Preparations are gathering pace for the 2026 Togho Fashion Festival, a two day celebration scheduled for December 5 and 6 in Bamenda under the theme, “heritage and economy.”
The festival is expected to bring together fashion designers, textile vendors, creative entrepreneurs, models and other players in the fashion and cultural industries, with organisers seeking to demonstrate how Togho can move beyond cultural expression to create opportunities across the creative economy.
As part of preparations, the organisers have opened exhibition opportunities for creatives working with authentic Togho inspired designs and contemporary African fashion.
Fashion designers working with traditional Togho or modern fusion designs are being invited to exhibit alongside Atoghu fabric and textile sellers, accessory and jewellery makers, shoe makers, models and Made in Cameroon brands.
Beauty and lifestyle businesses are also being encouraged to participate, reflecting the organisers’ broader attempt to connect Togho with different segments of the fashion and creative industries.
“Let's celebrate Togho – Our Heritage, Our Pride!” the organisers said in their call for exhibitors.
The exhibition component is expected to provide a platform for designers and entrepreneurs to showcase their products, reach new customers and explore commercial opportunities around one of the Grassfields’ best known cultural fabrics.
The festival comes at a time when questions around the protection and economic value of Togho are receiving renewed attention. Earlier efforts involving La Liberté Arts Group and the London School of Economics and Political Science Law School have sought greater legal protection for Atogho amid concerns over the unauthorised copying and commercial use of its designs.
That wider debate has increasingly shifted the conversation from simply preserving Togho as heritage to asking how the communities, designers and artisans associated with it can benefit economically from its growing visibility.
The 2026 festival therefore provides an opportunity to place that question directly within the fashion industry, bringing traditional craftsmanship into contact with contemporary designers, businesses and consumers.
Exhibition spaces are limited, according to the organisers, and only selected applicants will be contacted after submission of their exhibitor forms.
With its theme, “heritage and economy,” the Togho Fashion Festival is set to to show that a cultural symbol preserved for generations can also become a viable platform for modern enterprise, provided the people and communities behind it remain at the centre of its economic value.
By Hilltopvoices Web Team
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