Zelaki Newsletter | First Quarter April 2025
African Creativity in Fashion, Film, and Design
From breathtaking bridal couture to groundbreaking innovations in architecture and design, this week’s Zelaki Newsletter celebrates African creativity shaping global trends.
We take a closer look at Zozibini Tunzi’s stunning wedding gown, a fusion of African elegance and international craftsmanship that captivated the fashion world. In architecture, 50 Influential African Women Architects in 2025 highlights the visionaries redefining the continent’s built environment. Meanwhile, the Pan African Film Festival 2025 continues to amplify African and diasporic voices in cinema, showcasing powerful storytelling from across the globe.
Looking toward the future, we explore how African designers are leading the charge in sustainable innovation, blending traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge materials and eco-conscious solutions.
✨ And just for our readers—scroll down for an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming Zelaki Studios Spring Collection, where heritage meets bold new design. ✨
Join us as we spotlight the trailblazers shaping the future of African art, design, and culture.
Stories from Africa snd Beyond
Zozibini Tunzi’s Wedding Dress Celebrates Elegance and Cultural Fusion
Former Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi captivated the world once again, this time with her stunning bridal look at her March 22, 2025, wedding to Luthando Bolowana in Cape Town. The South African beauty icon wore a breathtaking custom gown designed by Phan Huy, a Vietnamese designer known for intricate craftsmanship and artistry.
The gown featured delicate 3D floral branches, symbolizing growth, resilience, and the beauty of transformation. The fusion of African elegance with global haute couture highlights the increasing influence of African celebrities in shaping international fashion trends. Tunzi’s choice of a designer with a meticulous approach to detail reflects a growing movement where African stars embrace custom, one-of-a-kind pieces that honor both personal and cultural significance.
The wedding was a celebration of love, style, and heritage, with Tunzi’s dress serving as a centerpiece of the event. As a global fashion figure, her bridal look not only showcased sophistication but also reinforced Africa’s role in the ever-evolving world of luxury fashion.
Photo: @Cinastage_Official/Cinastage Studios
Celebrating 50 Influential African Women Architects in 2025
African architecture is experiencing a transformative moment, and women architects are at the forefront of this evolution. The 2025 edition of "50 Influential African Women Architects", published by African’s Column, highlights the visionaries shaping the continent’s built environment. This annual recognition celebrates architects who are pushing boundaries in sustainability, heritage preservation, and urban innovation across Africa.
Among this year’s honorees is Mariam Kamara, a Nigerien architect known for integrating local materials and traditional design with modern functionality. Her work with atelier masōmī has redefined public spaces in West Africa, including the Hikma Religious and Secular Complex in Niger. Also featured is Sumayya Vally, the South African architect behind Counterspace, which designed the 2021 Serpentine Pavilion in London—an homage to diasporic African communities.
This year’s list includes architects from diverse backgrounds, from established figures to emerging talents reshaping urban landscapes. Their work ranges from eco-friendly housing solutions to monumental cultural institutions, reflecting Africa’s architectural diversity and ingenuity. The full list is available onAfrican’s Column, showcasing the achievements of these trailblazers in redefining Africa’s architectural future.
Africans Column, 2025
Pan African Film Festival 2025 Showcases African and Diaspora Stories
The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) 2025, one of the largest and most influential celebrations of Black cinema, recently unveiled its full film guide and schedule. Running from February 6 to February 19, 2025, in Los Angeles, the festival featured a diverse lineup of films from Africa and the global African diaspora.
This year’s selection included over 200 films from more than 40 countries, highlighting a wide range of stories that explore African heritage, identity, and contemporary issues. Among the standout African films were Mati Diop’s Dahomey, which examines the return of Benin’s looted artifacts, and Banel & Adama by Senegalese filmmaker Ramata-Toulaye Sy, a visually stunning love story set in a rural Sahelian village.
Beyond screenings, PAFF 2025 also hosted industry panels, networking events, and discussions on the future of Black storytelling in film and television. As a key platform for emerging and established filmmakers, the festival continues to play a vital role in amplifying African and diasporic voices in global cinema.
For more details, the full festival guide and schedule are available on theofficial PAFF website.
The Future of Design: African Innovators Leading Sustainable Creations
In a world where design increasingly intersects with sustainability and social consciousness, two African women are emerging as powerful voices shaping the future of global design. Featured in The Guardian’s 2025 roundup of new talent, Kusheda Mensah and Natsai Audrey Chieza are reimagining materials, space, and the relationship between people and the environments they inhabit.
Kusheda Mensah, a British-Ghanaian designer, is gaining recognition for her sculptural furniture that prioritizes human connection and emotional well-being. Her modular seating systems, created under her design studio Modular by Mensah, challenge traditional ideas of furniture as static or individualistic. Her curving, tactile pieces invite closeness and conversation, reflecting African concepts of communal living and togetherness. Drawing from her Ghanaian heritage, Mensah’s work focuses on creating environments that foster intimacy and shared experiences rather than simply aesthetics.
Natsai Audrey Chieza, a Zimbabwean designer and founder of the studio Faber Futures, is pioneering a new approach to sustainable design through science. She is a leader in biodesign, developing microbial dyeing processes that replace toxic industrial dyes with natural pigments produced by bacteria. Her work with Streptomyces coelicolor, a microbe found in soil, demonstrates the possibility of creating vibrant colors without polluting the environment. Chieza’s research is influencing the future of textile manufacturing, offering scalable, sustainable alternatives to some of the fashion industry’s most harmful practices.
What unites both designers is their commitment to holistic thinking. Whether through soft furniture that encourages healing or textiles dyed with living organisms, Mensah and Chieza are designing with both people and the planet in mind. Their African identities inform their approach, rooted in values of community, sustainability, and innovation.
In a design world seeking new paths forward, their work is not only visionary but essential.
Photograph: Emily Cole
🌱 Roots in Bloom — Coming Soon
This spring, something special is growing at Zelaki Studios.
“Roots in Bloom” celebrates the beauty of cultural heritage woven into everyday life—where authenticity meets joy, and tradition meets bold, modern design.
Inspired by Afro-centric patterns, traditional textiles, and organic springtime elements, this upcoming collection is a reminder: you carry home with you, wherever you go.
✨ Stay tuned for the full reveal.
#RootsInBloom #ZelakiSpring2025 #WearYourHeritage
