Meta teamed up with Nigerian designer Ifeanyi Nwunye of I.N. Official to launch the world’s first AI-powered fashion collection at Africa Fashion Week London on August 9-10, 2025. This collaboration shows how Meta AI, embedded in platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, makes it simple for creators to use AI as a tool for generating designs, simulating ideas, and speeding up the creative process without needing technical skills.
Meta AI gave the designer complete creative freedom to explore new patterns, color palettes, and design elements in entirely new ways, marking the first time AI has been used as a creative assistant in a runway show.
In an exclusive interview with BusinessDay, Nwunye detailed how his collaboration with Meta AI powered the creation of the “Transcendence” collection, showcased at Africa Fashion Week in London. This partnership marks a historic first: an African fashion house leveraging AI in a major global collaboration to highlight technology’s potential in the creative economy.
Nwunye, an electrical engineering graduate from Covenant University, emphasised AI’s role in streamlining design processes, fostering cultural pride, and inspiring the next generation of designers.
AI as a Creative Assistant: From Concept to Simulation
Nwunye highlighted Meta AI’s transformative impact on the design workflow, particularly in replacing traditional sampling with digital simulation. “Normally, when you conceptualise, we start by designing the pieces first, then we get the fabrics, then we test, then we confirm whether it’s good to go, then we put it in a collection,” he explained. “However, this time, instead of testing, we simulate. We say, oh, yeah, Meta AI, imagine a jacket like this, with vampire details and big fur on the hand, and then next thing you see, pictures. And you already have a real-life reference as to what that piece would look like, versus having to sample or get an illustrator.”
This approach eliminated the need for costly illustrators and physical prototypes, saving time and resources. Nwunye praised the tool’s accessibility, noting its integration into everyday apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. “You don’t have to pay illustrators to give you different designs, and then you confirm. Now you’re limiting all those processes of having to get illustrators, get them to do extra sampling,” he said. “The most accessible thing about it is the fact that it’s embedded in WhatsApp, it’s embedded in Instagram, it’s embedded in Facebook, it’s fast, we’re kind of like used to it already, based on our everyday lives.”
The emotional aspect of prompting was key, according to Nwunye. “AI has prompts, it’s not really about emotions. The emotion that you’re trying to get from the result, you know, this is the kind of feeling that you’re trying to get from these results. So that feeling really inspired the kind of prompts and the kind of prompts that you let the AI know that you want to receive and then you get results.” This method accelerated iteration, allowing quick adjustments like elongating sleeves or adding details without repeated physical trials.
Crafting Prompts: Emotion-Driven Innovation
When asked about specific prompts, Nwunye revealed they were rooted in desired emotions and outcomes. For instance, a standout red stripe piece with fire on the cuff drew from prompts like “imagine Asoke, red stripe Asoke, vampire outfit types.” He explained, “We wanted to get that emotion of an extreme look, an extreme long look that has a lot of character, but is still wearable. So with this prompt, once we got the visual direction of this prompt, then we’re going to edit some of it in our own way to actually make it more, bring it more to real life and the real applicable world.”
Beyond visuals, Meta AI suggested materials to enhance designs. Nwunye shared an example: “We don’t always use normal plastic buttons. Sometimes we use a resin button. So, this time we asked Meta AI, for example, what kind of extra materials can we use as buttons that are natural as well? You know, sometimes we use cowries, but it also suggests glass, some special type of stone glass that is wrapped, that we could use. Actually, it was like, the suggestion was a precious stone wrapped in metal, you know, so we’re able to do like a glass, precious glass stone wrapped in copper, you know, and we use that as buttons.”
These suggestions built on existing ideas, amplifying creativity without inventing unrelated concepts. “It’s not like it came from nowhere and gave you some crazy ideas that you didn’t know of, but no, it’s to give you things that kind of enhance the things that you’re already kind of working around,” Nwunye noted.
Runway Triumph: Highlights from Africa Fashion Week London
Reflecting on the runway show, Nwunye described it as a culmination of six months of collaborative effort. “There’s a lot of highlights, you know, from the preparations and the partnership, which was the first time a fashion house from Africa has been able to do a major partnership like that that highlights the advantage of technology in the creative sector and the creative economy,” he said. Key moments included working with teams from Black Superstar (PR), Apollo (Meta’s Africa representative), and his Nigerian staff.
The show itself was a “match made in heaven,” with alignments ensuring satisfaction for both I.N. Official and Meta. “The highlight was pretty much the entire experience from the process that led to the show, to the show in itself,” Nwunye added.
Standout Pieces in the Transcendence Collection
The 15-look collection was intentionally concise, a departure from I.N. Official’s usual 25-piece lines. “I think every single piece was a standout piece,” Nwunye asserted. “We try to make it as specific and encompassing as possible.” While he professed love for the entire lineup, he admitted a personal bias toward a versatile green three-piece suit. “That’s my favorite piece because I can wear each and every one of the pieces separately in there, you know, to feel bagged.”
