The Revival with Yayra Agbofah: Transforming Fashion Waste
Image courtesy of Spur Magazine
The following article was originally published in SPUR magazine in my Tomorrow column.
Yayra Agbofah is the social impact entrepreneur and circular fashion advocate behind THE REVIVAL, a community-led organisation transforming fashion waste in Accra’s Kantamanto Market. As one of the biggest destinations for discarded clothing from the Global North, the sprawling complex of thousands of stalls overflows with clothes.
Through collective action, Agbofah tackles Ghana and the world's fashion waste crisis with art, education, creative collaborations and entrepreneurship, pioneering circular solutions that turn the Global North's waste into creative renewal and West African opportunity, while supporting community and infrastructure building.
In Ghana's Kantamanto Market, where discarded Global North fashion meets creative renewal, Yayra Agbofah is rewriting the rules. Through THE REVIVAL, he transforms what others call waste into community wealth, proving that true innovation happens when design meets social and climate justice. I met Yayra through the UN Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle network we are both members of, where we connected around a shared vision of fashion rooted in collective action, ownership culture, and the belief that fashion should clean up its act to be truly beautiful.
GW: Through The Revival projects, what changes have you witnessed, and what would you like to change further?
YA: Every day I witness small shifts that feel monumental, a trader who starts to see textile waste not as a burden but as a resource, a young creative who discovers that design can be a tool to rewrite their own story. The Revival’s projects have helped the Kantamanto community see the value in their work and culture, and there’s a growing sense of collective pride. But we still have a long way to go: I’d love to see real structural investment in the market’s infrastructure, proper drainage, safe storage, and spaces designed for upcycling work. I also want to see fairer global trade policies that stop the cycle of waste being dumped here in the first place.
GW If you could design the emotional relationship between a person and their clothes, what would that feel like?
YA: I’d love people to see clothes the way they’d see a trusted companion. Something that holds memories, that ages with you, that you care for and repair. Clothing shouldn’t be disposable; it should be lived in, celebrated, and passed on with its stories intact. That emotional connection can shift us from mindless consumption to mindful ownership. It’s not just about looking good but feeling good about how your choices impact people and the planet.
GW: If every fashion brand CEO had to spend one week in Kantamanto Market, what would you make sure they couldn't avoid seeing?
YA: I would want them to walk the same muddy paths as the kayayei (the head porters) carrying bales heavier than themselves. I would want them to see the mountains of waste that no one wants to claim responsibility for. But I’d also want them to see the ingenuity and resilience here: the tailors who breathe new life into discarded clothes, the traders who’ve built entire livelihoods from what the world calls waste. It would be impossible to walk away without rethinking how fashion’s profits are made and who bears the true cost.
GW: With these wins and achievements, what's the biggest opportunity emerging from this work that people aren't talking about yet, and which collaboration on the horizon excites you most?
YA: One thing people don’t talk about enough is how powerful it is when institutions in the Global North truly recognise the value of Global South-led circular solutions — not just as charity or “upcycling” stories, but as cultural and design leadership.
Our collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is a perfect example. Together, we transformed waste textiles from Kantamanto into unique upcycled pieces that were exhibited and sold at the museum. That partnership didn’t just showcase what’s possible creatively, it challenged visitors to see textile waste differently, to value the stories and craftsmanship behind these materials, and to understand how community-driven solutions can reshape global narratives around fashion waste.
What excites me most now is building more of these equitable collaborations where knowledge and resources flow both ways, and where communities like Kantamanto are not just studied or helped but celebrated and invested in as innovators leading a circular future.
GW: You said, ‘fashion should make us beautiful, and we should reciprocate.’ When you’re teaching someone to transform their discarded clothing in your workshops, and that someone puts on their revived piece, what’s the most common emotional shift you witness and what does that transformation teach us about human potential?
YA: The moment someone tries on a piece they’ve revived themselves, there’s always this spark, a mix of pride, joy, and surprise. It’s like they suddenly see themselves not just as consumers but as creators. That emotional shift is powerful because it reminds people that they have the ability to change something that seemed worthless into something precious. It teaches us that transformation is always possible, not just for clothes, but for mindsets, communities, and systems. When people feel ownership over what they wear, they also feel a deeper responsibility to care for it and for the world around them.
GW: The devastating fire that destroyed most of the Kantamanto Market in January 2025 revealed incredible community resilience. What did you discover about the power of collective action that surprised even you?
YA: The fire was heartbreaking, people lost everything overnight. But what moved me most was how quickly people came together, not just to rebuild stalls but to support each other emotionally, to share food, tools, even laughter in the darkest moments. It showed me that resilience doesn’t come from individual strength alone, it comes from community. What surprised me was how many young people stepped up to lead clean-ups and fundraisers, showing that this new generation deeply understands that collective action is the only way forward. It reminded me that real change can’t be imposed from outside; it has to grow from the ground up, rooted in trust and solidarity.
GW: If you could send one piece of clothing from today's Revival workshop to yourself in 2030, what would it be and what story would you want it to tell?
YA: I will send a patched and mended jacket made from many different garments, a literal tapestry of resilience. I’d want it to tell a story of people choosing hope over waste, of a community that transformed what others threw away into something treasured. And I’d hope that by 2030, it would remind me how far we’ve come in shifting mindsets and systems towards true circularity and care.
GW: Finally, what is your mindfulness practice?
YA: For me, mindfulness is staying connected to my community and the land. Some days it’s as simple as walking through Kantamanto Market, listening to people’s stories, or sitting quietly and observing the life that happens there. I also take time to deeply reflect, whether I’m in the studio or travelling. Reminding myself that change is a long journey and that we’re all part of something bigger. Mindfulness, for me, is remembering that my actions ripple outwards, so I try to act with intention and gratitude every day.
Parting Thoughts
From Kantamanto emerges fashion's most honest truth: real change grows from community, not boardrooms. THE REVIVAL and Yayra's work remind us that our fashion choices ripple outward and are part of a collective human project on our one planet. In his patched jacket of resilience, we see tomorrow's fashion, circular and rooted in the act of care over waste.
By Geraldine Wharry
