Lagos Fashion Week A/W 2018 Day Three Review

Last days of anything are always tinged with sadness, and so it was with Lagos Fashion Week. You get into a sort of rhythm and there is something about the different elements of the fashion industry coalescing, from designers, to conveners, to buyers, models and enthusiasts that reaches fever pitch at the end. We all have a part to play and together, with a prevailing wind, something can emerge.

The day’s opener Maxivive certainly had community front and centre in his collection, with its glitter glitter drenched set that had ‘Glistening” emblazoned on a theatrical curtain. A baby’s bath and a lilo were placed stage left and right, a reference to water and it’s ability to both cleanse and renew. When the first model walked out, looking fab-u-lous in a green and red trimmed single breasted suit, hair in a bouffant and in full drag-make-up, we knew we were in for a drama filled ride that referenced the high-season of drag culture which was chronicled in the seminal documentary feature film, Paris Is Burning. The film was a watermark in putting a spotlight on the African-American and Latin Gay and Transgender communities and how they found self expression and freedom via the ball-culture, which in itself ended up in the mainstream via Madonna and her 90’s mega-hit Vogue.

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Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

Our ring-mistress for the presentation, held court, as an array of men indrag make-up and women who were bearded and butched-up paraded around the set in the gender neutral pieces. Some viewing might have been so immersed in the theatre of the show that they missed the clothes so to speak, but there were plenty of pieces that were marvels in construction, and could, once runway styling was removed, be worn with aplomb. A midnight blue single breasted jacket with buttons on the back was shown here in for the evening only satin,  however in a wool rendition would be a conversation starter and deal closer in any boardroom. Okay, maybe in an advertising agency or film studio rather than bank, but the main point is construction is second to none at Maxivive. Equally charming and is my own personal wish-list was a crisp white women’s shirt with dove grey gloves attached, a simultaneously practical, arresting and insane idea that solved the perennial winter minefield of lost gloves. And for those who have fully embraced athleisure and utility but want to up the ante, a tangerine boiler suit and an ensemble featuring lurex leggings worn with a jacket, oversize t and trainers were chilled by way of the disco-glam. On a deeper level creative director Papa Oyeyeni was daring us to embrace our fierceness, queerness and individuality. Life was all too brief and glorious to fade anonymously into the background and the clothes we wear should be a statement of intentional living. Do you, and for goodness sake, take it up a notch.

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

 

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

In contrast Sunny Rose’s Maureen Okogwu had entirely different ideas for the women wearing her pieces and the mandate said pieces provide. For the Sunny Rose woman life is all about luxe-living with a capital L with some gauzy silk aso’oke print and lace for good measure. The collection was evening and cocktail heavy, with a ball gown among the pieces alongside silk pewter jumpsuits, lace pencil skirt suits layered with turquoise long sleeved chiffon blouses and hip skimming boot cut pants in brushed gold and aquamarine. A sequence of teal, grey and white aso’oke pieces, the finest of which was a maxi house coat, brought to mind an At Home, the African edition, in a grand colonial era villa, complete with trays filled with champagne coupes  and Salif Keita playing on the discreet Bose speakers as guests toasted the host on another successfully concluded multi-million dollar deal. Does the Sunny Rose woman work? Certainly, although the pieces evoked private income and philanthropy rather than running through the city hustle game on and with her spare phone plugged into a power-bank. But if a collection is about distilling what living the dream looks like, then this most definitely was it. And everything that went on the runway, had sell-fast and sell-out for a certain well-heeled customer.

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

Before it had even commenced the Emmy Kasbit show was a sell-out as guests squished onto benches and resorted to standing to see the latest from this evergreen and ever-popular brand. The ethical fashion moniker certainly helps in these environmentally conscious times and the added celebrity endorsement in the form of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is also a great way to ensure the tills keep ringing. However, this evening we also saw an assured collection that lived up to the hype and the major fandom action that was evident in the audience. Conceived with a clear eyed vision the palette was restrained with pinstripes in black and camel underpinning the collection and pops of colour coming courtesy of either olive green aso’oke panelling or red and yellow  rhombus patterned aso’oke. Polo necks in fire engine red, sky blue or grass green were the winter warmer of choice and accessories came in an assortment of outsize and exotic hides, some bearing slogans and art that are guaranteed to make even the dourest smile on the morning commute. The silhouette was slim and dare one say it unforgiving, but assuming you had been minding your carbs and visiting the gym you would look more than fantastic in everything. An assured showing for a brand that only seems set to grow stronger with each season.

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

The night concluded with Onalaja, and she chose to do a sartorial deep dive into the art of dressing entirely in black. But with one caveat, make sure it’s high octane glamour, your heels are high hair scraped off your face and eyes are lined fullu. Hemlines and silhouettes moved around as colour was the only unifier so offerings ranged from a frou-frou A-line polka-dot netted cocktail dress to a long column dress, embellished evening coat,  textured and structured culottes teamed with a silk vest and a pour-your-body-into boot cut jersey pant with beaded tunic top. It was very easy to see both the commerciality of this collection and by having such an array of silhouettes the way it would appeal to an audience, who judging from their cheers like to go out a lot and needed everything shown, like yesterday. A fitting end to a Lagos Fashion Week governed by the see now, love now, buy now model.

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

As the crowds walked  out into the night, until the next October edition one couldn’t help but feel that increasingly Lagos Fashion Week is reflecting what the fashion industry is and should be: diverse, experimental, commercial, glossy and with a necessary dash of rebellion. Just as we all do not look the same, nor should we all dress the same, and the twelve designers who showed shared their vision and kindly invited us to partake should we wish to. Some designers are clearly heading for the stratosphere, but all are an essential ingredient to the industry’s continued growth. Whatever the world may say Lagos is  an undeniable fashion capital, and with the necessary capacity building and further industry cohesion it will soon become a retail destination too.

