It was a celebration of creativity, diversity of style and elegance at this year’s African Fashion Week Nigeria (AFWN) as designers showcased their pieces on the runway.
The three-day event, which took place at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, was not only a platform that showcased talented upcoming designers from across Africa, but also a platform that showcased the black beauty and uniqueness of the fashion space of the continent. .
The organizer of AFWN, Princess Ronke Ademiluyi described the event as an unparalleled fashion festival in Africa as the idea embraces unadulterated Africanism.
According to Ademiluyi, AFWN aims to promote African culture and create pathways to wealth and economic empowerment through strengthening the country of Nigerian fabrics and modeling them to meet current trends.
AFWN 2022, which concluded last Friday, kicked off on Wednesday September 7 with the Adire People’s Catwalk by Atoke Atelier. Other acts lined up including Adire Odua – shows on the RTW track followed suit.
The event, on its second day, featured Funto By Funto, a female designer with models gracing the runway in Ankara and Adire pieces. The beauty of her collection is the perfect combination of fabrics, some of which were embedded with stones and crystal embellishments. Benoski was another designer whose clothes were mostly plain and floral satin fabrics. The highlight of Benoski’s collection would have to be the leafy green dress runway, as the elegant model wearing a black dress with colorful LED lights graced the runway, leaving guests in awe of the creativity.
Also, there was Folat Outfit designed by Ifeoluwa Ayobami Amosun with embroidery dynamic collection and Anasam Collection by a South Sudanese designer whose designs featured boubou outfits made of various indigenous fabrics. SM Class, a Cameroonian clothing brand with a collection of jackets made from African fabrics, and Ihekubi Lagos, with the Ohun Olori collection – also featured an array of elegant clothing designed for queens. There was also the Dunsincraft Collection, a Nigerian-designed Afro Blink collection of creative bags for men and women, among others.
The last day of the event had it all as guests expressed how they felt the organizers saved the best for last when the First Lady of Kwara State and Founder of Ajike People Support Centre, Dr. AFWN, made its remarks.
Mrs. Abdulrazaq, who commended Ademiluyi’s initiative, said: “Indeed, I am proud of what Princess Ademuyili has been able to achieve over the years through the African Fashion Week initiative, which has provided a real platform for Nigerian designers to exhibit their designs and showcase their creative ingenuity in Lagos, London and New York. Interestingly, I participated in the London African Fashion Week in 2016 and since then I have supported the brand, and she made me a matron in 2018 even before I became the First Lady of Kwara State.
“The various engaging sessions held during this event speak to the importance of African and Nigerian textiles in the global cultural and creative economy and promote it as a non-petroleum commodity. Interestingly, this fast-growing sector can boost economies and promote inclusive socio-economic development. Its significant contribution of three percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) highlights the economic potential of cultural and creative industries as a source of growth and job creation. In Nigeria alone, cultural and creative industries contributed about $18 billion to GDP, according to a 2020 World Bank report.
She commended the House of Oduduwa and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II for protecting Nigerian culture and heritage, and most importantly for promoting creativity among young Nigerians.
