In Dubai, African Designers Set the Tone for a Global Conversation on Luxury

Last month, the opulent halls of the Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah in Dubai pulsed with creativity as the AFRA World Fashion Confluence 2025 brought together designers from across the globe under the evocative theme Echoes of the Oasis. At the heart of it all was a landmark partnership between AFRA World and the Lulubell Group, led by visionary founder and CEO Lulu Shabell. The collaboration elevated African luxury to center stage, presenting a curated collective of the continent’s most compelling designers alongside talent from India, the Middle East, Europe, and beyond. The result: a vibrant convergence of culture, craft, and couture that pushed the boundaries of global fashion.

Now in its sixth season, AFRA World—founded in 2022 by Niti Gupta—has solidified its role as Dubai’s premier platform for celebrating cross-cultural design. This year’s focus on craftsmanship as a shared language resonated deeply, with African designers under the Lulubell Group commanding the spotlight. Their collections, rooted in heritage and grounded in innovation, offered a vision of African creativity that felt both distinctive and globally relevant.

“This partnership with AFRA is about amplifying African excellence within a truly global context,” said Shabell. “It’s not about standing apart, but standing proudly alongside others—showing what collaboration rooted in mutual respect and shared vision can achieve.”