African design was proudly represented at last week's Maison&Objet show in Paris, thanks to Design Network Africa (DNA), a dynamic programme linking designers from East, West and Southern Africa DNA brought an incredible showcase of 11 top design companies from the continent, who all showed for the first time at Maison&Objet.With a tagline, Good Business Through Good Design, DNA encourages collaboration between its network of designers, so that it can share challenges and solutions, mentorship, new manufacturing processes and materials, and engages in a true interchange of skills, aesthetics and narratives, all of which aim to support and enhance the quality of design on the continent. Among the 11 designers showcasing at the fair, a highlight was Diallo Designs, a range of furniture made from everyday detritus - from bottle tops and fishing nets to old tyres. Designer Cheick Diallo trained as an architect and designer in France before establishing a studio in his home city of Bamako, Mali. Mutapo Pottery by Zimbabwean ceramicist Marjorie Wallace and AAKS handbags by Ghanaian designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi were also popular, as were jewellery by Adele Dejak of Kenya, textiles by Malian textile designer Ndomo and baskets by Lillian Semigga of Uganda Crafts. The beautifully curated showcase provided an international platform for designers from across the continent, while going a long way towards challenging common perceptions of African design. For more information visit their website at www.designnetworkafrica.org..