Across the continent, African fashion has long served as a vessel for identity, memory, and resistance. With deep ancestral roots and bold contemporary expressions, it continues to evolve—merging tradition with innovation, and shaping a cultural renaissance that speaks not just to heritage, but to possibility.
In an insightful conversation with Global South Pole, Kuforiji explained that his marathon was as much about visibility for African creativity as it was about personal achievement.
“I wanted to do something extraordinary, something that has never been done before, and also something that will place African fashion, African creativity on the global stage. The record actually validated my work on the global stage. It has opened a lot of doors for me. It has given me so many ideas on how I can establish fashion academia around Africa and globally, collaborate with internationally recognized fashion brands and also launch more cultural showcases, to showcase everything fashion, everything that celebrates African heritage,” the fashion designer expressed.
Speaking on the deeper value of African attire, the Nigerian record holder stressed its blend of tradition and innovation.
“It's about respecting the roots while branching out. It's innovation with cuts, materials, and technologies while honoring age-old techniques like tie and dye, weaving, beadwork. Now people are looking into African fashion as not just with mere look but as something extraordinary […] We are Africans, of course, we prove to the world that when it comes to fashion, we are more civilized. And with African prints, with African clothings and all, we've placed our heritage on the global map,” Kuforiji said.
To listen to the whole discussion, tune in to the Global South Pole podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
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