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On a recent afternoon, designer Kibonen gathered a room full of women for an intimate brunch centered on fashion, conversation, and shared experience. Guests arrived wearing the same garment—the Mafo dress—yet each interpretation was entirely their own. The gathering marked an early stop on Kibonen’s Mafo Dress Tour, a growing series of fashion-led brunches now expanding across the United States and globally in 2026.
The concept is simple but resonant: women come together around a table, dressed in Mafo, to connect without pretense. It’s a modern take on the cultural idea of Ladies Who Lunch—less about leisure, more about intention—using fashion as the connector rather than the spectacle.
“The very first Mafo luncheon wasn’t planned as a movement,” Kibonen shared. “It started as a moment of thanksgiving for the women who supported my work and for the journey itself.”
That first gathering came together organically after a group of her childhood friends visited New York and purchased the Mafo dress. Watching women of different body types and personal styles wear the same design with ease sparked the idea for a shared experience. Invitations widened quickly. Women who already owned the dress attended. Others purchased it the morning of. Some even traveled from nearby cities after seeing the brunch on Instagram.
“It shifted how I saw my brand,” Kibonen explained. “These women came together not to perform, but to genuinely connect.”
Photo courtesy of Kibonen
Seeing a room filled with guests wearing the same dress yet expressing it completely differently proved deeply affirming. “It reminded me that luxury isn’t about sameness,” she said. “It’s about belonging. The dress became a connector.”
That philosophy is embedded in the Mafo dress itself. Inspired by Bamileke Nduop fabric, traditionally worn by royalty in Cameroon, the design translates geometric symbolism into knitwear—challenging the notion that African fashion is seasonal or limited to resort wear. Designed with stretch, structure, and movement in mind, the Mafo dress adapts across body types, ages, and occasions, from daytime gatherings to travel and evening wear.
“I wanted to create something that respects the body instead of trying to correct it,” Kibonen said. “It belongs to the woman wearing it.”
Kibonen’s work has earned international recognition. Her designs have been featured in Vogue, Vogue Italia, Elle, Essence, and Forbes Africa, and have been worn by Lupita Nyong’o and Gayle King. While those moments helped establish her global presence, she remains equally focused on designing for everyday women and real-life moments.
“Dressing celebrities is an honor,” she shared. “But seeing women choose my designs for meaningful moments in their own lives—that’s why I do this.”
In 2026, the Mafo Dress Tour will expand into additional cities across the U.S. and internationally. Upcoming stops include New York, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Oslo, and Cairo with more locations to be announced.
Photo courtesy of Kibonen
The Mafo Dress Tour will also support Mothers To Daughters (M2D), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing women’s economic, intellectual, and social empowerment through intergenerational mentorship. A portion of proceeds from Mafo dress sales tied to these gatherings will directly benefit the organization, extending the impact of the tour beyond the table.
“Mothers To Daughters aligns naturally with what these gatherings represent,” Kibonen said. “Fashion has always been passed down—through stories, memory, and presence. Supporting an organization that centers mothers, daughters, and legacy allows the Mafo dress to live beyond the moment and contribute to something lasting.”
As the Mafo Dress Tour continues to grow, it offers a considered model for how fashion can exist beyond the runway—centered on connection, heritage, and lived experience. “When a woman puts on the Mafo dress and walks into one of these gatherings,” Kibonen added, “I hope she feels grounded, confident, and comfortable being herself.”
With its continued expansion, the Mafo Dress Tour positions Kibonen not only as a designer, but as a creative voice shaping how fashion brings people together—one table at a time.
In Partnership with APG
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