The Design Table 2026 Produced by So.Me Solutions Announces $5,000 Next Gen Design Impact Award to Support Emerging African Designers

The Design Table announces a new initiative to support the emerging designers shaping the next chapter of African fashion.

The Next Gen Design Impact Award, introduced as part of The Design Table 2026, will provide one emerging African designer with $5,000 in funding, mentorship, industry visibility and access to help take their work further.

The award will be presented at The Design Table 2026 on 31 October in Lagos, where designers, tastemakers, founders, editors and creative voices from across Africa’s fashion and cultural landscape will come together under this year’s theme, “Legacy in Motion.”

 

Produced by So.Me Solutions, The Design Table brings together people shaping African fashion to explore the ideas, businesses and creative forces moving the industry forward. This year’s theme examines how African fashion moves between what came before and what comes next, as creative practices, businesses and ideas are preserved, reinterpreted and given new meaning by each generation.

The Next Gen Design Impact Award builds on this conversation by placing an emerging designer and their work at the centre, providing practical support at a stage where funding, mentorship and meaningful industry access can help them build their business and move forward.

“We wanted to create an opportunity that goes beyond simply putting emerging designers in the spotlight. There is so much talent within African fashion, but visibility alone does not always provide the support needed to move a business forward. With the Next Gen Design Impact Award, we want to put real resources, access and industry support behind an emerging designer and give them an opportunity to build on what they have already started,” said Elizabeth “Liz” Osho, Founder, So.Me Solutions.

 

 

The award jury brings together voices from fashion, media and the creative industry: Eniafe Momodu, Creative Professional and Fashion & Cultural Figure; Ugonna, Editor-in-Chief at Guzang; Odio Mimonet, Fashion Designer and Creative Director; Dr. Yetty Ogunnubi, Founder & CEO of YD Company and FashionEVO; and Yoanna “Pepper” Chikezie, Founder of The Assembly Hub and Fashion Marketing Professional. The jury will consider the designers’ work, point of view, brand relevance and potential.

Three finalists will be selected to exhibit their work as part of The Design Table experience, with guests also taking part in the voting process. The winner will receive the $5,000 award alongside mentorship, industry visibility and access designed to support their next chapter.

The award forms part of the wider programme at The Design Table 2026, which will bring together designers, established fashion voices, tastemakers, textile and creative practitioners and other cultural voices for conversations around fashion, identity, business and creativity.

The previous edition, held during Fashion Week in Lagos, brought together Lanre Da Silva, Mai Soafo, Beverly Nayla, Tenicka Boyd and Eni Popoola, alongside founders, editors and other voices from across Africa’s creative ecosystem.

This year, Legacy in Motion asks what happens when the history of African fashion is not only preserved, but carried forward, reinterpreted and reshaped by the people building its future. The Next Gen Design Impact Award is part of that conversation, giving one emerging designer the resources and access to take their next step.

Emerging African designers interested in applying can submit their applications HERE.

 

Event Details

The Design Table 2026
Theme: Legacy in Motion
Award: Next Gen Design Impact Award
Prize: $5,000 + mentorship + industry visibility + access
Date: 31 October 2026
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Produced by: So.Me Solutions

 

About The Design Table

The Design Table is a curated cultural platform by So.Me Solutions bringing together designers, tastemakers, founders, editors and creative voices to explore African fashion, culture and the business of creativity. Held annually during Fashion Week in Lagos, The Design Table creates space for meaningful conversations, connections and opportunities across Africa’s creative industry.

Find the Design Table:

Instagram: @thedesigntablehq