Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

The Six Best Shows From Lagos Fashion Week

The Six Best Shows From Lagos Fashion Week

The events of the past year provided inspiration for many designers.

Lagos Fashion Week returned after a year’s hiatus last week in fine form. The global COVID-19 pandemic and countrywide protests made physical shows in 2020 impossible and left industry insiders wondering how the pandemic would affect the African fashion industry. However, through a combination of digital-only shows, intimate presentations, and physical runways at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos, Fashion Week was better than ever.

The events of the past year provided inspiration for many designers. Some turned to the Nigerian End SARS protests against police brutality, which took place almost a year ago to the date of Lagos Fashion Week 2021, while others drew on the losses from the COVID-19 pandemic and even more focused on themes of healing and surviving. As for trends, many designers had an affinity for bright primary colors and military-inspired shoulder details. The sheer number of clutches and purses on the runways proved that Lagosians are still very fond of their bags.

Below, the six best collections from Lagos Fashion Week 2021.

Cynthia Abila




The show opened with a model wearing a mask and a layered multicolored gown that seemed to draw inspiration from traditional Nigerian masquerades, and the methodically playing drums helped drive this home. The rest of the collection upgraded familiar silhouettes into daring outfits, thanks to the brand’s craftsmanship. Think colorful power suits made of aso-oke, silky trench-coat dresses with shoulder details, and bright two-pieces with extravagant bottom halves complete with fringes and well-placed cuts.

Emmy Kasbit




Emmanuel Okoro, the creative director of Emmy Kasbit, won the inaugural African Fashion Up prize in partnership with Balenciaga in September. Fresh off his win, he returned to release his latest collection in Lagos. Inspired by the Nigerian-Biafran civil war, which occurred from 1967 to 1970, Okoro drew on the colors of the Biafran flag-red, yellow, black, and green-as the foundation of the collection. The result? Neon jackets with strategically placed gashes, bucket hats, and short-sleeve shirts paired with ties and shorts. Printed on the locally sourced cotton used in the collection were texts from the bunker of Ojukwu, the leader of the Biafran forces. The result: a stirring, applause-eliciting testament to Okoro’s skill in referencing the past and preserving the culture.

Lagos Space Programme




Of all the collections showcased, Lagos Space Programme’s looked the most like an art exhibit as well as a fashion show. Their spring 2022 collection-according to the brand’s founder, Adeju Thompson-was inspired by the Yoruba deity Osun, with indigo representing her connection with water. Held in Alara, the famous Lagosian concept store, the presentation featured several videos and audio clips playing scenes from annual festivals honoring Osun to create an immersive experience. Carefully designed coats, flowy culottes styled over similarly voluminous indigo shirts, and deconstructed gowns spoke to the brand’s desire to erode gender binaries in fashion.

Andrea Iyamah




Designer Andrea Iyamah’s knack for storytelling and subtlety sets her apart as a designer. She showcased her spring 2022 collection to a limited number of guests in a white dome away from the hubbub of the Federal Palace Hotel. With an earthy color palette, the collection explored the art of healing and thriving in uncertain times. The flowy dresses evoked goddesses, while halter tops and swimsuits in bold colors reminded viewers of a life pre-COVID-19.

Odio Mimonet




The Odio Mimonet spring 2022 collection explored the art of finding happiness and joy, regardless of the current state of the world. Mimonet creates pieces that channel multiple eras while also appearing trendless. By marrying primary colors with rich textures, Mimonet crafted dresses that bring to mind Nigerian traditional silhouettes and also have a strong futuristic feel to them.

Orange Culture




The Orange Culture spring 2022 collection began with audio from the 2020 End SARS protests. The clip, which went viral last year during the protests, featured a girl screaming, “We want to be fresh,” referencing how the police seemingly attack stylish young people. Orange Culture has a reputation for being a rebellious brand unafraid to restart essential conversation. What was new was how Adebayo Oke-Lawal, creative director of Orange Culture, paired his signature cutout tops and trench coats with new designs, including shimmery see-through gowns that stopped just above the knees and dark overshirts layered over more colorful shirts. The result was a balance between the crazy and the calm. Finishing off with performances from musicians Falana, a favorite of the brand, and Lojay, who performed his breakout hit “Monalisa,” the show was a delight.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×