Loza Maléombho invited audiences to step through time at this year’s New York Fashion Week. In partnership with Orun Studios, the Ivorian designer introduced her Spring/Summer 2026 collection through an immersive,15-minute AI-powered presentation that moved between speculative African utopias and ancestral histories.
Maléombho—whose designs have been worn by Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Teyana Taylor and celebrated by both the MoMA and Brooklyn Museum— introduced twenty-one looks featuring raffia detailing, tie-dyed hues, and intricate cut-outs. Each design reinvented Côte d’Ivorian technique through Maleombho’s avant-garde lens, resulting in styles that are innovative yet grounded.
“Fashion is not just about garments, it is a vessel of identity, resilience, and transformation. With this collection, I wanted to explore how African heritage can serve as both a timeless foundation and a speculative future”
To create a multi-sensory experience, Maleombho collaborated with sound designers Becce and DJ Ben Ivory on a score that layered ancestral drum patterns with electronic beats.
Franco-Senegalese artist Delphine Diallo created visuals of Ivorian masks that shifted across screens and spilled onto the garments. The projections worked in both form and function, reinforcing a forward-looking approach to retelling ancient narratives.
After the storytelling portion concluded, guests danced, ate, and admired the designs. Notable attendees of the NYFW art exhibit included Gary Dourdan, Mara Hoffman, Mobolaji Dawodu, Lysa Cooper, and more.
Maléombho’s presentation was a part of Orun’s two-day pan-African creative showcase at New York Fashion Week. Over the course of the weekend, Orun spotlighted a roster of designers and artists, including Romzy, Jamal Chleuh, Ibrahim Fernandez, Paulin Bédou, Xander Pratt, and Delphine Diallo. The weekend also included conversations with cultural and business leaders on the role of African art in shaping global futures, a keynote by U.S. Representative Troy Carter, and the launch of the New Orleans–South Africa Fashion Division with a performance by Damon Batiste and the legendary Batiste family.
“ORUN x Designers is more than a fashion event—it is a cultural movement that asserts Africa’s place in shaping global futures,” said Habyba Thiero, Founder & CEO of Orun Studios. “We are leading NYFW into the future with our integrated AI programming while also discussing the global fashion economy through our panels and programming.”
Written by Julia Shanker
