Rungano Rwedu, as a current participant of the British Council’s Creative DNA programme will be showcasing their designs at Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL) 2025, scheduled for August 9-10 at Space House, London.
The fashion house founded by Rumbidzai Samantha Matemachani embodies the rich cultural heritage and craftsmanship of Zimbabwe through its artisans. Rumbidzai draws inspiration from her surroundings, including landscape, practices, culture, basketry, environment, natural resources and phenomenon.
This international fashion showcase will feature a dedicated British Council catwalk presentation and an exhibition pavilion, spotlighting some of Africa’s most innovative early-stage designers. The initiative provides these designers with new international connections and access to new markets, while also creating opportunities for cross-cultural learning, collaboration, and business growth.
Rumbidzai will be joined by nine other designers from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe. All designers are alumni or current participants of the Creative DNA fashion accelerator programme, a flagship initiative of the British Council’s creative economy portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2020, it has supported over 200 fashion entrepreneurs across Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Malawi through mentorship, business development, and showcasing opportunities. The programme is designed to strengthen creative enterprises, foster inclusion, and build international connections between Africa and the UK.
In addition to the runway and exhibition, the designers will join business clinics and panel discussions with UK fashion experts and facilitators from Westminster University and the Fashion Retail Academy as well as participate in retail and manufacturing ecosystem tours across London, offering them direct insights into ethical production practices, global fashion standards, and the dynamics of the international retail market. The cultural exchange component of the engagement provides designers a unique opportunity to explore the UK’s fashion ecosystem, encompassing supplier networks, sustainability models, and retail partnerships.
This year’s British Council Pavilion will also look ahead to the future of fashion, showcasing where fashion meets technology. The exhibition will showcase the work of African designers and fashion weeks that are collaborating with AI labs and robotics engineers to explore tech-enabled storytelling and virtual reality runways on digital avatars, paving the way for cross-continent virtual fashion presentations.
Lloyd Anderson, Director of the British Council in Zimbabwe, said ‘We’re very pleased that Africa Fashion Week London 2025 has invited Rumbidzai Matemachani to showcase her work. Through meetings with like-minded designers and visits to fashion houses, Rumbidzai will not only gain international exposure and recognition, but also an opportunity to build her network and put her business on a more sustainable footing. Creative DNA, the platform that is supporting Rumbidzai attend Africa Fashion Week, is about exactly that - supporting talent to have sustainable businesses.’
The engagement reflects the British Council’s ongoing commitment to placing creativity, cultural exchange, and enterprise at the centre of inclusive and sustainable growth across Africa and the UK.
Queen Ronke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, Founder of Africa Fashion Week London, emphasised that, ‘This partnership with the British Council represents a bold step forward in our mission to elevate African fashion on the global stage. By showcasing these visionary designers in London, we’re not only celebrating their talents but also forging deeper cross-cultural connections within the global fashion ecosystem.’
www.britishcouncil.org