Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX), an intervention by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to promote Africa’s creative and cultural industries, has announced a partnership with Tranoï, organisers of international fashion events, to showcase Spring/Summer collections by 35 African fashion designers at the Paris and Japan fashion weeks.
Under the partnership, 15 African designers will get an opportunity to present their creations at Tranoï Tokyo during the Japan Fashion Week that will be held at Yoyogi National Stadium
on September 3 and 4, 2025.
An additional 20 African designers will be exhibiting in the next edition of Tranoï Paris from October 2 to 5, 2025 at the Palais Brongniart, during the Paris Fashion Week. Out of the 20 designers participating in Tranoï Paris, three will be selected by a jury of industry experts to
take part in an exclusive fashion show at the Palais Brongniart, on Friday October 3, 2025.
This opportunity is open to designers or fashion brands of African origin from Africa or based in the diaspora, who will need to present a ready-to-wear collection with a strong creative signature. They will also need to have an ethical and/or innovative approach to the design process; as well as at least two collections to their credit and a commercial presence (website, points of sale or e-commerce). Participation in Tranoï Paris or Tranoï Tokyo is a unique opportunity for African designers to
boost their profile globally. The selected designers will benefit from exclusive support, including a dedicated sales team and exclusive contact with buyers, media and fashion industry in professionals in the CANEX pavilions at the Paris and Tokyo editions. Interested designers are required to submit their applications online via a dedicated platform (https://www.tranoi.com/e/tranoi-x-canex) before May 15, 2025.
Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra African Trade and Export
Development, Afreximbank, said, “We are excited to join hands with Tranoï to create new opportunities for African fashion design talent to access the global fashion markets and unlock new international markets. Through this initiative, we are bringing to life our ambitions aimed at tapping into the opportunities presented by the creative economy in Africa as a driver of development.”
CANEX is designed to address challenges faced by Africa’s creative economy by providing access to international markets, financing, training and mentorship opportunities. It aims to
integrate Africa’s creative economy into the global value chain.