AI’s role was pivotal: “We just used prompts to make the whole process quicker, which was very, very exciting for us and very innovative.”
The Meta AI Collaboration: A Serendipitous Partnership
Nwunye likened the collaboration to finding the “right girlfriend” – it approached him organically. “We were really scouted by Meta, you know, just based on our work in the industry so far,” he recounted. His engineering background facilitated tech integration, though not as prominently before. “Naturally, I have a background in electrical engineering… over time, I’ve been able to figure out how to incorporate some tech within our fashion ecosystem, but not as pronounced as this time.”
Meta reached out via his PR head, Latasha, and the fit was immediate since I.N. Official was already using AI. “We’re already using AI to design some stuff. So, when they reached out, we were excited about it and just confirmed it immediately… Pablo Picasso says inspiration has to find you working. If inspiration comes to you and you’re not already working, there’s going to be a waste of time.”
Cultural Roots and Inspirations
The “Transcendence” collection draws deeply from African heritage, aiming to restore dignity and create timeless pieces. “Our brand is rooted in culture, first of all. We’re a very Western brand. Before really blowing up in Nigeria, we were already blowing up in Los Angeles and in Paris,” Nwunye said. The theme emphasizes evolving familiar silhouettes by 5-8% to innovate. “We wanted to create a moment that can be timeless, that can transcend one time, that can transcend one period.”
Central to this is “the restoration of African dignity,” using fashion to counter Western influences. “Through clothing, through creativity, through music, fashion, art, like all these creative forms, this is how we can really restore African dignity and make Africans globally proud of their cultural heritage… We’re beyond what you guys are. We’re not these African villagers. We’re actually the coolest people in the whole world.”
Nwunye’s personal style promotes Nigerian culture globally, challenging stereotypes of urban Africans mimicking American rappers or Italian mafia looks. “For me, the fact that we are 2 billion Africans, like we have so much power… we have to make sure we are stimulating people’s minds in such a way that they are seeing themselves in the betterment of these things.”
Overcoming Challenges: AI as an Enhancement, Not a Hurdle
Integration posed no major challenges; it amplified existing practices. “I wouldn’t say I had to even integrate, per se. You know, like it was something that we needed anyway,” Nwunye clarified. “It’s about helping to be creative, but it’s about helping you to enhance what you know already or do it faster.” Working with Meta’s team refined skills, adhering to standard guidelines similar to past partnerships like Glenfiddich.
AI’s Impact on Fashion’s Future, Especially for Gen Z
Nwunye sees AI reshaping fashion profoundly. “I think it’s more than even changing this year because… AI can come up with a small business plan for you, for your fashion house. It can come up with strategies for your marketing,” he said. It consolidates information faster than Google searches, but success depends on intent. “If your intent is to learn and to actually apply knowledge… you see young people that just started yesterday, they’re already doing mind-blowing things just based off working with AI.”
For Gen Z, it’s a game-changer: “A lot of creatives, a lot of amazing creatives are. Like you see young people… they have a multi-thousand-dollar business.” AI learns user preferences over time, tailoring responses.
Business Boost and Cross-Cultural Ties
The collaboration sparked curiosity among buyers, investors, and partners. “Everyone is curious to see pretty much where this is headed… I think it’s more so the curiosity that has been sparked,” Nwunye observed. It’s accessible via familiar apps, appealing across ages.
Cross-culturally, it bridged Meta, African Fashion Week, and I.N. Official, with Meta sponsoring the event.
The Road Ahead: AI as Industry Standard
Nwunye predicts AI will become ubiquitous: “Honestly, 2 billion percent… You either innovate or… die.” Globally, major houses like Gucci use it; Africa must catch up early. “All the major fashion houses are using AI… It’s best to jump and learn everything that we can learn now.”
He urged intentional integration: “One of the most valuable companies in the world is an AI company. Meta is going to change the entire face of the whole company for AI.”
Government Support and Advice for Aspiring Designers
To foster AI in fashion, Nwunye called for education on both sides. “The government needs to understand the value of creativity… Creativity is what’s made America, America through Hollywood,” he said. Policies should include programs, events, and funding for genuine creatives, avoiding nepotism.
His advice to aspiring designers: “Keep going, keep innovating. Every single day, the sun rises as an opportunity to change the world… We really change the world, the lives of our families, the community and nation at large. So we have to keep pushing every single week. No matter how small, do something that adds to your brand and do it from a place of love.”
With 13 years in the industry, Nwunye’s journey exemplifies how AI can elevate African fashion onto the global stage, blending heritage with innovation for a transcendent future.
