Three takeaways from Lagos Fashion Week

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Lagos Fashion Week kicked off once again last week cementing its position as a platform for Pan-African designers. Brands from across the continent came to the Nigerian metropolis to present their Spring/Summer 2025 collections, including Boyedoe and Ajabeng from Ghana, Lilabare from Kenya and Loza Maléombho from Côte D’Ivoire. The five-day event, which ran from 23 to 27 October, had thousands of people in attendance and over 60 designers on its schedule.

For emerging African designers, having a presence during Lagos Fashion Week is an important opportunity to connect with buyers, press and other key industry leaders. This year, that included figures from the UK’s Bicester Collection, London-based Moda Operandi and Nordstrom in the US, as well as local luxury retailers such as Alara and Temple Muse. This season marked a significant uptick in international buyers, according to Lagos Fashion Week, many of whom had been previously curious about the event.

“As we close out on Lagos Fashion Week 2024, we celebrate the communities, creatives, and collaborators that made this event more than a showcase,” says Lagos Fashion Week founder Omoyemi Akerele. That includes event sponsors Heineken, and Bicester Collection, who co-hosted a breakfast with Lagos Fashion Week and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. “This season marks a turning point and reinforces that through collaboration and co-creation, we can successfully build an industry that sustains, transforms, empowers, educates and honours traditional African craftsmanship.”

From a welcome party, hosted by Möet and Chandon, to Nigerian musician Davido making a surprise appearance on the runway for local tailoring brand Ugo Monye, the happenings that took place kept the city buzzing

Calling designers back to the continent

Even those who are building a presence outside of the continent felt called to return to the Nigerian city this time around. Orange Culture, which most recently showcased its collection at the Victoria and Albert museum in August, closed Lagos Fashion Week on Sunday night with an installation at buzzy new members’ club Amah. Meanwhile, Lagos Space Programme also made a return to the fashion week schedule, keen to build the brand’s audience in Nigeria. “It’s important that people in Lagos get to experience what this brand is all about,” says founder Adeju Thompson.