Lagos has been unusually sunny lately, and that is both good and bad news. Good, because it is fashion week, and despite the city’s notoriously unpredictable weather, October and November are typically marked by persistent rainfall. Bad, because thanks to El Niño (affectionately nicknamed Eniola here), temperatures have been considerably higher than usual. But come rain or shine, the heat did little to dampen the sultriness of the just-concluded Lagos Fashion Week. From the street style to the runway, the looks arrived with an inferno of their own.
Marking its 16th edition, Lagos Fashion Week brought together nearly 70 designers, presenting across the Federal Palace Hotel tents and via a series of off-site shows in some of the city’s most affluent neighbourhoods. And there was plenty more to look at. Beyond the overarching details that emerged this season, designers explored couture, reimagined prints and offered new interpretations of royalty, from cultural references in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria. Here are the key trends to know.
Whimsy is not dead
Nigerian fashion has always had room for a little absurdity, and this season offered a reminder that whimsy remains one of its most enjoyable possibilities. Ajanéé enjoyed an interplay of nostalgia and youthful imagination with a collection filled with unusual combinations and references to childhood, pop culture and the fantastical. Straw gowns, boys’ shorts, exposed underwear straps, patchwork and Marvel-inspired prints appeared alongside flowing capes and playful reinterpretations of familiar garments. There was a distinctly Y2K sensibility to some of the references, including prints that recalled the visual language of early internet advertising. Dukun, meanwhile, made an intriguing fashion week debut with floating hats, oversized silhouettes and an overall sense of freshness. And Oshobor offered another interpretation through its signature upcycled wool-waste dresses, eventually closing the presentation with an oversized yellow costume that brought theatricality to the runway.
Fashion is hotting up
If Lagos is going to be hot, fashion might as well surrender to the weather. This season, designers appeared increasingly interested in dressing for the city’s heat, with collections that embraced ventilation, exposed skin and lighter constructions. Dust of the Earth approached the idea delicately, presenting a breezy collection that explored knits, crochet and bold textural combinations without feeling too heavy. Garbe, meanwhile, took a more direct approach to the heat, embracing exposed chests with skin-baring silhouettes.
The girl boss returns
Thought the girl boss had disappeared? Think again. Atafo brought her back in its “All Boys Out” collection, serving new takes on its signature corporate wear. DWL also explored the aesthetic, incorporating indigenous Nigerian textiles, like aso oke, and distinctive embellishments into looks that balanced authority with cultural identity. Boyedoe, too, with its sequined coats, patched-denim trousers and multicoloured looks.
Raffia reigned
For years, fringes have enjoyed a prominent position in the finishing of collections. This season, however, raffia seemed to command more attention. Kíléntár was particularly compelling in its exploration of the material, because the brand introduced more colour in its collection. Pepper Row also explored raffia through texture stacks and colour grading, while Bornstar Nigeria incorporated raffia as an extension of the garments themselves and in the styling of raffia hats, and Fruché added raffia in some of the key looks.
But this didn’t mean fringes disappeared. Jewel Jemila and Mulāwwan incorporated them in their collections, alongside their familiar use of colour. Lisa Folawiyo explored fringes through its signature beadwork and layerings in this season’s “After Rain” offering.
Minimalism fought for attention
Amidst the season’s elaborate embellishments, dramatic textures and expressive silhouettes, there was also a quieter movement towards minimalism. Several designers appeared interested in stripping back their collections. Namnyak presented a series of plain-coloured looks that seemed particularly conscious of Lagos’s climate and Israella Kobla contributed to this more restrained direction, while Fia approached minimalism through silhouette and texture rather than an entirely stripped-back wardrobe. Puffy sleeves, bold cut-outs and elevated proportions gave Fia’s collection a more expressive quality, while references to 2010s-inspired jumpsuits and elements of girl-boss dressing introduced a nostalgic dimension.
Outlandish materials made a lasting impression
This season, there was an interesting exploration of unconventional materials, from experimental surfaces to materials associated with industrial production and waste. Fruché took it back to culture with an exploration of Ekpiri, a material made from the thick-walled seed pods of the Uko tree. Iamisigo even approached the conversation through a more explicit engagement with waste and sustainability via metal and plastic dresses.
.jpg)