Day two of the Arise Magazine Fashion Week Lagos 2011 shows seemed a lot more promising. Overall the venue and event lived up to expectations of many, as initially hoped for. The likes of Jewel by Lisa (NG), Mustafa Hasannali (TZ), Tiffany Amber (NG), Korto Momolu and other heavy hitters showed at the event.
Designers were categorized in duos and groups. Group 1 was the House of Nwocha, Kiki Kamanu, House of Farrah and Viv La Resistance. Group 2 was the design group of Nikki Khiran, Toju Foyeh, Madam Wokie Couture and Ejiro Amos Tafiri. Also showing was the duo group of UK’s Eki Orleans and Ghana’s Christie Brown.
The shows began a few minutes to 2pm with a parade of models by the House of Nwocha. Seated in front row were mostly fashion designers who weren’t showcasing their lines. We would have love to see more press, buyers and celebrities there.
Viva la resistance, House of Farrah, Eki Orleans, Tojuh Foyeh, Nikki Khiran and Madam Wokie all left the crowd “oohing” and “ahhing” with their exceptional designs. The loudest of the applause went to designer Toju Foyeh who received both applause and even screams when she appeared on the runway after showing her collection. Most of the collections showed by these designers showed diverse use of the Ankara fabric. Madam Wokie used a mix of chiffon and ankara while Nikki Khiran used more of silk boubou.
It appeared there was a little adjustment in the schedule as not all the designers slated for Friday showed; while some that were meant to appear on Saturday showed on Friday. Despite all of that, from all indications, the designs of Nigerian/African designers show that Africa can definitely measure up to international standards. The models also acted like pros, proving that modeling as a career in Nigeria is here to stay. The crowd and press just could not get enough of the models. In the middle of the show, the reigning Miss Nigeria, Fiona, made a ‘divalicious’ entrance, which was also welcomed with a loud applause. There was never a dull moment.
~Bola Oyedele
~Photo: Eki Orleans
~Runway photos from Arise show coming soon!
Founded in 2007, Ladybrille® Magazine is a California based pioneer digital publication demystifying the image of Africans in the west through contemporary African fashion and celebrating the brilliant woman in business and leadership, with an emphasis on the African woman in the diaspora. Our coverage includes stories on capital, access to markets, expertise, hiring and retention, sales, marketing, and promotions.
