Fortune News | Jan 03,2025
On March 21, the British Embassy hosted the third Creative DNA Ethiopia (CDNA) gathering in collaboration with Creative Hub and Ice Addis, bringing together designers, creatives, and fashion enthusiasts for the closing moment of an eight-day residency that celebrated exchange, experimentation, and collaboration. The event supported Ethiopia’s creative community by endorsing artists, strengthening local talent, and building bridges between East Africa and the United Kingdom. More than a closing ceremony, the evening felt like a reflection of what becomes possible when creative spaces are intentionally opened for dialogue and learning.
Guests filled the embassy compound dressed in carefully chosen attire that echoed the atmosphere of the room itself. Designers, stylists, models, and cultural practitioners arrived not only as attendees but as participants in a shared moment of recognition. The gathering reflected the diversity and ambition of Ethiopia’s growing fashion scene, where expression is increasingly becoming a language of identity, experimentation, and cultural pride. The presence of international guests alongside local creatives reinforced the programme’s central message: creativity thrives through exchange.
Through the residency, creatives gained access to opportunities that promoted cultural dialogue while championing equality, diversity, and inclusion. Ten Ethiopian designers joined visiting designers from Kenya, Brazil, London, and Argentina for eight days of learning from one another’s creative methods and cultural perspectives. The closing event served as a platform to reflect on what they gained during their time together. Multiple panel discussions gave stage for different voices to speak openly about their experiences, discoveries, and challenges within their own creative journeys.
Renata Brenha, a Brazilian designer, based in London, shared how one of the defining inspirations behind her brand came from a visit to Mexico, where she encountered the indigenous communities using leaves as raw material for garments. Being exposed to that indigenous knowledge reshaped the way she expressed designing.
Right away returned to London, she began searching for a similar material she could access locally, but this time discarded cloth, which was abundant. That discovery invited creativity in upcycling waste textiles. Her story became one of the lessons in that evening, innovation often begins with paying attention to the surroundings.
Her reflection resonated strongly in the Ethiopian realities, rich with multiple natural and cultural resources, yet limited innovation and creativity based on locally available materials. Many local designs still rely heavily on imported items, even for the smallest components such as buttons. This dependence highlights both a challenge and an opportunity. With the right investment in knowledge, experimentation, and infrastructure, local production systems could expand in ways that strengthen both the creative industry and the value chain surrounding it.
A creative economy to thrive begins with initiatives that empower people, and CDNA continues to do exactly this by creating spaces where designers with different background come together and share best practices so that they can achieve their creative aspirations.
Among the designers who represent this connection between tradition and experimentation is Besufikad Geleta Bere, co-founder of BERE HAR and the second generation continuing the legacy of a brand originally founded by his father, Geleta Bere. The story of the brand’s beginnings remains one of a curiosity and imagination. While listening to the radio, his father got an insight of making cloth from silkworms. That moment of discovery end up with the creation of a silk-focused Ethiopian brand whose garments are now worn even by the Prime Minister.
Its production process begins with the cultivation of castor and mulberry plants, which are used to feed silkworms. The cocoons produced through this process are then transformed into silk threads. BERE HAR blends luxury silk production with indigenous craftsmanship, integrating Dorze weaving traditions with natural dyes and ethical production methods, a testament where curated brand goes beyond aesthetics.
Along the way, BERE HAR’s brand national recognition highlights how it has brought traditional local silk craftsmanship into the national spotlight while showcasing the value of locally produced materials to heritage-based fashion.
Another voice shaping the conversation around Ethiopian fashion today is Amanuel Atle, founder of QENA AFRIKA. His work blends Ethiopian heritage with global streetwear influences and modern silhouettes that speak directly to younger audiences. Rooted in confidence, community, and cultural reawakening, the brand explores what Ethiopian identity can look like in a contemporary urban life style. For Amanuel, fashion became a natural medium of expression after he began searching for ways to translate his interest in design into something tangible. When he studied the local market more closely, he noticed a shortage of menswear options, which encouraged him to develop a brand to fill the gap. He also found the fashion industry welcoming and full of opportunities.
During the event, conversations continued beyond the panels. Backstage, models spoke openly about their hopes as the fashion industry continues to thrive in Addis Abeba. Among them was Sarah Yar Mayen, 25 South Sudanese model who moved to Ethiopia to pursue her career despite her parents’ disapproval of her decision. Her story reflected the determination shared by many young creatives who see Addis Abeba as a space where artistic ambitions can take shape even when support systems are still developing.
Although the fashion industry in Ethiopia has grown steadily over the years, with active engagement of young designers and a wider range of creative expressions, the market itself remains relatively unchanged. Access, affordability, and infrastructure continue to influence how designers build sustainable careers. Creative and cultural advisor, Amanuel S. Getahun, working closely with many local designers, reflected on this reality during the event. He explained that much of his wardrobe consists of locally designed pieces as a signal to value local creativity. For him, supporting designers becomes easier when that value is visible and personal.
Yet one of the most pressing challenges facing designers today is the global fashion dynamism reflected with mass-produced garments that can reshape growing consumption habits in offering price alternatives with a potential to stifle local creativity and talents.
Competitive market remained a challenge for many other African countries as well. The continent has increasingly become a destination for large volumes of second-hand clothing from Western countries, creating additional pressure on local production systems. As a result, designers must compete not only with global brands but also with imported clothing that enters the market at very low prices. This double burden makes it harder for emerging designers to build stable production cycles and sustain long-term growth.
Despite these challenges, there remains a strong sense of optimism among the designers who participated in the residency. Programmes like Creative DNA Ethiopia demonstrated that investing in people, collaboration, and shared knowledge can strengthen the foundation of a creative economy. Even when growth appears gradual, it continues to move forward through the commitment of designers, models, advisors, and cultural organizers who believe in the future of Ethiopian fashion industry.
PUBLISHED ON
Mar 28,2026 [ VOL
26 , NO
1352]
Fortune News | Jan 03,2025
Viewpoints | Apr 18,2026
Fortune News | Oct 27,2024
View From Arada | Jun 04,2022
Commentaries | Oct 26,2024
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
May 9 , 2026
The Ethiopian state appears to have discovered a fiscal instrument that is politicall...
May 2 , 2026
By the time Ethiopia's National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) reached the end of its fir...
Apr 25 , 2026
In a political community, official speeches show what governments want their citizens...
For much of the past three decades, Ethiopia occupied a familiar place in the Western...
Loading your updates...