Organizers of the Lagos Leather Fair (LLF) say the fifth edition is targeted at unlocking the untapped potential of the African leather industry and providing visibility for MSMEs as the engine of economic growth.
Speaking about the fair, Femi Olayebi, Founder of Lagos Leather Fair, expressed why the fifth edition is a milestone, saying; “We’re excited to be back for our fifth edition. The Lagos Leather Fair has created and continues to create massive visibility for both starting and established designers. It has also provided empowerment opportunities for leathercraft trainers and manufacturers. Our vision is to ensure that the leather sector contributes significantly to the Nigerian economy and the broader African narrative, by driving change in the sector and addressing key industry challenges affecting the supply chain.”
Over the last five years, The Lagos Leather Fair has impacted key stakeholders in the industry including—leather designers, raw materials producers, manufacturers, suppliers of machinery and equipment, trainers, retailers, and industry experts. We have executed over 30 masterclasses and 10 creative workshops and 18 runway presentations. In 2020, Lagos Leather Fair initiated West Africa’s first-ever digital leather exhibition, to leverage growing cross-border connections and broaden the platform for its designers.
This year’s edition, themed “LLF5”, will take place at the Balmoral Convention Center, Victoria Island, Lagos from 11th to 12th of June. The event will bring together local and international designers to showcase their products and services. The fair will also feature a series of masterclasses and conversations with a broad range of speakers across multiple industries; interactive creative workspaces; and a series of catwalk shows.
The masterclasses will include speakers such as Ehi Binitie of Clearspace Labs Ltd, Accra Ghana, Ache Idachaba-Obaro founder of Mitimeth, Papa Omotayo founder of A Whitespace Creative Agency, Mai Atafo Founder/Creative Director, Atafo, Muyiwa Femi Pearse, MD/CEO, The SME Mall, Adenike Adeyemi: Executive Director, Fate Foundation, Deola Ade-Ojo, Founder/Creative Director, House of Deola.
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The Lagos Leather Fair will also be launching a partnership with Kafawa – a training program designed to bridge the skills gap in the industry and reduce youth unemployment in Nigeria. Graduates from Kafawa’s pilot set will form this year’s Emerging Designers group at LLF5: an opportunity for the best of Kafawa’s newly-trained youth to formally make their entrance into the industry.
Also as part of this year’s fair, Lagos Leather Fair will be launching The Leather Portal. To bridge the information gap in the industry, The Leather Portal was created to serve as a resource hub and an e-directory that would provide relevant and open-access information specific to leather and leather goods, and connect leather designers, tanners, hardware suppliers, input suppliers and brands across Africa and internationally.
