Nearly two decades ago, fashion designer Tanya Cameron spotted a growing need in Jamaica for clothing that celebrated African culture.

African designers are making a splash, from fashion weeks in Dakar and Lagos, to Paris runway shows by South African Thebe Magugu. Here in the U.S., the designers Busayo, Telfar, and Hanifa infuse their collections with aesthetics from their home countries of Nigeria, Liberia, and Congo. While many Western consumers are now embracing African designers,…