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Inside Algeria’s Enigmatic Fashion Market

Brands like Zara and Mango are opening boutiques in Algeria, one of the largest yet least developed fashion markets in North Africa, as the country tries to shake off its isolationist past.

Alger Fashion Week has presented Algerian designers in European cities like Paris and Lyon since 2011. (Valentine Michel)

Kingsley Kobo

08 April 2025

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Despite being an enigma to most western business leaders, Algeria has attracted several major fashion brands to its shores following a long period of international isolation. To get a snapshot of the retail opportunities that exist in this dynamic, hydrocarbon-rich nation, brand leaders usually go straight to the Bab Ezzouar shopping mall in the capital Algiers.

The Retailers Unlocking Africa’s Luxury Market

Global brands have traditionally prioritised multi-brand stores in South Africa, Nigeria and Morocco to gain a foothold on the continent. Now, some are looking further afield to boutiques in Kenya, Angola and Egypt.

In North Africa, a Story of Morocco and the Rest

Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya may be North African neighbours, but their fashion markets are running at distinctly different speeds.

All Eyes on Egypt

With Egypt now stabilising, can this titan of the Middle East reclaim its style credentials and become a lucrative fashion market once again?

About the author

Kingsley Kobo

Kingsley Kobo is a contributing writer at The Business of Fashion. Kobo is a writer based in Côte d’Ivoire who covers African fashion, business, environment, and culture.

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