The return of Lagos Fashion Week SS23 saw young Nigerians show off a number of creative looks the city
When the SS23 edition of Lagos Fashion Week kicked off on a sunny Thursday afternoon last week, there was reason to celebrate: Finally, after two and a half years of COVID-induced uncertainty, the event was back for real.
As one of Africa’s most prominent fashion events, Lagos Fashion Week has long served as an incubator for many established African designers, including Kenneth Ize, Orange Culture, Thebe Magugu, IAMISIGO and Andrea Iyamah. And after his unexpected break, he continued in this vein, spotlighting new talents like Metakay, Oshobor Nigeria, SVL and Scheherazade Essrhir.
But it wasn’t just the runway that offered creativity and inspiration this season. As always, there was a lot going on in the streets as young fashionistas donned their best looks and headed to the shows. Like the SS23 runways, the city street style throughout the event exemplified the ways in which a new generation of Nigerians continue to use fashion as a tool not only for self-expression, but also for protest, indulgence and storytelling. and appearing and appearing.
Diving into subcultures as diverse as Afrofuturism, grunge, gothic and more for inspiration, the city’s kids are putting their own spin on style. Here, we take a look at what the coolest fashion fans in Lagos are wearing right now.
Street style of the SS23 edition of Lagos Fashion WeekPhotography Adedamola Odetara
KNITWEAR, EVERYWHERE
From amoeba-print two-pieces to barely-there skintight looks, knitwear was everywhere this season; despite the sunny weather and warm temperatures, fashion week attendees were committed to the cause.
Bolaji Akinwade, 23, a writer and founder of a ready-to-wear fashion label, was looking to add color to his wardrobe, so he had a bespoke mustard top made to complement his gray pants, black bag, and coat. matching yellow. “The crochet top was inspired by Nigerian stylist Swazzi,” he explains. “Before fashion week, I was browsing Instagram and I saw it in white, so I contacted the designer and I did it in yellow. I love it with my black nails and tonal accessories.”
Street style of the SS23 edition of Lagos Fashion WeekPhotography Adedamola Odetara
READ BETWEEN THE LINES (GENRE)
In recent years, Lagos Fashion Week has become a haven for young Nigerians whose style sensibilities don’t quite align with convention, and this season, more than ever, attendees turned to fashion that challenged gender binaries. Male attendees opted for sheer, shimmering chiffon dresses and blouses over ruffled pants and skirts.
YouTuber Victor Emmanuel Vicwonder wore a red, tassel-embellished maxi dress and paired it with dark sunglasses and brown sneakers. The 24-year-old found the dress at a swap shop set up by the Global Fashion Swap Program in an attempt to encourage sustainable fashion redistribution. “I loved wearing it,” says Emmanuel. “It’s red, so it’s loud. I loved the attention it garnered and the conversations it sparked inside and outside of my circles.”
Street style of the SS23 edition of Lagos Fashion WeekPhotography Adedamola Odetara
NOT SO FORMAL CLOTHING
An otherwise understated light blue suit enhanced by dramatic winged lapels. A dark green suit adorned with a ruffled, broad-shouldered bodice. An off-the-shoulder white jacket teamed with baggy pants that skimmed the floor. This year, young Nigerians turned traditional formalwear on its head, bending down and diving into different eras for inspiration and contrasting what they found there.
A standout look came from Izuchukwu Udokwu, whose white suit was covered in hand-patterned patterns that he himself applied to the fabric. The designer explained that creating the piece “felt like writing a story.” “Sometimes you don’t know where the story is going and you get carried away by the fluidity and independence of your characters. With this outfit, he was also telling a story of how deeply connected we are, which you can see with the lines, and yet how unequal the world can be and how the actions we take can alter someone’s life forever, making it so. which can be joyful or painful.”
Street style of the SS23 edition of Lagos Fashion WeekPhotography Adedamola Odetara
Source: news.google.com