let women feel elegant and strong, while Mantsho, appearing for the third time and following her 2018 H&M collaboration, showcased bold prints and a confident, unmistakable voice. Ethiopian label Mafi Mafi continued to transform handwoven textiles into youthful, luxurious garments while supporting local weavers.

For the second year of HAFW’s collaboration with Moscow Fashion Week, Russian designer Ermilov presented his Shades of Grey collection, combining the comfort and heritage of 19th-century Russian garments — camisoles, sutures, and zip ons — with modern cuts, creating structured, timeless silhouettes.

Emerging Ethiopian designers brought fresh energy: Asharo blended leather and woven prints with bold lettering, reflecting urban youth culture, while Meti (Metii Upcycled) reinvented denim and lace into creative, playful statements.

Guests departed with a deeper understanding of Ethiopian fashion — handwoven textiles, printed fabrics, embroidery, and leatherwork — and of the values behind it: humility, care, and respect for the people and traditions that shape every piece. They saw a fashion community that honors its heritage while nurturing the talent working quietly behind the scenes.

Looking ahead, Rewired demonstrates the strength of clarity, curation, and thoughtful presentation. Fifteen years of learning — observing growth, nurturing talent, and listening closely — have shaped a clear path forward. Rewired is not simply a theme; it represents a way of thinking about fashion weeks: intentional, deliberate, and built for lasting impact.

Hub of Africa Fashion Week is not reinventing itself. It is refining. Moving from spectacle to strategy, from visibility to opportunity, and from aspiration to action, while preserving the warmth and authenticity that make Addis Ababa’s fashion community distinct.