Lagos Fashion Week increasingly grows to become one of the biggest fashion events in Africa. It sets out to attract top designers in Africa, buyers and fashion enthusiasts from around the world, and this year was no different.
The show opened with some of my all time favourites, like Kadiju and Orire. Both brands stayed true to their style showcasing the grand structures, texture and colour that always make their designs so interesting to look at. Their collections featured a lot of asymmetry and volume which seems to be the embodiment of modern femininity, juxtaposing more traditional silhouettes that would only aim to hug the female form.
Kadiju also featured some menswear in her collection and interestingly, in contrast to the grandiose elements of her womenswear pieces, the menswear pieces featured a lot of clean lines, and tapered shirts, almost reversing the way men and women dress in a traditional society.
A lot of designers showcased vibrant, fun and flirty pieces that indirectly embody the Nigerian spirit. Collections like Rendoll and Oshobor, were bold and filled with the colour, embellishments and patterns Africans know and love.
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There were quite a few references to the 2000's and Y2k era in collections like Gëto and Abigail Ajobi. Both collections also featured graphic pieces with Ajobi heavy on the monogram and Gëto opting to go with tag lines, giving a lot of personality and specificity to her pieces.
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Lulla House took me completely by surprise! I love that this collection veered away from her usual structured and embellished style and leaned a little more on the softer side allowing the beautiful fabrics to drape and fall where they may. She created a relaxed but sexy vibe that makes me nostalgic about the ‘it’ girls wearing Versace in the 2000's.
Despite the dwindling attendance over the years, overall, Lagos Fashion Week has proven to still be relevant in helping smaller designers showcase their work to viewers they might not have access to. We’ve seen brands start with the group shows and move on to creating beautiful experiences with individual shows. I expect to see even more brands creating tailored experiences for their collections next year all under the umbrella of Lagos Fashion Week.
