Siemens FABRIC

We turned urban data into fashion and sparked conversations about Africa’s future cities.

Africa is urbanising faster than anywhere else on Earth. But this rapid growth is as much an opportunity as a challenge. It is a chance for African cities to plan smarter and avoid the mistakes made by the rest of the world.

Could combining urban data with African ingenuity lead to fresh insights and solutions?

Working alongside data experts, we sourced and mapped existing datasets from Lagos, Nairobi, and Johannesburg, visualising each city’s unique ebb and flow. From these visualisations, we isolated areas of public and commercial interest, transforming them into nine original fabric patterns.

These patterns were printed on high-end textiles, with additional surface detailing and embellishments. Renowned designers Zizi Cardow (Lagos), John Kaveke (Nairobi), and Palesa Mokubung (Johannesburg) each created collections inspired by their city’s fabrics. Twelve unique outfits that expressed the future aspirations of their home cities.

We unveiled the collections at a cutting-edge multimedia fashion showcase in Johannesburg’s Hyde Park, attended by government ministers, industry leaders, and the press. Audio-visual projections brought the fabric creation process to life as models took to the runway.

Simultaneously, we launched a project film, campaign page, and targeted social media campaign, using posts, videos, stories, and galleries to showcase the designers' patterns, garments, and stories behind the project.