 

 

Lagos Fashion Week A/W 2018 Day One Review

As the great philosopher Socrates noted, “no condition is permanent” and so it was with Lagos Fashion Week Day One which in many ways presented a change of order. Apart from the name change (design has been ditched and official has been added to the IG handle, more of that later), there was also a shift in format and of course venue. Attendees were offered for the first time a see now buy now model, a trend that has been adopted by some of the biggest global brands, and discreet order sheets were placed at the end of each bench, so one could presumably go wild in the aisles if you were buying for your store or indeed yourself. It was an important touch, as it also allowed for designers to test the temperature for certain pieces, before going into full-on production mode. Also of note was the space, the ground floor of the Wings Buildings was reminiscent of noughties New York off schedule presentations in down town Manhattan or Fashion East in London, before it got mega-investment and became glossy with it: the Industrial concrete flooring, triple height ceiling and plain white benches meant the clothes rather than any epic set were the stars of the show.

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

The night opened with Gozel Green, the design duo that embarked on a glowing international show rooms tour organised by Style House Files last autumn and have garnered a loyal clientele who love their play on proportion, finishing and contrasting palettes. For this season, all of those elements were present and correct, so no major scares for the core customer. However, and this was an exciting development, we were treated to athleisure motifs which found their way into pieces from the toggles on the hemlines of skirts and dresses through to a  hoodie finish on a cropped blouse with the emblem “Me, My Earth, My Culture”.

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

Outerwear also experienced an existential moment as jackets had partially exposed sleeves, surely the cold would get in one thought, or maybe we were meant to rethink what it was to be a jacket, with the exposed opening an invitation to wear a contrasting long sleeved vest underneath? Either way it was a winner that got my pen twitching on that order sheet!

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

Also of note was a lime apron dress, with pleating and body-merciful cocoon silhouette, it is no surprise that Gozel Green has managed to achieve the hallowed feat of appealing across age-groups. Worn with trainers or as the models did here with wooden sandals with net meshing and you were a Millennial, pop on some heels and if you are not delighted by your upper arms, a white shirt, and boom, Coolest Auntie Ever/Fashion forward executive. Continuity with a dollop of new doth a great collection make,

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

As Beyoncé’s ‘Party’ came blasting from the speakers it was clear that Mo Agusto’s collection was going to be for the rockers in the house. Show opener, a silk satin a line mini in midnight and ice blue was definitely revving of engine hot, and it was clear that the Mo Agusto woman would probably have ‘Slay Queen’ in her Instagram Bio.

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

We were treated to a pallete that alternated between blush pink and raspberry with sheer white accents or midnight blue and ice with silver. Aso’oke featured heavily, either as a contrasting silver panel on a three quarter length jumpsuit or in all its glory in a sugar pink only for the brave or sensational of leg a-line mini dress and slim line city shorts.

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

There were hints of historicism in the sheer blouses with their exaggerated ruff on the wrist, and modesty and commerciality had been taken into consideration with hemlines either at a modest mid-calf or for the brave grazing mid-thigh. She is definitely a designer whose popularity, particularly in her home market, is assured.

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

Last show of the night and by no means least was IAMISIGO. We knew we were in for a spectacle, or as much as one could have within the new austere space when a set of ten chairs was placed, in a formation that had me thinking of childhood games of Musical Chairs. Would the models have to fight it out for the last chair? Of course, I should have known better from Bubu Ogisi, who is far too cool to opt for such a gimmick.

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

Instead models sauntered in, hair in a studied bird’s nest disarray, and with white Ori chalk marks across their faces. Show opener a powder blue trouser suit with a lime overlay was a stunner. Fist bumps and double marks for the layering effect of the trousers and the contrasting colour on the jacket and the frankly inspired use of Guinea Brocade,  which is often associated with menswear, in so many of the pieces. Why should the boys have all the fabric fun so to speak?

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

The seemingly unfinished side hems on many of the pieces hinted at a girl, who just couldn’t be bothered with preening, knew when she looked great and kept it moving. A white floor sweeper dress and an off the shoulder lime and white two piece reflected this ethos perfectly: day, evening, beach, at home, all will be well, style wise at least in these pieces.

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

A collaboration with It-Accessories brand Shekudo pulled everything together as the aso’oke weave on the footwear married well with the brocade on top. A surprise and great addition was the denim sequence with one double layered coat, destined to become an Autumn-Winter hero piece. IAMISIGO ensured that Day One closed on the high we all wanted and indeed expected.

Photo: Kadara Enyeasi
Photo: Kadara Enyeasi

As to what to expect from Lagos Fashion Week Official, still with founder Omoyemi Akerele at the helm, I think the clue is in the name. A focus on location (Lagos, Nigeria and also Africa in a wider sense) and the vitality and creative brilliance that has chosen here for its home is an obvious objective. Secondly, there are the aims of genuinely augmenting the diverse actors, organisations and systems that not only constitutes, but also are necessary for a healthy industry. This is seen in particular in the Fashion Focus funds that emerging designers have access to, and the order sheets which allow the designers showing presently to immediately make money. And finally, the addition of the word Official, we have all seen it a hundred times on the ‘gram, especially in issues of celebrities wanting to distinguish themselves as the ‘real deal’, but in this particular instance it is about authenticity of intent. Yes, we all love a party, especially one where fabulous ensembles come into play, but come here, show here and buy here and you are supporting an industry into its future.