“Africa is not here to be discovered; Africa is here to be recognised.” With that assertion, Lulu Shabell, founder and CEO of the Lulubell Group, launches Álké Ball, an institution dedicated to securing global recognition for African fashion.

Grounded in art, heritage, knowledge, and enterprise, the Álké project seeks to catalyse a decisive shift: from sporadic visibility to an intentional, structured, unified and globally influential African authority. Its name is drawn from the word “Álkébulan,” regarded by some as among the oldest known names for the African continent.

“Before the modern vocabulary of luxury, there was Africa”

Drawing on her experience across more than 20 African countries, Lulu Shabell has supported designers, helped to expand the African fashion industry, and forged international connections through the Lulubell Group. Under her leadership at Álké Ball, a pan-African collective of designers, archivists, curators, researchers, and creative strategists has taken shape.

Together, they advance a shared thesis: that long before silk, cotton, and the modern vocabulary of luxury, there was Africa- a place where pattern was a language, textiles a code, and clothing a philosophy. In Africa, fashion has never been purely decorative; it was, and remains, a testament to lineage, mastery, and thought.

Taking action through a fund

At the heart of Álké’s mission is the Álké Fund, a permanent, continent-wide financing structure designed to ensure the long-term stability, independence, and global competitiveness of Africa’s creative industries. The Álké Fund will invest strategically in four interconnected pillars that support Africa’s creative sovereignty.

To advance education and skills, Álké will create pathways for the next generation of creators, artisans, and entrepreneurs, ensuring that intergenerational knowledge is actively passed on rather than lost (which is also the mission of 54 Faces, an association co-led by Judy Sanderson). The institution will also focus on manufacturing and production capacity, strengthening local value chains, and accelerating innovation across both artisanal and industrial systems.

A first edition in Cape Town

Álké Ball will mobilise around archives, the preservation of craft expertise, and research: safeguarding African textile histories, indigenous knowledge systems, and craft techniques through documentation, conservation, and active use. Finally, the collective will work to develop African brands by promoting sustainable commercial growth, operational stability, and long-term international expansion.

According to Lulu Shabell and the pan-African collective, the fund is not merely a financial instrument. It is also a concrete response to decades of underinvestment in Africa’s creative and cultural industries. Its inaugural edition will take place in Cape Town, with subsequent editions rotating among Africa’s cultural capitals.