LAGOS PARADES AFRICA’S FINEST AT AFRICAN FASHION WEEK NIGERIA
by Yomi Oyelami, Trek Africa Newspaper
His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II
For a high-powered and classic event like the African Fashion Week London (AFWL) now in its ninth edition running in London, UK attracting fashion icons, models and entrepreneurs and especially coordinated by a proud Nigerian, Princess Ronke Ademiluyi, coming home in 2019 is a right step in the right direction.
Thus, on 20 – 21 December, 2019 the global fashion event made its triumphant entry into West Africa’s commercial nerve centre, Lagos. The two-day event which held in the grand Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos and was sponsored by First Bank Nigeria Plc., under the high patronage of His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II was a massive hit.
Themed ‘Africa Unites’, the African Fashion Week Lagos provided a veritable platform to showcase the uniqueness of African fashion, style and fad to the world. It was also a good opportunity to discuss ways of reviving the virtually collapsing Nigerian textile industry. During the event, the matrons of the African Fashion Week London, Mrs. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, wife of Kwara state governor, and Erelu Bisi Fayemi, wife of Ekiti state governor were joined by Mrs Funmi Ajila-Ladipo, President, Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN) and Erelu Abiola Dosumu, the Erelu Kuti of Lagos to discuss at the panel session.
L-R: President, Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN); First Lady, Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Erelu Abiola Dosumu and First Lady, Kwara State, Mrs. Olufolake AbdulRazaq during the Panel Session at the African Fashion Week Nigeria held at Oriental hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Also present at the event were Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun, wife of Ogun state governor, Honourable Commissioners from Kwara state, viz. Commissioner for Enterprise, Agbaje Wahab Femi; Commissioner for Social Development, Aremu Abosede Deborah; Commissioner for Communications, Murtala Olanrewaju; Commissioner for water resources, Hajiya Fatimah Lawal; former Director-General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Mrs Omotayo Omotosho; popular television presenter and model, Idia Aisen; model and beauty influencer, Whitney Madueke amongst others.
The event also projected fashion as a medium to cause social change as runway shows featuring persons living with sickle cell disorder helped to raise social consciousness about sickle cell disorder.
