Fashion stallions set to promote African heritage in London

The African Fashion Week London (AFWL) and Black History and Lifestyle Awards (BHLA) will be promoting the continent’s culture, clothing, and music among others in the diaspora.

Speaking at a press conference recently, the partners said the event, which is slated to be held in London, will start on October 27–29, 2023.

According to the partners, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, will be speaking about commerce and culture as the keynote speaker for the Trade and Investment Expo.

“We discovered that there are many black-owned businesses that have always wanted to be part of the Fashion Week but are not really showcasing on the runway, so we’ve introduced the Beyond Fashion Trade Expo,” Olori Ronke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, the Founder of AFWL, said.

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She said the event is going to be highlighting and speaking about cutting textile and garment industry, music and entertainment, and hair, beauty, and makeup and how they all influence Fashion “because one cannot work without the other.”

Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, who is also the founder of Africa Fashion Week Nigeria and Co-founder of Africa Fashion Week Brazil, said the FG through the Nigerian High Commissioner in the UK, has endorsed the event alongside the Trade and Investment body from South Africa.

Founded in 2011 by Olori Ronke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, AFWL is Europe’s largest fashion event, promoting and nurturing African and African-inspired design talent.

With a collaborative catwalk, exhibition, and business development program, AFWL has led the way in highlighting Africa’s emerging designers and apparel industry and has been at the forefront of bringing awareness of Africa’s burgeoning fashion industry to the international market.

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“We will be showcasing black-owned businesses, made-in-Nigeria brands, and African creativity globally,” Eziada Folashade Balogun, Founder of BHLA and House of Sota, said.

To hold this event in the month of October is very strategic to what we want to achieve, Balogun said, as Black History Month is a way of appreciating and celebrating black achievement and African heritage.

“We will be giving awards to celebrate outstanding people and brands on the day,” she said.

Black History Month is an opportunity to understand Black histories, going beyond stories of racism and slavery to spotlight Black achievements. It is a month-long observance in the US and Canada that provides a fresh reminder of systemic racism and gives visibility to the people and organisations creating change.