9 designers who have owned the AMVCA red carpet for five years running

Every year, the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards arrives with two conversations happening at the same time. One is about who won. The other is about who wore what. Over the years, the second conversation has grown just as loud as the first, and in some cases, louder.

But behind every look that stops the scroll is a designer who spent weeks, sometimes months, bringing it to life. The AMVCA red carpet has become one of the most important stages for African fashion, and a handful of designers have shown up year after year to prove it.

Here are the ones who have consistently made their mark from 2022 to 2026.

Veekee James

If there is one designer who has defined the AMVCA red carpet over the past five years, it is Veekee James. At the 2022 edition, Osas Ighodaro won Best Dressed Female in a flowing beaded Veekee James dress. She returned the following year in another Veekee James creation and won Best Actress. By 2024, Veekee James was dressing multiple celebrities at once, including Uche Montana, Toke Makinwa, and Osas Ighodaro. In 2025, she dressed Osas Ighodaro and Mercy Aigbe. In 2026, she delivered two of the most talked-about looks of the night, a crimson sculptural gown and a silver ballgown made from 400 repurposed metal sponges, both worn by Osas Ighodaro, and also dressed co-host Nomzamo Mbatha in a fully beaded black gown. The designer and her muse have built one of the most exciting creative partnerships in Nigerian fashion, and every AMVCA season, they raise the bar on what they did the year before.

Amy Aghomi

Amy Aghomi is not just a red carpet designer. She is a storyteller, and the AMVCA carpet has been her most consistent stage. Her work spans both the main awards night and cultural day, and she has dressed some of the most talked-about looks across both. In 2023, she designed Venita Akpofure’s cultural day outfit, a vibrant Urhobo-inspired ensemble in peach, gold, and pink gorge fabric paired with a matching gele that earned Venita the Best Dressed Female title on cultural night. In 2024, she dressed Neo Akpofure in a modern take on traditional Itsekiri regalia for cultural night, a heavily structured long-line shirt with tailored trousers that won him Best Dressed Male. In 2025, Mercy Eke shut down the red carpet in a custom Amy Aghomi diamond-studded gown reportedly worth N38 million, featuring thousands of hand-placed crystals that shimmered under the lights. In 2026, the collaboration went further. For the main carpet, Mercy wore the Ecosystem of Beauty dress, a water-inspired creation with individually placed crystal-encrusted elements. Amy Aghomi also dressed Bucci Franklin in a regal monochromatic wine-red velvet traditional ensemble for cultural day, created Osas Ighodaro’s Ghanaian heritage-inspired Akwaaba look for the same occasion, and created Chioma Goodhair’s viral liquid gold ensemble.

Atafo

Guided by Mai Atafo’s vision, the fashion brand Atafo creates exquisite bespoke tailored garments known for clean cuts and impeccable fit. The brand has been one of the most consistent names in menswear on the AMVCA carpet. In 2022, Denola Grey stole the spotlight as best-dressed male in a striking Atafo three-piece burgundy satin tuxedo. That same year, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu wore a custom monochrome pastel blue tuxedo. By 2024, Atafo dressed Ebuka again in a bold polka-dot suit and has also created looks for IK Osakioduwa and Akin Faminu across multiple editions. In 2025, Ebuka and Efa Iwara both wore Atafo. The brand remains the gold standard for men who want to make a statement without losing structure.

Toyin Lawani (Tiannah Styling)

Toyin Lawani operates in a category of her own. Her designs are not just clothes, they are events. In 2025, she dressed Queen Mercy Atang in a gown made from one million safety pins. In 2026, she returned with a dress made from 500 loaves of bread, complete with a pot of ewa agoyin as an accessory. Every year, a Toyin Lawani creation generates the most debate on the internet, which is entirely the point.

Mamadi Couture

Mamadi Couture has quietly become one of the most distinctive names on the carpet. The brand’s signature is nature-inspired design with serious technical skill behind it. In 2025, Doyinsola David wore a Mamadi Couture forest-green beaded gown where the fabric was hand-twisted to look like roots cascading to the floor, making it look as though she was one with the earth. The brand was behind three red carpet looks at the 2025 AMVCA, including Doyin’s iconic tree dress which went completely viral. In 2026, the brand dressed Doyin David again in a dragon-inspired dress built from iron scales and a spine structure.

Weiz Dhurm Franklyn

Weiz Dhurm Franklyn has become the go-to for celebrities who want drama with precision. In 2024, Chioma Ikokwu wore a Weiz Dhurm Franklyn masterpiece tagged “The Vine,” keeping with the Garden of Time theme. In 2025, Erica Nlewedim wore the brand’s creation on the carpet. In 2026, the brand dressed two celebrities. Shine Rosman arrived in a heavily textured custom blue sequined dress shimmering under the lights and accented with matching dramatic feathers. Erica Nlewedim wore a custom burgundy velvet off-shoulder gown embedded with metallic wires and suspended velvet circles that created a floating illusion effect. The brand’s designs are known for structured silhouettes, bold fabric choices, and a consistent ability to turn a concept into something wearable.

Deji and Kola

Deji and Kola have made themselves the definitive menswear choice for celebrities who want to push past the conventional suit. In 2024, Richard Mofe-Damijo wore a deconstructed Agbada from Deji and Kola made from purple aso-oke material, with intricate designs running down the length of the outfit, topped with a long flaps cap and a purple beaded staff. In 2025, Akin Faminu wore a Deji and Kola suit adorned with floral embroidery on one sleeve and a silk scarf in place of a tie, earning him the title of best-dressed male for the night. The brand has consistently shown that Nigerian menswear can be just as adventurous as the women’s looks.

Prudential Atelier

Prudential Atelier had a defining moment in 2025 and has not looked back since. Liquorose wore a silver Prudential Atelier gown featuring floral embellishments at the waist, scale-like detailing at the hem, and a striking snake-like neckline that extended into a hair covering. The look earned her the best-dressed female title at the 2025 AMVCA, voted by the public. In 2026, Liquorose continued her partnership with the brand across two looks. For cultural night, she wore a custom masterpiece, and for the main awards ceremony, she stepped out in a sleek custom white mermaid gown with structural draping. Also on the 2026 carpet, Nelly Mbonu wore a highly structured avant-garde Prudential Atelier design that drew critical acclaim for its creative architecture and flawless tailoring. The brand also dressed Toyin Abraham for the main awards night in a breathtaking black, champagne, and gold structured gown, accessorised with custom neckpieces from The Jematoba and tailored to highlight her silhouette. In three years, Prudential Atelier has gone from a breakthrough moment to one of the most anticipated names on the carpet.

Abbas Woman

Mohammed Abbas Ossu and his brand Abbas Woman are relatively new to the AMVCA carpet, but the 2026 edition made it impossible to ignore the name. Ossu designed Nana Akua Addo’s opening look of the night, a breathtaking sculptural gown inspired by the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, featuring dozens of towering silver and grey spires with pointed Gothic arches and delicate cross details rising from the floor to her waist. The designer told the BBC that the creation process began in November 2025 and was only completed two days before the ceremony. He also dressed Nana in a second look the same night, a mermaid gown built from layered fragments of textured material designed to look like the earth had been sculpted into a dress. Abbas Woman also dressed Aishat Mohammed on the same carpet in a fitted leather gown with a sweetheart neckline corset and a ruffled hem, leaning fully into a gothic aesthetic. One night, three looks, and a brand that has announced itself on the biggest stage in African fashion.