African fashion and lifestyle brands have continued to gain global exposure by celebrating Africa’s vast cultures. One cannot help but notice a growing shift in attitudes towards Black art; there’s a sense of greater — not perfect — acceptance, vigour, far-reaching coverage, and praise where it’s due. Technological progress has even made finding African brands less of a disappointing search.Diarrablu is amongst the brands that have received such global acclaim . Blending mathematics, fashion, and technological methods, founder Diarra Bousso draws inspiration from Africa’s rich culture and resources. Diarrablu creates conscious, innovative, size-inclusive, and versatile garments seen in its newest collection, Wādān, named after a historic small town in Mauritania’s desert region. 

Featuring simple and elegant clothes inspired by Wādān’s architecture and lively colours, the collection shows off Diarrablu’s environmentally conscious ethos utilizing materials including 100 percent biodegradable wool used by Senegalese artisans. Bousso, who launched the brand in 2015, uses a mix of methods. “I am constantly trying to find ways to humanely use technology in my work while still empowering our culture and our artisans,” she says in an interview with Vogue.

Math holds an important place in Bousso’s life, Where she received a degree in the subject and worked as a trader on Wall Street for two years. During an interview with Fashion United, she explains, “I love art and design but ultimately my first love is math. It’s the only universal language I could connect with every time I moved and was lost with new languages. Math makes me feel free and, in a design sense, the idea of infinity makes design options limitless. The main print for Diarrablu’s SS19 collection, titled “Ndar”, was obtained from the graphing of various equations (linear, quadratic and absolute value) to recreate randomized shapes.”The brand’s production process is powered by algebra and sensitivity to the environment. “From a production approach, we just want to iterate, ‘How can we minimize waste every time? How can we create a jumpsuit that can be tied and adjusted 19 different ways? How can we cut the fabric over and over so there’s nothing left?’ Sometimes, we sacrifice time. But this should be the norm,” she says in a 2020 interview with Vogue. Bousso wanted her first store in Dakar, Senegal to reflect her culture and passion for math. “I wanted my first flagship to include all the elements that create meaning for me,” she continues with Fashion United. “ I want people to feel the texture of my equations, understand the history of my traditions and celebrate my rich African cultural heritage consciously.” Diarrablu is part of a growing number of brands that understand the importance of sustainability. The concept of sustainability has a number of characteristics which include the use of natural resources, recycling, and smart production techniques. When coupled together, it can reduce waste and encourage a culture of reusing items. Eco-friendly living goes hand in hand with adequate pay and work conditions, especially in the fashion industry where items are produced rapidly at the expense of the worker. Sustainability is a topic that has become more present in the global fashion industry.

In Africa, sustainability has a twofold nature. On the one hand, the continent has an ongoing issue with plastic deposits and on the other, affordable clothes are imported from countries such as China. Despite the negative impact of cross-continental trade and non-biodegradable waste, Africa has resources and production practices that have been part of its culture for centuries — sustainability is not a trend. From the bark clothes of Uganda, the woven fabrics of Ghana, and slow crafting methods by local, talented artisans, sustainability is an intrinsic quality of the continent.

The pandemic has impacted the industry in more ways than one. Shops are filled with piles of stock, with some such as UK’s Next planning to re-release items in the new season. Fast fashion cost companies an estimated €140 billion to €160 billion in 2020. Workers in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam have been hit as western business decline orders. The negative impact of Covid-19 have shown once again the flaws in the production-line; people at the bottom of the hierarchy suffer the most.

As the pandemic has unravelled, African designers have made an effort to rethink their strategies. Last year, the African Development Bank Group’s programme Fashionomics Africa took place online, receiving an attendance of over 100 creatives. During the webinar, they looked at ways to improve the home-grown fashion industry and supply jobs. Some designers have created their own direct businesses and others have used digital models for their online runaways.

Since its inception, Diarrablu has been part of a network of brands designing high-quality clothes by order. While talking to Vogue, Bousso said, “We don’t produce anything unless we have an order.” The brand’s philosophy is certainly one way to heal the environment. The brand has grown and its international presence is noticeable. Throughout the journey, Diarrablu continues to support local artisans, promote the diverse African culture, and use sustainable resources.