Careers in Fashion, Design and Craft: Yaounde Forum Unites Four Nations

The 17th edition of the Fashion and Design Week organised by the Cameroon Fashion Designers’ Centre, the CCMC, wrapped up in Yaounde on Saturday May 30th, 2026 on a high note, which brought together designers from Cameroon, Spain, France and Algeria for a final act described by organisers as “explosive”. Working on the theme, “Weaving Worlds, Enchanting Innovation”, the young apparel designers demonstrated with boldness and creativity that the new generation of Cameroonian designers have a unique voice: contemporary and deeply Cameroonian. During the Catwalk show, nine young designers dubbed “incubators” in an exciting style showcased designs which revealed the future of Made-in-Cameroon Fashion. The First Lady of Cameroon, Chantal Biya graced the occasion during the fashion parade and gala night on May 29th and 30th at the Yaounde Hilton Hotel. Her presence during both evenings was a profound honour to the organisers. The Director of CCMC, Yves Eya’a said since the founding of the CCMC, the First Lady has been an invaluable supporter of Cameroonian creativity, for young people, and the country’s cultural influence. “Your unwavering commitment to culture, to elegance, and to the promotion of national craftsmanship gives confidence to an entire generation of designers who now dare to dream bigger”, Yves Eya’a told Mrs Biya with gratitude for her kindness and steadfast support. The Director of CCMC said over 17 years, the association has been devoted to uncovering talent, shaping career paths, and nurturing a new generation of designers and artisans who are able to tell the identity of Cameroon to the world through fashion. Over the years, the Forum has become a platform for expression, professionalization and visibility for emerging talents who are reimagining the codes of African design, blending artisanal heritage, urban culture and contemporary innovation. Concretely, CCMC has trained more than 350 designers, over 200 fashion businesses supported, and thousands of young people and women successfully integrated into the fashion and wider creative industries. Beyond these numbers, it is lives transformed, vocations revealed and dreams made possible. The Parade opened with the CCMC x- Créateurs collective of young Cameroonian talents before handing the runway to international guests. Highlights included a capsule collection created in just three days by Franco- Algerian designer Chib Abdel Jalel in collaboration with Cameroonian artisans, blending local materials with beading techniques from France. Both evenings were meant to honour incubators through the-Talent de Créateurcompetition. Drawn from the municipalities of Yaounde I, VI and VII. The young talents were supported through the-Fashion in the Mood: Fashion is Everywhere Programme, backed by the French Embassy under the France Fund and the Mboa Young Creative programme. During the show, nine young designers come with readymade formulas. Each fabric, each pattern, each piece of embroidery the young designers presented, carried with it centuries of expertise. During the runaway, every creation that was shown was far more than a garment. It was a message to the entire world. A message from a Cameroon that honours its roots, embraces innovation, and walks with its head held high towards its ri...