Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Africa

Think African design is all about wooden carvings and recycled materials? Think again. We take a look at the innovative companies that are blazing a creative trail

No flip-flops were repurposed in the making of this feature. There are no shoes made from tyres, or quaint, recycled tin toys. Having gained a reputation for refashioning other countries’ cast-offs, Africa’s creatives and manufacturers are now displaying levels of innovation that should send Europe, Japan and North America’s designers running back to their drawing boards. From must-have bags to scene-stealing chairs and sofas, African products have found their way into the homes and wardrobes of the wealthy around the world, while African architects, web designers, civil engineers and town planners are changing the way we get around, admire, interact with and enjoy the continent.

Akawelle
LIBERIA

OK, Liberian-born teenager Lovetta Conto does repurpose used materials. But given that these materials are empty bullet casings, fired during Liberia’s civil war, Akawelle – the designer’s jewellery company – is clearly no simple recycling outfit.

The firm produces beautifully turned necklaces and bracelets, transforming the tools of warfare into symbols of hope. The name is a combination of the ‘also known as’ acronym and wel’le, which means ‘love’ in the local Kpelle language. www.akawelle.com

M’Afrique
SENEGAL

When Patrizia Moroso of the Italian furniture brand Moroso commissioned her M’Afrique range, she ignored the traditional aesthetic clichés. Instead, she asked a wide range of internationally renowned designers to draw from Senegalese weaving craft traditions – and these wild and wonderful chairs, sofas and stools are now for sale across the world. www.moroso.it

Festspielhaus Afrika Opera Village
BURKINA FASO

Controversial German artist Christoph Schlingensief may have come up with the initial concept of an opera festival venue for Africa, but it fell to the Burkinabe architect Francis Kéré to design the complex. In Laongo, 40km to the east of Ouagadougou, the completed auditorium will accommodate an audience of 500, while other buildings will serve as housing, a school, hospital and hotel. Fashioned from locally sourced materials, including earthen bricks, Festspielhaus proves that when it comes to architecture and the arts, Burkina Faso thinks globally, yet acts locally. www.festspielhaus-afrika.com

Mocality
KENYA

US and European websites might clamour for smart phone traffic and bandwidth flashiness, but Mocality, Kenya’s business directory, takes a more pragmatic line. Its listings site is designed to be viewed on almost all phones; not just the latest models. Any WAP-enabled handset will be able to use the site, and any phone that’s capable of SMS will be able to use the SMS facilities. And with over 10,000 businesses listed already and plenty of traffic heading their way, its developers have been proven right: going high-tech rather than low-tech can pay off. www.mocality.co.ke

Atelier Annick
IVORY COAST

Though born in Paris, designer Annick Adjo draws on her Ivorian heritage when creating her beautiful range of handbags and accessories. Having worked in the luxury business in Europe for the likes of Giorgio Armani, Harrods and the Financial Times, Annick knows how to engage with cash-rich, tasteful consumers. Yet her ambitions are as simple as they are laudable: “To build a global brand showcasing the positive side of Africa through the most exquisite accessories.” www.atelierannick.com

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