The year 2011 saw an evolution of African fashion designers making their collections available online, from Sika designs, Washington Roberts to Ohema Ohene just to name a few who have been able to do this successfully. The journey does not end there, Shadders has discovered more fashionable boutiques yet to be launched in the next few months. Below is a list of online boutiques to watch out for in 2012.

• Myasho - http://myasho.com/

My Asho (derived from the Yoruba word “aso” meaning cloth and pronounced “ash-awe”) is an online fashion concept, developed in 2008 and launched in June 2009 to celebrate and promote the talent of African designers based throughout the world. We aspire to become a one-stop-shop for the best in authentic African inspired designs. We work closely with all our designers and stylists, choosing beautiful pieces from their collections to offer to a savvy fashion-forward international audience. In addition, we work with local markets throughout Africa to bring you distinctive, one-off pieces which you can check out daily in the My Asho Market. Most of the products on myasho.com are ethically handcrafted and produced in limited quantities, which means our customer can always be assured to find high-quality, inspired boutique style pieces at very affordable prices.

• Agnes and Lola - http://www.agnesandlola.com/

Agnes and lola is an independent online boutique selling items by African influenced designers. We are an ethical company and choose to work with brands that follow this stance. We are also committed to working with organisations that are investing in self sustainable socio-economic projects across Africa. The name is formed of the owner’s name ‘Lola’ and her grandmother’s name ‘Agnes’. Agnes was the quintessential woman of style who was just as intelligent as she was stylish… one would say a woman of yesteryear grace. She embodied a key trait that the boutique celebrates which is  feminine individuality through the African lens. Think Miriam Makeba, think Iman, think Alek Wek, the boutique is inspired by the unique nature of African feminine style.

• Africhic -http://www.africhic.com/

The premier online platform to showcase the best of fashion, beauty and design made in Africa. AfriChic.com is an effortless and essential online-outing for every fashionista that enjoys window-shopping and show-stopping. This virtual retail portal presents an array of locally created and manufactured designer clothing, handbags and jewellery. The innovative website, which is currently running a design-competition, acts as a platform for Africa’s finest entrepreneurs to showcase their ‘proudly-African’ products to a broader global market. Undacova, Stiaan Louw and Michelle Ludek are some of the chic names that make up the luxurious AfriChic portfolio consisting of 15 designer exquisite brands.

• Le Tabouret D’or -http://ltdo.co/

Le Tabouret D’Or offers luxury African Fashion with a modern twist. Our e-boutique features curated fashion pieces and allows for unprecedented access to Africa’s top designers. Le Tabouret D’Or is here for women who seek trend-forward and expressive style.

• Africa Batik -http://africabatik.com/

Africa Batik is a celebration of the vibrant African spirit through fashion. Our online boutique brings you a unique mix of contemporary African inspired designs from talented designers. At Africa Batik one of our fundamental aims is to highlight the immense creative strength of exceptional African designers, who combine unique African influences with current fashion trends. We offer an exciting shopping experience by unearthing amazing discoveries that encapsulate centuries of colourful and rich African culture, bringing African fashion to the forefront of the global fashion consciousness. We provide a supportive ethical platform for established and emerging African designers and artisans by creating a link between them and a global audience of potential customers.

• Osisi -http://www.osisiafrica.com/

OSISI, an independent African-inspired fashion company, today announced the launch of its website, osisiafrica.com. OSISI’s holiday launch gives customers the chance to choose unique and fashionable gifts for friends and family.

OSISI’s online store features nearly 100 designs by 11 top designers from Gambia, Nigeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Mozambique, Zambia, and the DRC. Customers have the opportunity to buy and wear beautifully-crafted women’s dresses, tops, pants, jackets, jewelry, bags, skirts, and men’s shirts.

As one of the few African-inspired fashion retailers online, OSISI prides itself on culture, quality, and service. The company promotes cultural interaction through fashion, and encourages people of all backgrounds to buy and wear featured pieces. OSISI also contributes to the sustainability of the African fashion market by raising the profile of its partner-designers. Most importantly, OSISIprovides customers with impeccable service and a fantastic online shopping experience.

