All The Trends At Lagos Fashion Week: Bubble Hems, Bold Metallics, And Kitschy Florals | Origin

Unannounced was the theme for the latest installment of the Lagos Fashion Week where designers were present. It felt like the audience was expecting this as they cheered every time there were significant moments. One highlight? Frank Aghuno, the designer behind Fruché, put on a carefree performance where a model wore a maxi bag in attendance. Ugo Monye introduced two surprises; Davido walked down the runway with his co-designer Sandrah Tubobereni who also appeared as a model in menswear. Éki Kéré created a stunning collection with strong uses of raffia. And standing out from Iamisigo was a gorgeous beaded rug. There were plenty of other standout moments too – we’ve compiled them all below and I spoke to a few designers to learn about their inspiration too.

Banke Kuku introduced the LFW season in October this year and set straight records for the brand. The 43 collection felt like a three-course meal; it featured a swimwear, ready-to-wear, and nightwear lineup. It was really amazing, and the prints were the weight of the story. The collection was titled “The Ocean”, reflecting Kuku’s optimism in shedding light on bodies of water, and our duty to care for the planet. The set design was like an Atlantis dream; bold pillared structures with fish carvings, and seaweed sculptures, with a water bubble maker set aside for dramatic bubble effects. What made this collection interesting was the color choices – Kuku ensured that all the prints came in vibrant colors which paired well with the shiny floral silk materials. The designs were also majestic – think long kimonos, bodycon pieces, and turtle neck capes.

Then, Desirée Iyama showed a great line. Her newest collection was filled with vibrant colors, materials, and garment constructions. And whatever the collection was titled “Crab and Lobster, A The Timeless Resilience,” each look made an extraordinary statement. From the initial appearance, it felt sensible, a two-piece with drape work, two fish dresses, one carefully behind, a red dot dress, a cozy kimono, and flared pants. “I was inspired by the wonders of nature,” Iyamah said. “Specifically, I was fascinated by the ability of the crab and lobster to adapt and thrive in turbulent environments. Their resilience and transformative qualities guided my design process, blending beauty and sustainability.”

The designer also incorporated 3D embroidery appliqués and lightweight printed fabrics to evoke fluid waves. Elsewhere in her collection was a bouffant dress with iridescent tulle detailing across the chest – most of the looks featured similar crab embroidery.

As for the Oríré brand, their latest collection “Everyday Is A School Day” debuted with a range of striking silhouettes. As the models walked in Orire Aleshinloye’s creations, I saw a colorful butterfly dress, an off the shoulder dress, three looks in Oríré’s denim print, and a pair of black gloves that accompanied the final look. For Aleshinloye, the journey through continuous learning inspired the collection. One dress with a red bulb added a strong twist to the ongoing trend.

“As a creative brand and as a brand in general, we are [always] he was forced to learn something new,” Aleshinloye told ESSENCE. “’Every School Day’ is about embracing adaptation and celebrating learning. We see throughout the collection that we strive to work with prints and also bring back old signature styles and make them fresher.” She added that she worked with multiple colors and aimed to fuse the old and the new.

Where other designers fail to deliver, Michelle Adepoju’s latest Kíléntár models took to the runway in experimental creations. Having debuted at New York Fashion Week a month ago, he felt it was important to bring the “Mama Ibeji” collection home and see 1,000 people at the LFW tent. What resulted was a stunning collection displayed with echoes of oriki or Yoruba hub poetry.

The message of the collection was clear: to create freshness in feminine glamor while incorporating elements of Yoruba culture. This was seen in the small elements of storytelling through the materials that were sustainable to a certain extent, with an out-of-the-box mini dress sewn with asooke. Adepoju also made waves in a split dress with a white dress ruffled at the hem. A metallic skirt and blouse also made its way down the runway, accompanied by a rose petal mini dress. There was an off the shoulder blouse that I also enjoyed that was worn with a layered skirt.

Oshobor Odion Peter made a fierce statement, choosing red for every look as we take us to the kingdom of Benin, and shine a spotlight on the Oba’s courtroom. The queen opened the show with a red dress made of fringe and the maidens entered with a golden belt around their waist. After that and the royal guards then the councilors put on upper garments, then came the high priest, and finally the king himself.

Despite debuting their SS25 collection in Paris a month ago, Lagos Fashion Week saw the presentation of the Lagos Space Program as models walked the runway to the rhythm of Yoruba talking drums. The collection features a new drama with subjects titled “The New Lagos Look”; especially denim; denim coats, open chest denim jackets, blazers, metallic waist belt, top hoods, maxi pants, and long open-chested shirts with some models accessorized in unique neck pendants.

One of the obvious difficulties at this year’s Lagos Fashion Week was embracing the comfort zone. It felt like some designers weren’t ready to take the risk and create more complex designs that the audience didn’t see on the runway. A woman sitting next to me on the third day mentioned how she felt that some designers were still following the Pinterest form of fashion. I agreed with her–and it pointed out why some designs from two or so designers looked similar but with different fabrics and colors. Although I understand the hard work that the designers have put in and how there is a large concentration around a specific group of looks that they take as their strongest armor, leaving the rest as a collection filler. Regardless, brands like Oshobor and Ugo Monye reinvented their codes and created elevated versions of their designs.

Overall, there was a bit of experimentation at this year’s Lagos Fashion Week, especially in materials, construction of clothes and the stories behind each collection. I saw the use of jute fabrics and two metallic pieces from Kíléntár, thick knit with love from Jules, and beads from Iamisigo. It was a pleasure to introduce designers who are pushing the bar higher on what is already known and creating innovative designs that push the industry forward here in Nigeria.