This year, Green Access explores how African craftsmanship can move beyond tradition to become a practical solution for circular design, responsible production, and commercial growth. Inspired by the theme CRAFTED IN PRACTICE: Reimagining Craft for a Circular Future, the programme invites designers to rethink heritage techniques, local materials, and artisan knowledge as tools for innovation that respond to the realities of today’s fashion industry.
Green Access 2026
For 2026, Green Access challenges emerging African designers to explore craftsmanship through the lens of circularity. Rather than preserving craft as tradition alone, participants are encouraged to reimagine it as a driver of material innovation, environmental responsibility, cultural preservation, and sustainable business growth.
Designers will investigate how indigenous techniques, locally sourced materials, and collaborative making can shape collections that are both commercially viable and culturally relevant. Through mentorship, experimentation, and hands-on learning, participants will develop new approaches to design that demonstrate the value of African craftsmanship in building the future of fashion.
This Year’s Edition Focuses on Four Key Areas
- Material Innovation Through Craft: Transforming deadstock, reclaimed textiles, indigenous fibres, and locally sourced natural materials into contemporary fashion collections.
- Heritage Techniques Reimagined: Applying weaving, embroidery, dyeing, beadwork, leatherwork, knitting, quilting, and hand-finishing to create modern products rooted in African craftsmanship.
- Circular & Responsible Production: Designing for durability, repairability, modularity, multifunctionality, zero-waste production, and long-term product value.
- Community Collaboration: Working alongside artisan communities, craftspeople, manufacturers, textile producers, and local makers to strengthen knowledge exchange and local value creation.
Programme Activity & Highlights
Practical Learning (Hybrid – Virtual and Physical)
The Green Access 2026 programme combines virtual learning with hands-on practical sessions, giving designers the knowledge, tools, and industry exposure needed to transform ideas into commercially viable collections.
Throughout the programme, participants will engage in:
- Material Exploration Workshops
- Research & Storytelling
- Circular Design Masterclasses
- Design Development & Prototype Reviews
- Visits to Artisan Communities
- Manufacturer & Production Tours
- Craft & Production Workshops
- Business Development Clinics
- Peer Critique Sessions
- Brand Communications & Market Readiness
Mentorship
Designers will receive one-on-one and group mentorship across six core pillars:
- Research & Storytelling
- Design Development
- Circular Design
- Craft & Production
- Business Development
- Communications
Mentors will support participants as they translate research into market-ready collections while strengthening their design process, production planning, and business strategy.
Green Access — How?
Designers selected through Green Access represent the future of African fashion. The programme provides the tools, mentorship, and industry access needed to transform strong ideas into market-ready collections while embedding sustainability throughout the design process.
- Emerging designers submit an online application demonstrating how craftsmanship can create environmental, cultural, or economic impact through circular design.
- A panel of industry experts selects a cohort of designers to participate in an intensive mentorship programme.
- Participants engage in collaborative learning across research, design development, circular design, craft production, business development, and communications.
- Designers take part in material exploration workshops, artisan visits, production tours, business clinics, prototype reviews, and peer learning sessions.
- The programme culminates in a final presentation at Lagos Fashion Week, where designers showcase their collections alongside the research, materials, and craftsmanship behind their work.
Who Should Apply?
Emerging African fashion designers, makers, and creative collectives working across apparel, textiles, or material innovation.
Applicants should be committed to sustainability, craftsmanship, circular design, responsible production, and community collaboration. Green Access welcomes designers who are interested in experimenting with materials, reinterpreting heritage techniques, and building businesses that contribute to a more resilient African fashion ecosystem.
