Lagos Fashion Week returns, celebrating craftsmanship from Africa

African craftsmanship is the next big thing in the continent and fashion continues to take a large chunk of this.

Africa has functional and utilitarian crafts along with textiles, fetishes, idols and cultural artefacts. Within their own communities they were valued for everything that their African craft represented which was not just visual; their symbolism and spiritual dimensions alongside their decorative and aesthetic qualities.

Africa in Fashion explores the kaleidoscope of craft cultures that have shaped African fashion for centuries and captures the intriguing stories of contemporary and avant-garde African brands.

With a focus to celebrate indigenous craftsmanship from Africa and the diaspora, the Lagos Fashion Week will return for its 12th edition from 26th to 29th October 2023 and Lagos will once again take centre stage as Nigeria engages the global fashion community.

Seen as the centrepiece of Africa’s evolving fashion ecosystem, Lagos Fashion Week continues to propel the African fashion industry towards a future where fashion is conscious, transcends boundaries, empowers communities and ultimately drives real socio-economic impact throughout the continent.

Building upon its over a decade-long journey, Lagos Fashion Week champions the rich stories, creativity, and craftsmanship that have come to define African fashion.

With collaboration at the heart of fashion’s future, fostering partnerships that unlock innovative pathways has become a critical component expressed through a series of first-of-its-kind partnerships over the years. In addition, fostering co-creation that embraces diverse talent, blending tradition and innovation, crafting designs that reflect the cultural heritage and the digital age, and championing the power of communities to amplify voices, nurture talent, and spark positive change within the fashion industry.

Lagos Fashion Week 2023 will return with Runway Shows and Presentations featuring new season collections from designers taking place in the #LagosFW Tents and around the vibrant city of Lagos, Fashion Business Series – to facilitate conversations with key players from the Nigerian and Pan-African industries and beyond, Visual Makers Fellowship – Created to empower budding filmmakers and photographers with workshops and masterclasses, Swap Shop – Created to facilitate new conversations and exchange of ideas surrounding sustainability in African fashion, XRETAIL – a curated shopping experience across key cities in Africa, LagosFW Showrooms – Access to shop some of your favourite fashion brands & After parties – an opportunity to experience Lagos’ nightlife and connect with some of Africa’s finest creatives in a relaxed environment.

Read also: ImpactHER, AU/CIEFFA train African women, girls on entrepreneurship, digital skills

In line with its commitment to incubating and training young talent, facilitating impact-driven conversations with key stakeholders as well as being at the forefront of developing our local manufacturing industry through capacity building, Green Access, an annual talent discovery platform, has opened entries for applications by designers from Nigeria until 23rd August 2023.

This season in line with the theme, “Standing The Test of Time”, the Green Access programme will admit 5 young Nigerian talents with a core focus on designing from waste.

Green Access is a fashion accelerator programme that nurtures young designers and drives the recommitment of resource efficiency, biodegradability, longevity and recyclability as guiding principles for fashion design and production.

Launched in 2018, Green Access has spotlighted fashion enterprises transforming their business models and embracing strategies towards a more environmentally, socially and ethically conscious production.

Following the completion of the Green Access 2022 programme, The OR Foundation awarded a grant of 10,000 USD to two designers from the 2022 cohort, Themba Shezi (Heru Shezi, South Africa) and Lu Adesola (Lul’la House, Nigeria) to support the growth and development of their brands. The grant was awarded based on their understanding and commitment to exploring the concept of circular fashion and integration of pre-existing materials (textiles, garments or waste from another sector) into their design practice.

The OR Foundation, a USA-based 501(C)(3) public charity, has been operating in Ghana since 2009. With a mission to identify and manifest alternatives to the dominant model of fashion, the foundation works at the intersection of environmental justice, education, and fashion development.

By promoting ecological prosperity and inspiring a deeper relationship with fashion beyond the role of the consumer, the OR Foundation aligns perfectly with the values and objectives of Lagos Fashion Week’s Green Access program.

Lagos Fashion Week and The OR Foundation believe that sustainable fashion has the power to create positive change and drive the industry towards a more responsible and conscious future. Through the Green Access platform emerging designers will be empowered to make a significant impact and contribute to a more sustainable and circular fashion industry.