Following her Forbes Africa , the Cameroonian designer is expanding a culturally significant dress into a global movement connecting heritage, women and economic opportunity
NEW YORK, August 2026 — Following a new Forbes Africa feature chronicling her journey from dressing global figures including Lupita Nyong’o, Gayle King, Samuel Eto’o and Wizkid, Cameroonian designer and KiBONEN founder Kibonen Nfi is entering the next chapter of the MÄFO Dress Movement.
Her goal is bold: bring together 5,000 women wearing the same culturally significant African dress in one historic gathering.
What began with seven women choosing to wear the same KiBONEN dress has grown into a global community. Approximately 13 MÄFO gatherings have taken place worldwide, including about three in New York.
MÄFO means “Queen Mother,” a title of respect and honor given to a woman recognized for her leadership, influence and contributions to her community. Rooted in the traditions of Cameroon’s Grassfields, it represents wisdom, dignity, service and influence.
At MÄFO gatherings, every woman deliberately wears the same dress, yet no two women look the same. Each participant interprets MÄFO through her own styling, personality and identity.Beyond the aesthetic, these summits cultivate environments where participants experience visibility and honor, fostering significant connections, bolstered self-assurance, and fresh avenues for both individual and career advancement.
NEW YORK BECOMES THE NEXT STAGE
KiBONEN will close its 2026 New York brunch season with two major gatherings.
On September 13, during New York Fashion Week, the MÄFO Dress Brunch will bring 100 women together in Times Square. The event will be hosted by Claire Sulmers, founder of Fashion Bomb Daily.
On September 26, an invitation-only MÄFO gathering will take place on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. This experience will convene leaders and patrons across diplomacy, business, finance, philanthropy, fashion and culture while positioning African fashion as both cultural power and economic opportunity.
Additional MÄFO experiences are planned across Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and North America.
THE ROAD TO 5,000
The Road to 5,000 seeks to assemble 5,000 women wearing the MÄFO Dress while demonstrating the cultural and commercial possibilities of African design.
“This started with seven women. There was no grand strategy behind it,” says Nfi. “Women connected with the dress, but they also connected with one another. That is when I realized MÄFO could become much bigger than a product. My dream is to bring 5,000 women together and allow the world to see what happens when African fashion, culture and community move together.”
MÄFO presents a model in which a culturally rooted African product can generate community, global visibility, experiences and economic opportunity while protecting its origin story.
Nfi’s work has appeared in Vogue, CNN African Voices, The Business of Fashion, Essence, ELLE, Humans of New York and Forbes Africa. Her work has also received recognition connected to the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
ABOUT KIBONEN NFI
Kibonen Nfi is a Cameroonian fashion designer, entrepreneur and Founder and Creative Director of KiBONEN. Based in New York, she reinterprets Cameroonian textile traditions and cultural symbols through contemporary fashion while advocating for greater visibility, ownership and economic opportunity for African creatives.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
Kibonen Nfi is available for founder interviews, television and podcast appearances, fashion and business features, event coverage and commentary on African fashion and the creative economy.
Media Contact:
KiBONEN
New York, NY
Kibonenpr@kibonen.com
Inside The Diaspora 
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