… Unveils twelve-look collection

When House of Estree took to the runway of the 16th Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL), it was a showcase of the versatility of ankara, as the designer, Esther Olorunfemi, popularly known as Estree, transformed the vibrant African fabric into a range of contemporary silhouettes.

Rather than limiting African textiles to traditional styles, the collection reimagined ankara through modern tailoring, with pieces including structured jackets, belted outerwear, tailored trousers and other contemporary men’s wear and women’s wear designs.

This approach reflects the wider House of Estree design philosophy.The brand works with African fabrics, particularly ankara and aso-oke, transforming them into contemporary pieces ranging from blazers, skirts and tailored trousers to bomber jackets, winter jackets and coats.

The result is a meeting point between African textile heritage and modern global fashion, demonstrating the versatility of African fabrics beyond traditional wear.

Representing her flagship fashion brand, House of Estree (@houseofestree), the UK-based Nigerian creative delivered a dual-impact presentation, unveiling a striking 12-look collection on the main runway while simultaneously maintaining a strong presence on the AFWL exhibition floor.

The showcase also placed the spotlight on KOWRI, Estree’s newly launched active wear brand, which was strongly represented on the AFWL runway before an international audience of fashion critics, global buyers, diaspora leaders and style enthusiasts.

On the runway, the activewear, KOWRI brought a distinctly different energy to the presentation, showcasing its T-shirts, jerseys, hoodies and jogger pants on the runway.

Rooted in African cultural symbolism while designed for contemporary lifestyles, the activewear brand brings together heritage, style and functionality.

Although deliberately stylised as KOWRI, the brand takes its inspiration from the cowrie shell, historically used as a form of currency and exchange in parts of Africa and long associated with wealth, value and cultural heritage.
Drawing from that history, it is built around the symbolism of wealth and protection, reinterpreting an enduring African symbol for a contemporary generation.

“African Fashion Week London provides an important international platform to showcase the depth, sophistication and global potential of African fashion. Bringing our 12-look collection to the AFWL runway, while also presenting KOWRI to an international audience, is both a celebration of our heritage and a statement on where contemporary African fashion is headed,” said Estree, Founder and Creative Director of House of Estree.