How Michelle Ngonmo’s Afro Fashion Association Gives A Voice To Unsung Designers In Italy – Essence

Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have been going on a downward spiral as of late. The Afro Fashion Association, a non-profit founded in 2015 by University of Ferrara alumni Michelle Ngonmo, was born to combat this issue. Ngonmo, a Cameroon-born entrepreneur, studied communications and anthropology, which has aided her in changing the disparities that Black and other marginalized designers face in the industry.

Fashion had always been part of the Ngonmo’s life. Her African heritage is rich with symbolic clothing and patterns which stuck with her even in her move to Italy as a child. Hearing the stories of countless promising designers not getting a fair chance at getting internships and roles in the industry was the catalyst for her launch in 2015. “Since we were always excluded, we were like, shall we create our own table,” Ngonmo inquired. “Or shall we just, you know, continue to be invited to the table?” She has since created her own table and has been inviting others for 10 years to join her in uplifting underserved designers in Italy. The founder’s objective is to continue to create a table where BIPOC designers can feel heard, and where conversations turn to action.

In school as a student body president years ago, stories of creatives lamenting on their lack of opportunity was a regular occurrence in Ngonmo’s life. She recalled a fellow Cameroonian student who was excited to interview for an internship with a global house that happened to be her favorite. That excitement quickly turned to disappointment as the interview took a turn. Rather than being merited for her work, she was turned away. This is still the reality that many promising designers face based on emails that Ngonmo receives regularly and hears from aspiring fashion professionals that just want a chance when they come into her office.

“I don’t want to say that Italy isn’t a racist country, because we know very well that racism exists everywhere. In France, in the U.S.—it’s everywhere, we’re not talking fairy tales here,” Ngonmo shared in a previous Vogue interview. “It’d take days, if not years, of studies on the socio-historical causes that led to racism and xenophobia before getting the complete picture. That said, I’m not afraid of racism in Italy. What I’m afraid of is paternalism—it’s worst than racism, it’s much more devious and sneaky and it’s underestimated,” she added.

In the past decade, Michelle has been able to scale up and work with over 3,000 designers toward their dreams of working in legacy brands, fashion houses, and expanding their businesses. Ngonmo mainly serves her clients by giving them the proper tools they need to succeed in the exclusive fashion industry that goes beyond just a short mentorship session. 

“They need concrete experience. They need internships. They need access to proper contract work, 90% of [these designers] didn’t have the opportunity to understand how the industry was built. They have learned everything self-taught. When I say tools, I’m talking about [funding].” The non-profit founder recognizes that designers need to buy key materials, such as the right fabrics too. She noted that all the small things that tend to be small for someone else are fundamental for her clients. From having the right production, manufacturers, and teams, running a brand is more than just well-received clothes and a large Instagram following.

Her latest initiative, the Global Partner Program, aims to build long-term, sustainable partnerships to keep the Afro Fashion Association work going strong. During Milan Fashion Week and supported by Vogue Italia, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and Camera Moda Fashion Trust, the organization held Communities at Work, an event celebrating 10 BIPOC designers and creatives who deserved to be in the same spaces as industry giants. Anna Wintour, chief content officer of Condé Nast and Vogue’s global editorial director was an attendee, Diego Della Valle, president and chief executive officer of Tod’s Group, Silvio Campara, the CEO of Golden Goose, and Carlo Capasa, president of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. Tamu McPherson moderated a conversation.

The respective creators included Shivin Singh, founder and creative director of Absent Findings, Eileen Akbaraly, the founder behind Made for a Woman, Christel Abboud, founder of the brand Astarté, fashion designers Steve French Oduro, Claudia Gisele Ntsama and Victor Hart, photographer Isabella Sozinho, fashion stylists Sorelle Toledo, Byron Rosero, creative director of State Vision and Susanna Owusu Twumwah, a consultant and communications manager.

“I envision [the program] expanding into a global network that actively funds and supports emerging talent, provides educational resources, and creates direct opportunities for designers to scale their businesses. I would love it to become a system of support that doesn’t just spotlight talent, but also provides them with tools like real tools to try,” she said. 

In 2020, when Blackness was being commodified in real time, Michelle expressed that the “phones were always ringing.” Since then, she noticed all that momentum has been lost. The brands that were once calling stopped answering her calls, but that just encourages her as she doesn’t want the AFA to be supported by performative companies. In the face of adversity, the Ngonmo still manages to persist after a decade of work that can often feel disheartening.

“It is really exhausting and physically and mentally challenging. But, the mission itself keeps me going. Every time I see a creative get recognition they deserve or the industry leadership shifts their perspectives on diversity, it reminds me why we started what we’re doing,” she said. While challenges arise ranging from lack of funding or resistance to fundamental change, Ngonmo knows that the impact of the organization has proven to work.

“It is fundamental to the community we have built, the partnerships we have formed, and the talent we have uplifted. Those are my everything, my motivation—giving up has never been an option for me, because when you go home, you see a lot of emails, some [designers and creatives] coming to the office crying and then sending you flowers, saying they are finally seen,” she added.