One year after its launch, R’Frique, the pioneering African Fashion rental platform founded by Ceejay Ndlovu and Lebi Barfour-Osei, is marking its first anniversary with a bold new chapter: the launch of a new designer collection and the opening of its first concept store in Johannesburg at the end of March. 

Founded on the belief that African Fashion deserves global visibility, R’Frique has quickly established itself as the pioneering platform that gives women access to exceptional pieces from some of the continent’s most celebrated designers, while championing a more sustainable way to experience fashion. 

In just twelve months, the brand has introduced South African audiences to a curated wardrobe of African designers through its rental model, allowing women to wear extraordinary garments without the need for ownership. The concept encourages circular fashion by extending the life of garments while celebrating the craftsmanship and creativity of African designers. 

A defining moment in R’Frique’s first year came in September 2025, when the brand hosted a landmark pop-up experience in Johannesburg that brought together some of Africa’s most exciting designers and introduced many South African consumers to these brands for the first time. 

Now, building on that momentum, R’Frique is expanding its rental offering with the launch of  Collection II, welcoming new designers including Cote D’ivoire’s Loza Maleombho, Nigerian brand Onalaja, and Ghanaian fashion house Asante Akua to its growing roster of African fashion houses. The new collection continues the brand’s commitment to spotlighting designers from across the continent whose work reflects the richness, creativity, and diversity of African fashion.

The anniversary also marks the opening of R’Frique’s first concept store, a new home for the brand that reflects its evolving vision. Following the success of its first-of-its-kind African fashion pop-up hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa in September 2025, the concept store will expand R’Frique’s model beyond rentals, allowing women to both rent and purchase pieces from leading African designers under one roof.

Designed as more than a retail space, the store aims to become a destination for African Fashion – a place where women can discover designers from across the continent, engage with impeccably crafted garments and build wardrobes that celebrate both style and sustainability.

“To be pioneers in this space is both a privilege and a responsibility. We have a duty to honour the extraordinary designers across our continent whose work deserves to be seen, worn and celebrated globally. As we enter this next chapter with our concept store, we are excited to support women in discovering and supporting sustainable African fashion brands in a way that feels joyful, accessible and deeply connected to our culture.” says Ceejay Ndlovu, Founder of R’Frique.

“From the beginning, R’Frique has always been about more than renting clothes;  it’s about shifting how African Fashion is experienced and valued,” added Lebi Barfour-Osei, Co-Founder of R’Frique.

As R’Frique celebrates its first year, the brand continues to position itself at the forefront of a growing movement – one that reimagines luxury fashion through an African lens and creates new pathways for women to experience the very best of the continent’s design talent.

With a new collection, a permanent home, and an expanding community of designers and customers, R’Frique’s first year marks only the beginning of what the founders envision as a long-term commitment to shaping the future of African luxury fashion.