Prime Highlights:
- African women designers from Nigeria and Ghana are gaining global attention by creating custom prom dresses for US teenagers.
- Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have turned this fashion trend into a thriving business linking Africa to the US market.
Key Facts:
- Designer Shakirat Arigbabu and her team in Ibadan made 1,500 gowns for the 2025 prom season, with 98% shipped to the US.
- The hashtag #AfricanPromDress has more than 61 million views on TikTok, boosting both fame and sales for African designers.
Key Background:
African-inspired fashion is taking over US high school proms, with women designers from Nigeria and Ghana driving this fast-growing business.
A social media trend of Sidekicks on TikTok and Instagram has now become a business opportunity. American teenagers are going so far as to approach African designers to ensure that they get bespoke dresses that can tell a story about them, their culture, and trends.
The first of this trend is Shakirat Arigbabu, who owns Keerahs Fashion Cave in Ibadan, Nigeria. Her sweatshop manufactured 1,500 dresses during the 2025 season at the prom, and nearly all were exported to the United States.
Back in 2019, she handled just 50 orders. Today, her business employs over 60 full-time staff and more than 130 extra workers during the busy prom months. “Prom is no longer seasonal, it’s a full cycle,” she explains.
In Uyo, Nigeria, Victoria Ani has also tapped into the market, sending over 200 gowns to clients in New York, New Jersey, and California. She says many of her clients feel proud to say their dress was made in Africa, with some even winning “best dressed” or “prom queen” titles.
Ghanaian designer Efua Mensah is another rising name, shipping more than 400 gowns to the US this year. Her most popular styles have been corset tops, feather trains, detachable cape styles, and designs based on Afrofuturism and red carpet looks.
A new 15% US tariff on Nigerian imports may raise costs, forcing designers to find new ways to stay competitive, such as offering ready-to-wear collections or using flexible payment plans.
For American teenagers, the gowns offer beauty and confidence. For African women designers, they represent opportunity, growth, and global recognition.
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