MTN throws weight behind African designers at Arise Fashion Show

MTN Nigeria has shown support for African fashion designers at the 20th edition of the Arise Fashion Show. This year’s edition, themed “ARISE Fashion Week & Jazz Festival: Future Forward,” was held from February 2nd to 4th, 2023, at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, Nigeria.

The ARISE Fashion Week 2023 featured a host of world-class African designers such as, Ajabeng, Ameer by Ameer, Awa Meité, Bianca Saunders, BLOKE, Éki Kéré, Fruché, Hudayya, I.N Official, Ituen Basi, Joy Meribe, Kadiju, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi, Mariya Sanusi, NiNiE, NKWO, Pepper Row, Selam Fessahaye, Syari Bespoke, T.I Nathan, Tiffany Amber, UNI FORM, VicNate, XULY. Bët, Ziva Lagos among others and jazz performances by well-known worldwide performers.

Speaking on MTN’s dedication towards the investment of African creatives, the Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Adia Sowho, said, “We believe everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life, and technology has the capacity to trigger unprecedented growth particularly in the African creative sectors, including our fashion designers. As a leading ICT company, we are confident that the metaverse and other innovations riding on the 5G technology will enable our creatives to attain unimaginable feats and continue to make us proud. We will always be here to provide the technological support as our young and vibrant creatives explore the opportunities in the ever-evolving digital world.”

Since its inception in 2007, the event has significantly influenced the Nigerian fashion industry by providing a platform for designers and models to showcase their work to a global audience, gain exposure, and network with other industry professionals. It has also served as a platform for the promotion of African design creativity and innovation, as well as its evolution over time.

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The ARISE Fashion Week elevates Lagos and, by extension, Nigeria to the forefront of regional and continental creative design, with a plethora of fashion designers and models taking center stage in front of a global audience.

Naomi Campbell, Mai Atafo, TG Omori, Wizkid, Rema, Arya Starr, Sunday Are, Timaya, Dbanj, Rita Dominic Anosike, Tania Omotayo, Boma, Eni Adeoluwa, and other notable celebrities attended the event.

The showcase has previously been held in Abuja, New York, London, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Washington, D.C., and Dubai. The three-day event, which has become a highlight of the global fashion calendar, kicks off the continent’s 2023 fashion season.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.