ORUN x Designers, when Africa redefines luxury at New York Fashion Week

On the sidelines of New York Fashion Week, creative platform ORUN orchestrated a major event: ORUN x Designers. Held on September 12 and 13, 2025, this avant-garde program made its mark by fusingancestral African art, innovation andartificial intelligence to assert a bold vision of luxury. Working with exceptional designers from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Senegal and Zimbabwe, the initiative served as a springboard for showcasing the continent’s talent on the international stage.

An immersive journey between heritage and Afrofuturism

The ORUN x Designers event was conceived as a truly immersive journey, immersing participants in a futuristic universe inspired by African cultural and historical heritage. The program was rich and varied, mixing spectacular fashion shows, enlightening panel discussions and art exhibitions incorporating artificial intelligence.

Among the designers featured were renowned names such as Loza Maléombho, Ibrahim Fernandez, Rosyne Club and jeweler Paulin Bédou. The aim, as Orun founder Habyba Thiero pointed out, was to “redefine the codes of luxury through creations based on Africa’s rich heritage and ancestral know-how”.

Beyond the catwalks, the event attracted a strategic audience of government authorities, investors, key fashion players, celebrities and media, all of whom came to discuss investment opportunities in Africa’s creative industries.

Côte d’Ivoire and Benin in the spotlight

The two-day event highlighted two of West Africa’s cultural powerhouses.

The first day, in partnership with Côte d’Ivoire, highlighted the country’s role as an essential pillar in promoting African creativity. Côte d’Ivoire’s rich heritage was celebrated through an exhibition of traditional masks. Loza Maléombho ‘s immersive fashion show unveiled her new Afrofuturist collection, whileIbrahim Fernandez presented a unique piece combining traditional fabrics and ornaments. Personalities such as Mr. Mamadou Koné, Deputy to H.E.M. the Ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire in New York, and Mr. Abdramane Kamaté, Director General of MASA, recalled the importance of culture as a vector for economic growth, inviting the public to the 2026 editions of the Salon International du Contenu Audiovisuel and MASA in Abidjan.

The second day celebrated Benin‘s historical heritage. Mr. Codjo William, Director General of the Agence des Arts et de la Culture du Bénin, stressed the importance of valorizing heritage to build the future, a vision supported by the emblematic Voduns Days festival. Beninese designers Jamal Chleuh (Rosyne Club) and jeweler Paulin Bédou illustrated this duality of tradition and modernity. Their collections, which revisit the Beninese heritage with distinctive materials such as Kanvô, so seduced the public that they were invited to reproduce their show at the gala of the United Nations agency UN Global Compact.

Fashion as a transatlantic bridge

ORUN x Designers also played a bridging role, strengthening ties between Africa and the United States, particularly with Louisiana’s Afrodescendant community. The Congressman for Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District, Troy Carter, shared a message of unity, emphasizing the role of the creative industries in building strong cultural and economic bridges between peoples.

The event concluded with an exclusive performance by the Batiste Family, a famous family of jazz and blues musicians from New Orleans. By combining the energy of New York, African cultural history and the technology of the future, ORUN x Designers clearly succeeded in its aim: to place African excellence and know-how at the center of the global luxury conversation.

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