Underrepresented: Redefining African Fashion & Cultural Identity with Nuel Bans

Founder of Debonair Afrik, Nuel Bans discusses his journey as an underrepresented founder championing African fashion on the global stage. From launching a blog to landing a Vogue cover, Nuel shares the resilience required to transform passion into a multifaceted brand. He highlights the importance of entrepreneurship, the impact of representation in elevating African creatives, and the power of community in fostering collaboration, purpose, and authentic cultural storytelling. Nuel also opens up about the struggle of minority designers, including repeated exclusion from opportunities with LVMH, and how adversity has shaped his vision to expand into Paris and grow his international presence while supporting emerging designers across the diaspora.

Fashion with Purpose & Community- in this episode, we discuss:

• Evolving from blog to brand – How Debonair Afrique’s evolution reflects the potential of passion-led projects.
• How cultural identity fuels creativity – African craftsmanship and storytelling deserve global recognition.
• Shifting narratives – challenging outdated perceptions of Africa to highlight appreciation, value, and innovation.
• Representation at the top – Black designers and founders must be visible in leadership positions.
• Overcoming exclusion – turning missed opportunities into motivation to push boundaries internationally.

Connect with Nuel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmanuel-ekuban-b3749a150/

Visit Debonair Afrik: https://debonairafrik.com/

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at podcast@beyondform.io. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io