Every year, in partnership with Balenciaga, Africa Fashion Up showcases new generations of African designers, offering them a unique platform on the international stage. This key player in the global luxury industry plays a decisive role here. Founded in 1917 by Cristóbal Balenciaga, this fashion house has established itself as an essential benchmark in French and global haute couture. Its reputation for creative boldness and influence during Fashion Weeks extends from Paris to New York and from Tokyo to Rio.
Through initiatives such as the Best Designer Africa Fashion Up award, the company provides tangible support to the winners as they develop their brands. This role goes far beyond symbolic support; it is part of a broader vision of fashion, in which creativity must be accompanied by a solid organizational structure and the ability to compete in the international market.
By partnering with Africa Fashion Up, the luxury brand reaffirms its commitment to supporting emerging talent and helping to redefine the contours of a contemporary African fashion scene that is more open, more inclusive, and firmly focused on the global stage.
Balenciaga, a century of expertise at the service of the Africa Fashion Up winners
With over a century of history, Balenciaga has established itself as a leading name in the world of luxury and haute couture. But beyond its creative influence, the fashion house also plays an active role in fostering the next generation of talent.
It is precisely in line with this approach that its partnership with Africa Fashion Up. Throughout the event’s many editions, the iconic brand has played a role that goes beyond a symbolic partnership; it has actively engaged with the winners’ journeys. The selected designers benefit from visits to its workshops, engage with experts, and leave with tailored support that lasts several months. This support focuses on learning how to structure a fashion business and develop brands.
The French haute couture house is thus helping to pass on the knowledge it has acquired through years of experience, while assisting emerging brands in their development—whether in terms of positioning, strategy, or international expansion. This direct connection with a fashion house as influential as Balenciaga allows African designers to take a significant step forward. They are moving from artistic recognition to a genuine presence in the global fashion industry.
Share Africa Day at Balenciaga. June 24, 2024, in Paris.
Balenciaga's place in the fashion world
Partnering with Balenciaga represents a significant strategic opportunity for Africa Fashion Up. More than just a partnership, it serves as a catalyst for international visibility. Thanks to its unique position in haute couture, the house enables Africa Fashion Up to establish African designers as key players in the fashion and luxury industries.
This collaboration is fully in line with the brand’s DNA, which places creativity and support for talent at the heart of its strategy. As Cédric Charbit, former Chairman and CEO of Balenciaga and current CEO of Saint Laurent: “Since creative leadership is one of Balenciaga’s core missions, promoting creativity and supporting talent around the world are essential to us.”
This vision is what gives the brand’s partnership with Africa Fashion Up its true meaning. It makes this initiative much more than just a showcase and offers emerging designers the opportunity to take their careers to the next level and professionalize their paths in the world of luxury.
What sets this haute couture house apart
Balenciaga continues to establish itself as one of the leaders in the luxury sector, driven by a strategy that is both bold and perfectly executed. Indeed, the brand maintains its status through its highly publicized fashion shows—particularly during Fashion Week—and its ability to create pieces that always generate a buzz, whether in the press or on social media.
This constant visibility is no accident; it is the result of meticulous brand-building efforts. As proof, every collection, every public statement, and every collaboration is part of a coherent overall vision. The luxury brand goes beyond simply selling clothing. The entity it embodies tells a story, evokes emotion, and shapes a world in which its customers see themselves reflected.
This ability to transcend the product itself also involves collaborations with highly influential figures like Kim Kardashian. By partnering with such high-profile and charismatic personalities, the brand reaches a much wider audience, significantly expanding its reach.
This is precisely what makes this model so impactful for Africa Fashion Up. Beyond creative inspiration, designers have access to a concrete model of success: that of a fashion house capable of transforming an artistic vision into a true brand powerhouse. Understanding how to position oneself in the market, build a strong brand image, and showcase one’s creations is now essential for establishing a lasting presence in the luxury industry.
The Best Designer Award at Africa Fashion Up
The Africa Fashion Up Best Designer Award serves as a major career booster for the winners. It provides them with immediate artistic recognition while enhancing their international profile.
This award recognizes stylistic innovation and creative excellence, while positioning African talent as key players in the future of fashion.
The contribution of Africa Fashion Up and Balenciaga recognized by fashion designers
The Balenciaga–Africa Fashion Up partnership is widely recognized for its value by designers across various African countries. The growing number of participants in each edition speaks volumes about how Africa Fashion Up is perceived within the world of contemporary African fashion.
For the first season in 2021, 54 applications were accepted. The following year, in 2022, the number of African designers wishing to participate in the event more than doubled; there were 129 applicants, representing a 139% increase. The 2023 edition proved more resilient with 132 valid applications, a slight increase of 2.3%.
But in 2024, a new milestone was reached with 193 applications, representing a significant increase of 46.2%. The year 2025 confirmed this momentum with 317 applications. This figure represents a 64.2% increase. The 2026 edition, for which the application deadline was set for April 17, 2026, propelled the event into a whole new dimension with 714 applications from fashion designers and creators from all African countries, representing a spectacular surge of +125.2% compared to 2025.
Conceived as a showcase of excellence, Africa Fashion Up highlights a carefully curated selection of African designers to meet the high standards and exacting requirements of its partners.
One of the key elements of this initiative is Balenciaga’s mentorship program, which is highly appealing to the new generation of designers from the African continent. By sharing its expertise and understanding of the codes of luxury, the fashion house helps designers raise their standards, thereby enabling them to establish themselves in the international market.
This direct connection with a major player in the industry also boosts the program’s media exposure and draws the attention of professionals and the media—both in France and internationally—to the rising stars poised to promote African culture.
A New Era for African Fashion
The strength of its various partnerships leads Valérie Ka, the event’s founder, to say that “Africa Fashion Up was born out of a desire to give African designers the tools to build their brands and meet international standards.”
Blending Afro-futurism and African luxury, these designers no longer simply follow trends: they blend and reinvent them, establishing a new style that is more colorful, richer, more inclusive, and resolutely African.
