Nairobi Design Week 2026: Highlights, Insights & My Take

 

Right at the heart of Kenya, Nairobi Design Week ran from March 7 to March 15, 2026 and here’s my review.

I'm going to start with the theme: Let's be human together. 

On the NDW website  Visit the Nairobi Design Week website , the theme viewed human experience as the future of design and art in a rapidly changing world. I loved the perspective because I certainly believe human experience is and will become the most essential commodity in the art industry in the next few centuries because the human mind isn't trained to adopt automation. In my perspective, AI art kinda skips the essential process of experiencing each brush stroke, line and colour mixing and layering. It only aims for perfection. 

This event caught my attention because it places human experience at the center of art, something we need to be constantly reminded of. It was hosted across four locations: Diba Studios, Ngara, Alliance Française Nairobi, and Goethe-Institut Nairobi, all of which are well known for their strong ties to art and cultural expression. Seeing the event span these spaces made it feel even more compelling. I couldn’t help but think, this is genuinely impressive. 

Here are a few images from the event, mostly captured as screenshots from Instagram. While I show you the photos, I'd briefly tell you the highlights of the Nairobi Design Week 2026.

There were textiles and fashion, we were made to witness real life weaving and bead making. You make a simple bead bracelet for yourself and you take it home with you. Clothes made from tree barks were featured. I particularly loved Miss Njeri’s fashion house clothes. Miss Ashley Njeri combines fashion, faith and emotions in a really impressive manner. Her most intriguing collection for me is “Wounds and renewal”. 

Shaba, a brand that works with Kenyan women to craft Sisal bags also had beautiful bags on display. 

There was the scent and coffee section and live paintings and drawings. 

There were also talks where artists got to rub minds together 

Then I learnt a new term “Scrapology” . There were scraps and corsets on display in this section of the event. Scrapology means the art of transforming small, leftover textile pieces into intentional, artistic projects (Google). So we were made to see beauty in everything around us beyond the Internet or our phones.

I only wish there'll be an African hairstyle section in Nairobi Design Week next year 2027.

Did you attend the event? Tell me what you think in the comments.

Jesunifemi (Jekphrasa)