• Sika Designs -http://sikadesigns.co.uk/

Sika Designs is by Phyllis Taylor which was set up  in 2006, after completing a Dress making and pattern cutting course at the London College of Fashion. Incorporating traditional Ghanaian fabrics, colours and patterns with very Western designs, Taylor has created a feminine, stylish approach to ethical design. With her family roots placed firmly in Ghana, it was a natural choice for Taylor to produce her collections in the Country of her childhood. With its rich culture, wealth of talented designers and dressmakers, Taylor has injected a new stream of employment & business into a struggling community.

• Ohema Ohene -http://www.ohemaohene.com/

Ohema Ohene- The brain child of British born designer Abenaa Pokuaa, which came to life late 2008. The name meaning Queen & King in the Ghanaian language of Twi was in reference of Abenaa’s Ghanaian heritage and plans to create a brand for both Men and Women. Abenaa graduated from London College of Fashion 2006 with BA Hon’s in Surface Textiles. The brand is Based in South London -Brixton, where its studio and flagship store are located. Ohema Ohene produces exciting, high quality, stylish seasonal clothing which is representative of London’s multicultural population, blending what is quintessentially British and enthusing this with African influences, mainly by the use if African prints. Ohema Ohene is most famously known for its exciting range of African inspired footwear- OH! By Ohema Ohene. Currently the OH! line is sold across the globe in stores in Finland, Belgium, France, Italy and Japan.

• Styles Afrik - www.stylesafrik.com coming soon!

StylesAfrik is an innovative, exciting and unique online fashion store that caters to those who have an interest in indigenous and African influenced designs and culture. Their name suggests a focus which is to provide popular, current trends and style, taking different elements and combining, modernizing and improvising upon them. They aim to profile both emerging and established brands. The  website which is yet to come online will travail the history of African Style and Beauty. Shoppers will get the opportunity to own items from the hottest Afropolitans within the Fashion and Arts industry. StylesAfrik promote and endorses traditional methods of creating African material and designs as well as the new modern method. The designers on our site will fuse old and new, traditional and modern, tribal and western using handmade and synthetic materials.

• Beautique Online - http://www.beautique-online.com/

Beautique is the new on-line boutique concept store recently launched in Lagos, Nigeria. Offering a wide range of ready-to-wear pieces on-line including: Christian Louboutin, 7 Jeans as well as high street favourites such as Zara. Beautique is an outlet that aims to cater to every fashionista based in and out of Nigeria.

• 36Boutique http://www.36boutiques.

36Boutiques is South Africa’s premier online fashion retailer. They believe in the power of fashion to identify, individualise and tell a story. 36Boutique is part of MIH Internet Africa, a group made up of some of Africa’s leading e-commerce properties.

• Asos Africa - Asos Africa Online

Now in its 3/4th season,  ASOS Africa collection features tailored pieces such as a raw-hemmed crop jacket and shorts, and hand woven fabric produced exclusively for Asos. Previous collections were produced in Kenya to support the work of SOKO (a workshop dedicated to developing a sustainable and long term solution to the economic problems in the Kenyan community).

• Indego Africa - http://www.indegoafrica.org/

Indego is a nonprofit social enterprise that: (a) partners with cooperatives (“co-ops”) of more than 250 women artisans in Rwanda on a fair trade basis, (b) sells its partners hand-made accessories and home décor products on its online store and at more than 70 U.S. retailers, and (c) invests 100% of its profits from sales, and all donations, into its training programs for the same co-ops in business management, entrepreneurship, literacy, and technology – all taught by Rwanda’s top university students.

• Fashion- Conscience - http://www.fashion-conscience.com/

FASHION-CONSCIENCE.COM Ltd is a UK-based registered company formed in 2007 with the sole intention of sourcing ethical clothing for stylish women with a conscience, a site which is genuinely fashion forward. The result of some sleepless nights on a break in Southern India worrying about climate change and workers rights, and a desire to find seriously stylish, seriously ethical clothes for herself, the founder of FASHION-CONSCIENCE.COM, a former fashion and celebrity journalist for the UK’s high end women’s glossies, decided to hunt down the hippest and most style-led ethical fashion to create a one-stop designer eco-fashion internet shop so all you eco-fashionistas could easily get your green mitts on it too.

We hope to keep you updated with all the fashionable online boutiques launching in 2012, If you know of any boutiques that has not been mentioned on this list feel free to leave the details with a comment below!