From dressing Hollywood actor Lupita Nyong’o and record-breaking Nigerian singer Wizkid to taking her MÄFO Dress movement to New York Fashion Week, Cameroonian designer and entrepreneur Kibonen Nfi is taking African heritage beyond the runway. 

Known for incorporating Cameroon’s ‘Toghu’ embroidery and ‘Nduop’ textile into contemporary designs, Nfi has built KiBONEN around taking African fashion global without separating it from its origins. 

“For me, authenticity begins with understanding that ‘Toghu’ and ‘Nduop’ are not simply decorative fabrics–they carry history, identity and social meaning,” she explains to FORBES AFRICA. “I translate them through contemporary silhouettes and products that can live in a global wardrobe, while preserving their stories and cultural context.” 

Her signature MÄFO Dress has since evolved from a fashion piece into a growing global community. 

“It began when seven friends ordered the MÄFO Dress together and we decided to gather in sisterhood on Thanksgiving and over brunch,” says Nfi. “MÄFO means ‘Queen Mother’, and a woman of significant influence in her community; one of the highest titles a woman can hold in Bamileke and Bamenda culture, representing wisdom, dignity, influence and service.” 

The movement will gain further visibility during New York Fashion Week and the United Nations General Assembly next month, with MÄFO Dress gatherings that Nfi sees as an opportunity to put African fashion at the center of the global conversation. Nfi says Fashion Bomb Daily’s founder Claire Sulmers will collaborate with her during New York Fashion Week. 

“Claire Sulmers was the right collaborator because she has spent years creating visibility and opportunity for Black and African fashion voices. She understands both the cultural significance of the MÄFO Dress and the importance of presenting African fashion at the center of the global industry.” 

Nyong’o wore KiBONEN twice while promoting Queen of Katwe, while Wizkid later featured KiBONEN designs in the music video collaboration with Drake. 

“Lupita Nyong’o [gave] the brand its first major international visibility. Building on this exposure, Wizkid and Drake also featured in KiBONEN in their music video collaboration, alongside additional talent styled in the same pieces to create a unified visual identity,” says Nfi, who adds that Nyong’o’s exposure generated more than 2,000 direct sales. 

“Lupita’s appearance created an immediate increase in global awareness and brought new customers, media interest and industry opportunities to KiBONEN. It showed that a culturally-rooted Cameroonian design could resonate on a major global platform.” 

For Nfi, global recognition must ultimately translate into African economic ownership. 

“African designers and communities are still not receiving a fair share of the value created from African aesthetics and cultural knowledge. Too often, the inspiration travels globally while the ownership, capital and commercial returns remain elsewhere. We need stronger intellectual property protection, investment in African-owned production and distribution, and greater access to global retail. African brands must be financed and supported as scalable businesses, not treated only as sources of visual inspiration.” 

Now Nfi is taking MÄFO to its most ambitious stage yet. 

“For the first time, I am announcing that the MÄFO Dress Movement is beginning its official road to a Guinness World Records attempt. Our goal is to bring together 5,000 women wearing the MÄFO Dress in what we hope will become the largest gathering of women wearing the same culturally significant dress. This is not simply about achieving a record; it is about celebrating African heritage, building a global sisterhood and creating economic opportunities for women.”