As I moved through the space, I was struck by how Gather House Lagos had transformed from its origins as pop-up markets at Alliance Française into this permanent beacon of community-driven commerce. The evening's celebrations felt like a natural extension of the space's mission—recognizing not just individual success but the collective power of creative's entrepreneurship in Lagos.

The Création Botswana experience, by uniting talents, mentors, and institutions around a shared vision, demonstrates the possibility of moving beyond individualism to build a resilient, inclusive, and innovative ecosystem. Sustainability in Africa is plural: it is rooted in heritage, fueled by innovation, and embodied by social and economic impact. The testimonies of industry leaders remind us that a brand’s strength lies not only in its aesthetic or market appeal, but also in the depth of its story, management rigor, and community commitment.

Often dominated by cities like London, Paris, Milan, and New York, the fashion world is increasingly influenced by West African trends. Brands such as FREE THE YOUTH (Ghana), Pith Africa, Severe Nature & WAF (Nigeria) are establishing themselves locally and building bridges with international brands such as Patta (Netherlands). Their growth is driven by a dynamic, highly connected youth market—half of the African population is under 25—and a growing middle class, representing nearly 35% of the continent's population.

By gathering diverse perspectives, we aim to help our sector, global institutions and policy makers on the continent to better understand the challenges faced by creatives while identifying actionable solutions to transform the potential to enable prosperity.

As the world younguest’s continent economy is emerging, a powerful narrative is unfolding with stories such as Eki,s. While conventional wisdom often casts doubt on creative pursuits, viewing them as risky career paths, a new generation of visionaries is rewriting the rules of success.

Our mission extends beyond individual success stories. We're building an ecosystem that nurtures talent, fosters innovation, and creates lasting economic impact. By doing so, we're not only empowering creatives but also reshaping the narrative of an entire continent.

Collaborating with nearly 150 brands and creatives over different categories has not only allowed us to contribute to generate revenues for the creatives but also the learn to become who we are today. Yes this journey has transformed us and though us invaluable lessons that we have incorporate to the foundation of the organization we want to build for the future.

African luxury artisans must overcome many challenges of financing, infrastructure, branding and recognition to establish themselves in the highly competitive international luxury market.

And despite these challenges, African craftsmanship has enormous potential to position itself in the global luxury market.

It all begins with an idea.

In 2014, with a wealth of experience in luxury retail management for top European heritage brands, as a founder I brought a unique blend of expertise and passion to the creation of our firm. This background in the high-stakes world of luxury retail provided me a deep understanding of the intricacies of brand positioning, customer experience, and market dynamics, setting the stage for an ambitious venture for African brands : MOONLOOK