For Gambian fashion entrepreneur Ndey Bassin Faye, building an internationally recognized brand begins with empowering women, celebrating local culture, and using African‑made textiles. At CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos, she and fellow creators are seeking cross‑border connections to transform their businesses and the continent’s fashion landscape.
When Ndey Bassin Faye talks about expanding her label abroad, she also emphasizes promoting Gambian culture on the global stage.
Bassin’s Couture, founded in 2016, is represented by three Gambian fashion and tailoring entrepreneurs—Mariama Jallow, Ndey Bassin, and Ida—who are attending the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND) 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria. Their participation is sponsored by the Andandorr programme, with support from EU YEP – Tourism and Creative Industries.
The four‑day gathering offers more than a showcase; it provides a platform for entrepreneurs to meet potential partners, connect with suppliers, learn from industry experts, and explore new markets for their businesses.
At the core of Faye’s work is a commitment to women and girls. Through Bassin’s Couture she uses fashion as a vehicle for entrepreneurship and cultural promotion, highlighting Gambian design.
Like many African fashion entrepreneurs, Faye faces challenges beyond creativity and craftsmanship, with material access being a primary obstacle.
“We struggle to source diverse fabrics, especially those outside Gambian culture,” she notes, adding that materials from other African nations can be harder to obtain than those from Europe or China.
While Africa boasts rich textile traditions and a growing community of designers, linking different parts of the value chain remains difficult.
CANEX presents an opportunity for Faye and her peers to close these gaps, allowing them to build supplier relationships, meet fellow designers, and pursue collaborations that could strengthen their businesses and expand their reach.
“I want us to go international. I want our brand to be seen and known internationally,” she says, and she also advocates for greater use of African materials in fashion.
The Gambia’s tradition of hand‑weaving and Faye’s use of locally grown cotton illustrate her commitment to celebrating local resources and cultural identity through hand‑woven fabrics.
Building a fashion industry that supports African designers
The obstacles faced by entrepreneurs like Faye are central to discussions at CANEX, especially during masterclasses led by industry experts. In a session on marketing and global expansion, luxury brand consultant Anita Ehui highlighted structural challenges in manufacturing, textiles, sourcing, quality control, and pricing. “We have a big manufacturing problem, whether in textiles or production itself, and that makes things difficult,” she observed, noting that designers often must compromise on quality, price, or design because needed resources are not always available.
She explained that many designers aim to manufacture fully on the African continent but encounter limits in material availability, production capacity, and quality standards.
Ehui urged entrepreneurs to prioritize African sourcing and production wherever possible, arguing that increased demand for locally made products could reinforce the continent’s manufacturing ecosystem. However, she warned against common pitfalls such as overcomplicating decisions based on personal taste rather than customer demand, and stressed the need to identify the correct market and target customers.
She highlighted CANEX as a vital platform for designers to connect with potential customers and generate partnerships and new ideas. “CANEX is giving fashion designers a platform. It is also connecting some of the brands with customers,” she said, adding that such gatherings spark collaborations and broaden perspectives. “When we gather at CANEX, there is always a conversation that can spark a collaboration or even open your mind to something new,” she remarked.
From Local to Global Markets
For the three Gambian entrepreneurs, these discussions are crucial as they plan the next phase of their businesses. Exposure to experts, other brands, suppliers, modulator and potential partners provides valuable insight into building sustainable fashion enterprises.
CANEX WKND, organized by the African Export‑Import Bank (Afreximbank) and hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria, convenes leading African and diaspora creatives, investors, and policymakers across music, film, fashion, sport, publishing, gastronomy, and visual arts.
The four‑day event aims to foster partnerships, attract investment, and broaden market access for Africa’s creative industries. For Faye, the path toward that future is already in motion—her goal is to reach international markets while preserving the local identity that makes her brand distinctive. Both Faye and Ehui agree that African fashion can compete globally, but the continent must first ease the way for creatives to work, source, produce, and grow together.
