Futurism and Fashion Merge in Loza Maléombho x Orun Studios
The audience transcended into African ancestral history, which leads into the present and future.
Photography by Michelle Kammerman / BFA
During New York Fashion Week, designer Loza Maléombho partnered with Orun Studios to present a two-day Pan-African showcase. Here, the immersive portal and fashion show embraced and preserved culture, heritage, and tradition. The experience featured a 15-minute conceptual journey that goes beyond a runway show and leaves viewers in the present while envisioning the future.
The audience transcended into African ancestral history, which leads into the present and future. The showcase featured 21 silhouettes that embrace Côte D’Ivorian craftsmanship, combined with Maléombho’s avant-garde to celebrate heritage.
“Fashion is not just about garments, it is a vessel of identity, resilience, and transformation,” says Maléombho. “With this collection, I wanted to explore how African heritage can serve as both a timeless foundation and a speculative future.”
The showcase celebrated Maléombho, as well as designers and artists Romzy, Jamal Chleuh, Ibrahim Fernandez, Paulin Bédou, Xander Pratt, and Delphine Diallo. The conceptual fashion journey was accompanied by a performance by Pratt, who displayed poetry, storytelling, and mapping. There was also an exclusive launch of the New Orleans-South Africa Fashion Division by Damon Batiste of NOSACONN. They conducted a fashion performance and a live concert with the Batiste family, who are members of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
Photography by Michelle Kammerman / BFA
They also conducted fireside chats with leaders such as Charlotte Ashamu of Yale University, Eliot Dupuis of Africa Courtside Holdings, Dominique Goss of M&T Foundation, and Kenneth Ebie of Ebie Strategies. Throughout the conversation, they explored topics like African Art as a Driver of Economic Growth and Redesigning the Future with an African Lens.
This immersive fashion experience came to life through collaboration with Franco-Senegalese artist Diallo and Côte D’Ivorian sound designers Becce and DJ Ben Ivory. Here, they aimed—and succeeded—in merging clothing, technology, and narrative to stimulate the senses and spark dialogue.
In addition to working with Orun Studios, Maléombho has collaborated with Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Teyana Taylor, appeared in Coming 2 America, and has work featured in the MoMA and the Brooklyn Museum. Since 2009, the Brazilian artist has continued to redefine what it means to incorporate sustainability, community, and culture in fashion.
