Africa Fashion International (AFI) has launched its 2025 FASTRACK Young Designer of the Year competition with entries ongoing from April 14 to May 5, 2025, granting African upcoming designers aged between 18 and 35 a golden opportunity of access to mentorship, market knowledge, and global visibility. This year’s search, championed by AFI’s signature blend of cutting‑edge creativity and Pan‑African pride, promises to unearth tomorrow’s fashion trailblazers while reinforcing the continent’s cultural narrative on international stages. Past Fastrack alumni like Sibusiso ‘Buda’ Malete and other stellar creatives have catapulted from local runways to global spotlights, proving AFI’s investment in young talent truly pays fashionable dividends.
What Is the AFI FASTRACK?
Welcome to AFI’s very own fashion bootcamp with a red‑carpet twist! The FASTRACK Young Designer of the Year Prize is AFI’s flagship initiative to unearth and accelerate Africa’s best emerging fashion talent. First launched over a decade ago, the Fastrack Prize has become a rite of passage for designers dreaming in Ankara, Adire, and beyond. For 2025, AFI rolled out the digital red carpet for applicants from April 14 to May 5, inviting creatives 18 to 35 to throw their hats (and headwraps) in the ring. The media alert‑style announcement splashed across AFI’s website, Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, ensuring no design‑savvy soul misses the memo.
Who Should Apply?
If you spend your dawns sketching silhouettes in the back of an Uber or you sleep in drapes of lace and leather, this competition is your moment to shine. Eligibility is straightforward: African residency or nationality, between 18 and 35 years of age, and a fierce passion for fashion. If you’re coding patterns on a Lagos sewing machine or playing around with eco‑pigments in Nairobi, if fashion drives you, AFI wants to see your vision.
Advantages of the Award
Winning the FASTRACK award is like putting your design life on first class. The winners are offered a year of industry mastermind guidance from the stars in their field, including executive coaching, business masterclasses, and networking receptions to build a path from passion project to profit label. They also snag coveted runway slots at AFI’s marquee fashion weeks, plus global press features and market exposure that can catapult a home studio into international retail windows.
Previous winners have landed placements at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and earned spots in Teen Vogue, proving Fastrack isn’t just a trophy—it’s a turbocharger. Last year’s finalists dove deep into zero‑waste draping and plant‑based dye workshops, reflecting AFI’s eco‑friendly ethos and commitment to responsible design.
How to Apply
Applying is as easy as pie—fashion pie, that is. Head to the AFI website, breeze through the online form, upload your bio, designer statement, and lookbook images in PDF format, and hit submit. Remember, the deadline is May 5, 2025—no extensions, no dramatic last‑minute sewing marathons.
Success Stories
Take Sibusiso ‘Buda’ Malete, the 2016 Fastrack champion, who parlayed his win into a Mercedes Benz Fashion Week showcase and a Teen Vogue feature—he went from sketching under streetlamps to walking under spotlights. And let’s not forget that the 2023/24 cohort was culled from over 233 applicants who then embarked on a 12‑month intensive training program, complete with mentoring, executive coaching, and market exposure—proof that AFI’s Fastrack alumni arrive runway‑ready and boardroom‑savvy.
Tips to Stand Out
Weave Your Narrative: Integrate heritage patterns—Zulu beadwork, Yoruba Adire, or Kente colorways—into your design narrative for that heart-&-hanger magic.
- Polish Your Portfolio: Snappy, high-res photos can be as vital as crumb-free couture—give every pixel some serious TLC.
- Be Social-Savvy: AFI scouts scroll Instagram and X feeds faster than you can type #Fastrack—so showcase those sketches and behind-the-scenes reels with pride.
Join the Fashion Revolution!
Whether a sartorial genius or an embroidery aficionado, AFI FASTRACK is your VIP pass to the international fashion bash. Imagine it as a runway elevator: just get in, push the button, and see your dreams take off.
