From a side hustle to Selfridges’ first Black female-owned card brand: when Georgina Fihosy founded Afrotouch Design in 2015, she didn’t think it would become one of the pioneers of high street representation. With African-inspired greetings cards made with real Ankara fabric, here is how Afrotouch Design is putting Black culture at the forefront.

What is Afrotouch Design and why did you start it?

Afrotouch Design is a Black-owned greetings card and stationery brand that blends bold African-inspired prints with contemporary design. I started it because I wanted to see greetings cards that reflected me, my culture, and my community.

Back in 2015, when I went looking for a card for a friend who had just had a baby, I couldn’t find anything that represented them and this beautiful occasion. That moment sparked the idea that if I couldn’t find it, perhaps I needed to create it. So, I did!

Once you had the idea, how did you get the business started?

It began at my kitchen table with very little money – just a passion for design, a laser cutter I won on a radio show, and a desire to create something different.

I sketched out ideas, sourced African fabrics, and worked with printers to bring my first designs to life. I tested them with friends and family, then started selling online and at local markets.

I originally called the business Special Touch Design but rebranded in 2019 to Afrotouch Design because it better reflected the purpose and feel of the brand. Step by step, Afrotouch Design grew from a small side hustle into a recognised brand stocked by high street retailers.

How does your heritage and identity come through in the brand?

My Nigerian heritage is at the heart of everything I do. The colours, patterns and textures of West African culture inspire the brand’s bold, joyful aesthetic. Beyond the visuals, it’s about celebrating Black culture, family, and pride. Afrotouch Design is not just about cards: it’s about representation, identity and telling our stories.

What was your first card? How has Afrotouch Design grown since then?

My very first card was a ‘New Baby Card’ made using real Ankara fabric on textured card stock. It was simple but powerful, because people hadn’t really seen African fabrics used in greeting cards before.

From that one design, Afrotouch Design has grown into a full range of cards, stationery, gift wrap and even apparel. Today, our products are stocked by major UK retailers like Waterstones, and we’ve built a loyal customer base online and through wholesale.

What’s the process of designing a new card, from initial inspiration to production?

It usually starts with an idea – sometimes from my own experiences, sometimes from what my customers are asking for. I’ll sketch out concepts, choose patterns or colour palettes inspired by African prints, and then work digitally to refine the design. Once I’m happy, I prepare it for print and test samples to make sure it’s just right before production. Representation and authenticity are always my guiding principles.

What’s the best feedback you’ve ever received?

One customer told me that my cards gave them “permission to be seen.” That really stuck with me. People often say they finally feel represented when they browse my collection, and for me, that’s the highest compliment. It’s exactly why I started Afrotouch Design.

What have been your standout achievements over the years? How did they come about?

Becoming the first Black female-led greetings card publisher to be stocked by Waterstones and Selfridges was huge. Being a finalist at the Henries Awards was also a big moment of recognition within the industry.

More recently, building a corporate arm to supply businesses with Afrocentric cards for staff and client appreciation has been exciting. Each of these achievements came about by being bold, pitching myself even when I felt nervous, and staying committed to the mission of representation.

I’m also a founding member of Cards for All, a DE&I [diversity, equality and inclusion] not-for-profit championing inclusion and representation in the greetings card industry, supporting makers, retailers, and the wider community to ensure everyone is seen and celebrated through the cards we send and receive.

“Becoming the first Black female-led greetings card publisher to be stocked by Waterstones and Selfridges was huge”

As a business owner, what’s been your biggest challenge?

Balancing it all: being a mother, a wife, a corporate healthcare professional and a business owner. On the business side, cash flow has always been a challenge, especially when scaling up or navigating wholesale. But I’ve learnt to be resourceful, resilient and strategic in finding ways forward.

How has diversity in the greetings card industry improved over the years?

When I started, there was very little diversity: the industry didn’t reflect the UK’s multicultural reality. Things have improved, with more publishers emerging and retailers becoming more open to diverse designs. But there’s still work to do. Representation shouldn’t be a seasonal thing or a token gesture; it should be part of the everyday offering.

What’s a milestone that you want to achieve with the business?

I’d love to see Afrotouch Design become a household name internationally, stocked in major retailers across the US and Africa. Another milestone is to expand our corporate offering, making sure companies can celebrate diversity through the cards they send. Ultimately, I want Afrotouch Design to be the go-to brand for Afrocentric stationery and gifts.

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