The exhibition gives an insight into the fashion world of four African cities: Casablanca (Morocco), Johannesburg (South Africa), Nairobi (Kenya) and Lagos (Nigeria). These cities are geographically far apart and all 4 have their own cultural influences. One African fashion does not exist'. 

For each city, bloggers, designers, stylists and photographers have made presentations showing the fashion of their country. 

Casablanca

Red dress: Said Mahrouf, Coference of the Birds collection, Spring/Summer 2016

This dress was designed by Said Mahrouf, who moved to the Netherlands at a young age and started his own label in Casblanca after completing his fashion education. His designs are characterised by supple, shiny fabrics, asymmetry and feminine lines. 

Said Mahrouf: 'For this collection, I collaborated with the Paris-based artist Yassine Mekhnache. For his embroidery, he uses traditional Moroccan techniques and Indian silk.

Presentation by Irene Hin. Jacket and trousers made of Brillant wax print; handbag with vintage bamboo handle made of Lady Africa wax block print by Julius Holand Wax/Jansen Holland: Lady Africa, 2017. 

Irene Hin:'The power suit is an ode to strong women, in Africa and in my family. How knowledge and strength are passed on from mother to daughter. Just like my mother, who is Senior Fashion Advisor at Lady Africa, my grandmother worked in fashion, selling Vlisco fabrics among other things.

Johannesburg

Dress by Marianne Fassler SS15/16. "The look and feel of this collection approximates the quintessential South African feeling of 'Ubuntu', of existing and belonging, giving it a sentimental edge," says the designer herself. 

The same dress as shown at Capetown Fashion Week. 

Designer Marianne Fassler, the one with the batch on, at the end of her show in Cape Town. 

Nairobi

Velma Rossa and Papa Petit are a brother and sister from Nairobi who have been looking for second-hand clothes since they were young. On Tumblr and Instagram, among other places, they have '2ManySiblings', a creative place for art and photography. 

Velma Rossa:'We started with social media to tell stories with positive images, but also just for fun, to show that a lot is happening in Nairobi.

Brother and sister have created their own unique style with second-hand clothes and by collaborating with talented fashion photographers.  

Instagram: 2manysiblings

Lagos

Chiffon dress with beaded print and coral-coloured bodice: Tiffany Amber, 2011 Tiffany Amber:'Africa is next. The world is looking to us for inspiration.'  

Lace dress: Deola Sagoe, 2014

Fashion designer Deola Sagoe has had her own label for over 25 years. Her clothes are characterised by the attention to detail and the use of local Nigerian quality fabrics such as adire and aso oke.

Deola Sagoe: Before I became a fashion designer, the African fashion story was told by European designers who only used bits of African culture as inspiration. I felt it was time for the deeper story to come to light.

Skirt, top and shoes: Karim Adduchi, She Knows Why the Caged Bird Sings collection, 2015. 

Karim Adduchi:'It is important to show the hidden beauty of Moroccan culture and to fight misconceptions about the Arab Diaspora. As a fashion designer, I feel a certain responsibility to document our society from the perspective of design, and to contribute to a sense of community.'

Moroccan-born fashion designer Karim comes from a family of tailors. After training in Barcelona, he graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in 2015. He opened Amsterdam Fashion Week in 2016 with his collection She Lives Behind the Courtyard Door. The voluminous silhouettes and artisanal techniques were inspired by Karim's own childhood in Morocco. Due to his own interpretation of tradition, his collection received a lot of attention in the press. 

In short, a colourful, fascinating and compact exhibition in a beautiful museum that is definitely worth visiting. Fashion Cities Africa is on view until 6 January 2019. More information at tropenmuseum.nl.