By Jennifer Akong – Founder & Creative Director, MANIA by Jennifer
On the surface, fashion is fabric. But for many of us — especially those who carry generations in our stride — it’s much more than what we wear. Fashion becomes memory, identity, resistance, expression, and a way of walking forward while holding onto where we come from.
Tribe x Trends Lookbook
When I launched MANIA by Jennifer, I knew I wasn’t just creating clothes. I was building a visual language for women like me, women who feel the beat of tradition in their chest but move boldly in modern spaces. Women who are multifaceted, cultured, creative, and never quite content with being one thing. The brand was born from that tension and harmony between roots and rhythm, between tribe and trends.
A Way of Life, Not Just a Label
MANIA was founded in 2015, but in many ways, it’s been living inside me my whole life. The name, inspired by the French word “manière” (meaning “a way”), reflects my belief that fashion is more than trends or aesthetics — it’s a way of life. Our garments are designed not just to be worn, but to be lived in. Styled. Moved in. Remembered.
Every collection is a journal entry. Every piece is a love letter to culture, crafted in colour.
The Rise of Afro-Fusion Fashion — and Why It Matters
African prints and silhouettes now walk international runways and glossy campaigns. But what excites me most isn’t the external gaze, it’s the reclaiming of cultural craftsmanship from within. It’s what happens when we honour our fabrics, remix them with modernity, and tell our stories our way.
It means using traditional fabrics like Aṣọ-Oke and Ankara in ways that feel powerful, playful, and personal. Silhouettes that tell stories. Designs reimagined through the lens of West African femininity.
Tribe x Trends: Culture in Motion
Our latest collection, Tribe x Trends, is a celebration of this balance — the old and the new, the traditional and the unapologetically bold. It’s for women who break moulds. Women who don’t just follow fashion but make statements with it. Women who know that softness and power can exist in the same silhouette.
From the Ayoka Set, named after the Yoruba word for joy, to the Aṣọ Cargo Pants, stitched with legacy and movement, every piece in this collection was designed with intention. This collection is not about following runways — it’s about walking your own.
It's for the ones who glide. Who disrupt softly. Who wear history and heritage without asking permission.
Why This Work Is Personal
Growing up, I saw how fabric could speak, how a single outfit could say, this is where I’m from and this is who I am becoming. I saw how women, especially African women, used clothing as armour, as celebration, as memory. That’s the energy I bring into my design process and the spirit I infuse into MANIA.
I design for the woman who is a story within herself.
The woman who isn’t looking to be styled, she’s looking to be seen.
Beyond the Hype
We are not the “next big thing.” We are not waiting to arrive. African designers, creatives, and visionaries have always been here; innovating, leading, inspiring. What’s happening now is that the world is finally listening. But sustaining this means building from within: nurturing our craft, telling our truth, honouring our makers.
That means investing in quality, not quantity. In craft, not clout.
At MANIA, we don’t produce in bulk. We produce with purpose.
In Closing: Wear Your Story
The Tribe x Trends collection isn’t just a lookbook. It’s a reminder that fashion can carry memory. That colour can speak truth. That silhouette can carry soul.
I believe in fashion that feels rooted — not just in where we come from, but in who we are becoming.
So if you’ve ever looked in the mirror and wanted your outfit to speak for you before you say a word
If you’ve ever wanted to feel bold, beautiful, and both
Then you already know what it means to live fashion as a way of life.
That’s what MANIA is. That’s what we stand for. That’s what we wear.
Jennifer Akong
Founder & Creative Director, MANIA by Jennifer
maniabyjennifer.co.uk
@maniabyjennifer
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