Giving Compass' Take:
- Landry Signé interviews Kibonen Nfi, founder and creative director of fashion brand Kibonen, about investing in the global creative economy for social and economic transformation.
- How can the creative industry act as an engine of climate action and economic revitalization globally? How do the focuses of Kibonen on sustainability and youth empowerment align with the U.N. SDGs?
- Learn more about trends and topics related to arts and culture.
- Search our Guide to Good for nonprofits focused on arts and culture in your area.
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Landry Signé, senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program and the Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution and host of the Foresight Africa Podcast, attended the U.N. General Assembly in September to speak with some of organization’s top leaders and international partners on the U.N.’s successes and future in a changing world and investing in the global creative economy.
In this interview, Landry Signé speaks with Kibonen Nfi, founder and creative director of the fashion brand Kibonen. Blending West African fabrics, Cameroonian tradition and New York style, Kibonen designs have been featured in stores, magazines and runways around the world.
Transcript
LANDRY SIGNÉ: So before we begin, could you please state your full name and title for the recording?
KIBONEN NFI: My name is Kibonen Nfi. I’m a fashion designer creative director for Kibonen.
LANDRY SIGNÉ: I am delighted to have you join me during the 80th UN General assembly, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to share your insights with our audience. I know everyone wanted to engage with you.
KIBONEN NFI: I know.
LANDRY SIGNÉ: What are your top priorities for the 80th session of the UN General Assembly and how do you see this shaping the global agenda moving forward with regards to investing in the global creative economy?
KIBONEN NFI: So, the top priority for us is to position fashion as a driver for economic growth, youth empowerment, youth education, and also for, sustainability, like the environmental agenda for the U.N.
So being here and having conversations with policymakers industry leaders is definitely key because this is where ideas are shared, initiatives are taken, exchanges are done, and we are able to look at things holistically in how fashion can be positioned not just for the aesthetics of it, but for what it contributes to the development of a people, and of a nation, and of the continent as a whole.
Read the full article about investing in the global creative economy by Landry Signé and Kibonen Nfi at Brookings.