NAIROBI, Kenya – Nairobi-based fashion label Studio Namnyak has made its debut at Harrods in London, putting Kenyan design and craftsmanship before an international luxury audience.
The label is part of the inaugural Brand63Africa cohort, a platform created to connect designers of African heritage with the global luxury market.
The Brand63Africa pop-up opened on September 7, 2026, on the Fifth Floor of Harrods and will run until October 27. Studio Namnyak is showcasing its collection alongside designers from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Trinidad and Tobago.
For the Nairobi label, the Harrods appearance provides an opportunity to take its design language beyond Kenya and into one of London’s most recognised luxury retail spaces.
Harrods describes Studio Namnyak as a brand that sits at the intersection of past and future, combining 3D digital design technology with traditional handloom techniques in its Nairobi atelier.
Founded by Kenyan designer Namnyak Odupoy, Studio Namnyak has built its identity around the relationship between technology, heritage craftsmanship and contemporary fashion.
The studio uses digital tools during the design and development process, while working with artisans to produce garments using traditional techniques.
That approach allows the brand to maintain a distinctly Kenyan connection without restricting its designs to conventional interpretations of African fashion.
Its silhouettes are clean and architectural, with texture and draping playing a bigger role than excessive decoration. The label’s work is driven by slow-fashion principles and ethical production.
The label’s current collection at Harrods includes handloomed cotton pieces that bring East African craft techniques into contemporary silhouettes.
One of the pieces available through Harrods is the Zihi drawstring waistcoat, made from heavyweight handloom cotton and finished with a beaded drawstring. Harrods lists the piece at £520 and notes that it is handmade in Nairobi.
Another piece, the Taro trench coat, uses cotton handloom techniques while introducing a contemporary silhouette with a back cutout and belted waist. Harrods lists the trench at £765.
The collection also includes an asymmetric cotton midi skirt inspired by East African craft, with Harrods describing it as a modern interpretation of traditional handloom techniques.
Harrods is more than a department store for the Studio Namnyak story. The Knightsbridge retailer has long been associated with luxury fashion and international retail, making its Fifth Floor a significant platform for designers seeking access to a global customer base.
Studio Namnyak’s debut is also different from appearing at a fashion exhibition or cultural showcase.
The Brand63Africa pop-up puts the designers’ collections directly into a luxury retail environment, where customers can engage with and purchase their work.
Brand63Africa founder Eva Omaghomi said the platform was created to address the gap between African creative talent and international visibility.
“Africa has always produced luxury; what’s often been missing is… visibility at the highest level,” Omaghomi has said.
The platform’s inaugural cohort includes Ghana’s Christie Brown, Nigeria’s Abiola Olusola, Senegal’s Sukeina, Kenya’s Studio Namnyak and Trinidad and Tobago’s The Cloth.
The Harrods showcase brings together designers whose work reflects different histories and design traditions across Africa and the diaspora.
Christie Brown, founded by Aisha Ayensu, draws on Ghanaian craftsmanship and heritage while producing contemporary womenswear.
Abiola Olusola works from Lagos, combining contemporary silhouettes with Yoruba heritage, while Senegalese designer Omar Salam’s Sukeina is known for strong silhouettes and intricate construction.
The Cloth, from Trinidad and Tobago, brings Caribbean history and cultural memory into contemporary fashion.
