How Mai Atafo built a fashion empire
Nigerian fashion designer Mai Atafo is expanding his luxury brand, focusing on high-end bespoke tailoring and bridal wear. He aims to elevate African fashion on the global stage, drawing inspiration from international luxury houses.
Why it matters
It showcases the growth of the African luxury fashion industry and its increasing influence on global style and red-carpet culture.
From his razor-sharp bespoke tailoring and luxury bridal wear to creating red-carpet looks for some of Africa’s biggest stars, Nigerian fashion designer Mai Atafo has built a brand around exclusivity. Now, he is immersed in preparations for a Lagos fashion show coming later this month. After pulling off an outstanding 90-minute show in Lagos in 2023, that had 800 people sitting front row, with 50 models wearing 83 outfits and walking on six lanes, he plans on outdoing himself this October. “It’s got to be bigger, better,” he told CNN’s Larry Madowo in Lagos. Naomi Campbell Having a standout fashion show is on brand for Atafo, who in April 2019 had supermodel Naomi Campbell, a long-time champion of African design, grace his runway during the ARISE Fashion Week show in Lagos. It came as a surprise to him.
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