Fashion is something we experience every day, it’s not just an outfit. It is a language and a lifestyle. Fashion is ever-changing and it is BIG business!
Fashion in Nigeria is growing rapidly and last year saw the rise of many events that shaped the fashion industry. Fashion enthusiasts and designers gathered together in several events to showcase abd celebrate the beauty of African fashion at several events we just can’t forget in a hurry.
Here are the top events that shaped the fashion industry of 2019:
GTB FASHION WEEK:
The GTBank Fashion Weekend is a consumer-focused fair and free business platform designed to showcase the best of Africa’s fashion to a global audience whilst promoting the effervescent enterprise of the continent’s growing fashion industry. Last year, the GTBank Fashion Weekend was held on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th of November 2019, and brought together the most promising, talented and recognized fashion designers, brands and retail enterprises from across Nigeria and abroad to showcase trends and products to a large and diverse audience of consumers, press and fashion enthusiasts. Featuring dye presentations, popup shops, master classes and runway shows, the weekend also connected small businesses to a wider audience of consumers as well as their peers at home and abroad whilst providing learning opportunities for business owners and consumers.
AFRICAN FASHION WEEK NIGERIA:
Africa Fashion Week Nigeria started on the heels of its sister partner, Africa Fashion Week London which celebrated its eighth season last year. The conveyer, Ronke Ademiluyi, saw a loophole in the fashion industry and started the AFWN. The AFWN platform in its six years has featured some of the biggest names in the African fashion industry today who grew from the back of the brand and has continuously provided a stage for emerging designers in Africa to showcase to a global audience of fashion enthusiasts, international media and visitors.
Ooni Of Ife Strutting The Runway:
As the monarch of a prominent Yoruba town, a lot is expected of Oba Adeyeye Ogunwus, the Ooni of Ife. In a bid to promote African Culture, the dashing and young monarch graced the runaway majestically at the African Fashion Week Nigeria to display his locally-made-royal fabrics; an unusual but courageous step that raised a lot of dust amongst fashion enthusiasts. The monarch urged Nigerians to promote locally-made fabrics and products to boost the nation’s tourism industry. Ogunwusi made this appeal at the end of the sixth edition of the two-day Africa Fashion Week in Lagos last December. According to Ooni Ogunwusi, such promotions are being encouraged by the Africa Fashion Week, Nigeria and London, which had continued to promote the pride of Nigerian and African fabrics. He encouraged Nigerians to go for made-in-Nigeria fabrics and products to enable job creation and youth empowerment through the fashion industry.
THE FASHION SOUK:
The Fashion Souk is a fashion fair showcasing the value chain of the fashion business. It is a niche fair for everything fashion: Clothes, shoes, bags, hats, jewellery and accessories for men, women, boys and girls…all under one roof! Ardent lovers and followers of fashion were thrilled to discover new and interesting fashion trends brought by creative Nigerian designers, manufacturers, and retailers at “The Fashion Souk”.
Lagos Fashion Week:
This is an annual fashion event founded in 2011 by Omoyemi Akerele. It is a fashion platform that drives the Nigerian and ultimately, the African fashion industry; by bringing together buyers, consumers and the media to view the current collections of designers in the fashion capital of Lagos, Nigeria. LFWNG has also expanded its scope of work by creating two main platforms that run concurrently with Fashion Week – Fashion Business Series and Fashion Focus. The former offering industry masterclasses and the latter providing incubation support for emerging talents. The fashion and exhibition event features Runway shows featuring new season collections from the best talents in the fashion industry; exhibitions featuring fashion products and accessories, textiles, design elements, photography and art installations workshops.
Kunle’s Kembe and Ire’s Clothing:
Known for his unique style, Nollywood filmmaker and entrepreneur, Kunle Afolayan, unveiled the second arm of his Kunle’s Kembe, Ire Clothing for the first time at the African Fashion Week Nigeria in 2018. The clothing line showcases an array of beautiful unisex, African print baggy styled pants inspired by the Kembe – baggy trousers popular among the Yorubas. In an interview with TCNtv, the filmmaker cum clothing line owner says, “It is one of the things about our heritage that has captured the pop culture. The motive is trado-modern, and I am glad to be promoting it. This attire is one of the products that I intend to also use to promote Lagos. It is one of the souvenirs that tourists will have to take away from here subsequently. And I must add that all fabrics are locally sourced and so are the hands used in piecing them together. It is one hundred percent Nigerian”.
Fashions Finest Africa Epic Show:
Fashions Finest Africa Fashion Week took place from the 17th to 19th May 2019 at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos and it featured young, new, aspiring and emerging designers, showcasing their very best designs on the runway. There were interactive sessions on various areas of the fashion industry, good music and exhibition stands. Fashions Finest Africa is a forward-looking business-oriented platform that brought together all the players in the fashion Industry in a unique format that was designed to advance the business of fashion. Fashions Finest Africa paid attention to the entire fashion industry; designers, manufacturers, specialists (grading, pattern-making, logistics and distribution), media, wholesalers, retailers, models, photographers, makeup artists, hairstylists and more.
Cosmetics & Beauty Africa Expo:
The event was organised by the BKG Exhibitions Limited and took place on the 10th of May 2019 at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The event was put in place to bring together various businesses and industries engaged in beauty products and service, personal care and lots more from within the country and beyond to exhibit their products in medical cosmetology, beauty tools, salon equipment, nail services etc. The exhibition provided the participants with a platform to build business relationships and meet their targeted customers, meet local and foreign investors and dealers.
Beauty West Africa:
Beauty West Africa exhibition is proudly organized by BtoB Events. The 2019 Edition was held at Landmark Centre, Victoria Island Lagos Nigeria on 20th – 22nd November 10:am – 5:pm, 2019. The event is designed to provide a platform for different beauty products companies across the world to market their products, network and learn current innovations that are coming into the sector. Participants of this event included over 4,500 attendees and 200 exhibitors who showcased latest beauty products such as spa and professional equipments, quality perfumes and fragrances, make up, hair care and skincare.
Style By ZenithBank:
“Style by Zenith”, a flagship Lifestyle, Beauty, Fashion, Accessories and Entertainment fair, powered by Zenith bank in conjunction with Fashion One, a foremost international lifestyle and entertainment company, held in Lagos on Saturday, December 29 and Sunday, December 30, 2018 at the Open Ground by Four Points Hotel, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos. It was a holistic event aimed at connecting the SMEs and retail segment to a multiplicity of clientele through multiple factors which dictate and direct their everyday lifestyle choices ie; beauty, fashion, entertainment, food and general lifestyle (Travel, automobile, houses) thus facilitating the growth of the individual retail and SME businesses.
