Skip to content
Sign In Subscribe
Financial Times — World — Recycling & Upcycling — Retail Sector — Style — Fashion

The African designers turning western waste into fashion statements

Creatives in Africa are upcycling discarded items into desirable clothes, making powerful statements about the industry and drawing attention to the impact of throwaway culture on their local industries.

1 min read
  • Creatives are upcycling discarded items destined for landfill into desirable clothes in Africa.
  • 40% of the discarded items usually end up in a landfill in Ghana.
  • The arrival of bales of old garments to places such as Ghana, Kenya and Uganda has damaged many local textile industries.
  • $211mn of used clothes was exported to Ghana in 2021.
  • A handful of entrepreneurs across Africa are turning textile waste into new, inspiring fashion.
The African designers turning western waste into fashion statements
Creatives are upcycling discarded items into desirable clothes — and drawing attention to the impact of throwaway culture on their local industries
Financial TimesMary Holland

More in World

More from Financial Times

Latest