Lagos Fashion Week turns the runway into a stage for heritage and art
Designers including Bubu Ogisi of IAMISIGO used the five-day event to challenge the conventions of global luxury fashion.
African designers turned the five-day Lagos Fashion Week into a showcase of heritage and fresh creative vision, with bold collections and an emphasis on storytelling.
On the closing day, the Nigerian designer Bubu Ogisi presented a show combining performance, installation and spirituality. Her label, IAMISIGO, which explores the boundary between fashion and art, produces handcrafted, one-of-a-kind pieces from materials sourced across the continent. "We're just showing people how to disrupt and disassociate yourself from the status quo," she said.
The French visual artist Hubert Crabières said he had been struck above all by the use of colour, describing the collections as far more expressive than the minimalism of much Western design. Amina Ladymya, a Senegalese designer and content creator based in Milan, said she found "a lack of 'wow'" in some Western luxury houses, adding that the designers in Lagos were "very talented".
Beyond the runway, the event provided a market for local brands and hosted discussions on business finance, intellectual property and worker welfare, intended to ensure that the industry remains sustainable and commercially viable. The week reflected Africa's growing influence on global fashion.