Sponsor Spotlight: The Canerow Company
Healthy Hair. Sustainable Beauty. African Innovation.
For more than a decade, Jacqueline Shaw has been one of Africa Fashion Week London's most passionate champions, supporting African designers, advocating for ethical fashion, and helping shape the future of the industry. This year, we're proud to welcome her newest venture, The Canerow Company, as the Official Hair Sponsor for Africa Fashion Week London 2026.
Every braid and every runway look this season will showcase something truly revolutionary.
Born from Jacqueline's personal experience as a breast cancer survivor, The Canerow Company is transforming the braiding industry with biodegradable, plant-based braiding hair that puts health, sustainability and beauty at the centre of every style.
The Black haircare and beauty market is worth more than £160 million annually in the UK, with Black women estimated to spend around six times more on hair products than their white counterparts. Yet despite this economic power, many of the braiding hair products on the market contain petroleum-based synthetic fibres and chemical coatings that have raised increasing health concerns.
Emerging research has identified chemicals commonly found in some synthetic braiding hair—including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates and other endocrine-disrupting substances—that have been associated with skin irritation, respiratory problems, hormone disruption and potential long-term health risks. Studies have also shown that heating synthetic fibres during installation can release airborne chemicals that are inhaled by both stylists and clients. For many women, this is a hidden health concern that has only recently begun to receive the attention it deserves.
Following her own cancer diagnosis, Jacqueline began asking difficult questions about the products Black women use every day. Unable to find a healthier alternative that aligned with both her values and her wellbeing, she decided to create one.
The result is The Canerow Company—a Black-owned, female-founded brand producing innovative plant-based braiding fibres that are biodegradable, recyclable and designed to offer a safer, more sustainable choice without compromising on performance, style or cultural authenticity.
The brand's name is equally meaningful. "Canerow" pays tribute to Jacqueline's British-Jamaican heritage, referencing the Caribbean name for the traditional braided hairstyle known around the world as cornrows, while celebrating the African origins of this timeless cultural art form.
The Canerow Company represents everything Africa Fashion Week London believes fashion should be: innovative, culturally rooted, socially conscious and future-focused.
Already making waves across the UK, the brand was recently crowned Winner of the HSBC UK SME Business Competition 2026, is a Finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2025, a Finalist in the Entrepreneurship World Cup 2025, and a Semi-Finalist in the Elevate Naidex/Lloyds Disabled Founders Competition 2026. Jacqueline has also been featured on ITV Anglia News, BBC Essex, BBC Radio Manchester, BBC 1Xtra, The Voice Newspaper and Black Beauty & Hair Magazine, while speaking at major industry events including Afro Hair & Beauty, Tones of Beauty Expo and GUBA.
As the Official Hair Sponsor of Africa Fashion Week London 2026, The Canerow Company is helping redefine what beauty can look like—where innovation honours heritage, sustainability supports style, and every crown is cared for with intention.
We are proud to have Jacqueline and The Canerow Company once again playing such an important role in the Africa Fashion Week London family.