Africa Trend Week Nigeria (AFWN), a platform celebrating African style, tradition, and excellence, has unveiled its Tenth anniversary present and launched a brand new charity initiative.
The revealing occurred on Wednesday on the Erelu Yeye Oodua Renaissance Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos.
AFWN is an initiative of Olori Queen Ronke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, the fifth spouse of the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwisi and PREMIUM TIMES was in attendance.
The Africa Trend Week Nigeria 2024 will run for a three-day showcase from 6 to eight December on the Lagos Oriental Lodge, Victoria Island. The occasion will function a vibrant exhibition of African style and can rejoice a decade of achievements.
Present rundown
The Ooni of Ife’s spouse described the Tenth-anniversary version as a celebration of style and “a tribute to African innovation, creativity, and affect worldwide.”
The primary day (6 December) will open with the extremely anticipated Younger Designers Competitors, showcasing the skills of 25 rising designers competing for a fully-funded alternative to current at Africa Trend Week London in 2025.
The founder emphasised that the competitors aligns with AFWN’s mission to highlight and nurture new expertise, offering younger African designers a platform to achieve world audiences.
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The second day (7 December) will function established African designers, together with those that participated in Africa Trend Week London earlier this yr. “For the primary time, these designers will convey their collections to Lagos, permitting Nigerian style fanatics to expertise the most effective of African style from the UK runway, proper right here in Lagos,” Queen Ronke famous.
A major spotlight of the third day (8 December) might be a particular attendance by royalty, governors’ wives, celebrities, and influencers. The runway might be graced by Olufolake Abdulrazaq, the First Girl of Kwara State. “The day guarantees a mix of style and philanthropy, making it a becoming conclusion to the Tenth anniversary celebrations,” the founder acknowledged.
The ultimate day can even function a collaboration with Elizabeth Miller PR’s Luxurious Hearts Fundraiser, an unique charity occasion to help native orphanages and different initiatives.
Charity drive
The AFWN founder highlighted that this version will help Africa’s progress by way of creativity and charity, introducing a charitable initiative since its inception.
Olori Ronke mentioned, “We’re excited to collaborate with Elizabeth Miller PR Company for the Luxurious Hearts Fundraiser, making this version much more significant. We’re elevating funds for charity for the primary time, so we encourage visitors to come back able to help the trigger with paintings and different objects out there on the market, which is able to go on to charity.
“Among the many beneficiaries are the Sickle Cell Basis and Rural Increase Africa, which helps distant villages throughout Africa. We’re keen to just accept donations on the Luxurious Fundraiser, which is able to happen on Day 3 of AFWN.”
African style imaginative and prescient
The founder talking additional highlighted AFWN’s mission of empowering African style creatives. “Africa Trend Week Nigeria and London have fostered the expansion of African style for over a decade. Since 2011, we’ve showcased over 3,000 African manufacturers domestically and internationally. Our imaginative and prescient is to empower style creatives for monetary sustainability. By 2030, Africa wants 450 million jobs, which requires a shift in direction of future-focused expertise coaching.”
She added, “As we speak, we see professionals like legal professionals turning into content material creators and docs turning into cooks. This shift highlights the significance of platforms like AFWN to boost job creation, generate wealth, alleviate poverty, and supply schooling by way of creativity.
“There are huge alternatives inside the style trade, together with roles for designers, textile artists, photographers, and fashions. Platforms like AFWN and AFWL create jobs throughout the trade and foster entrepreneurship, expertise coaching, and job creation, empowering African creatives to thrive.”
Springboard
The unveiled chairman of the Tenth version, Lai Labode, Osi Apagun Pote of EgbaLand, additionally shared his enthusiasm for the platform’s affect.
Throughout his remarks, he famous, “The time and sources invested on this ought to encourage all Africans. That is the sort of platform that deserves ongoing help. I don’t doubt that each one Africans will profit from it. Africa’s style market is valued at round $31 billion, representing only one.2 per cent of the $2.5 trillion world market. We Africans maintain simply two per cent of this share, and platforms like AFWN will help elevate us to the subsequent stage. That is really one thing for all Africans to rejoice.”
Reflecting on AFWN’s affect, Olori Ronke acknowledged that style in Nigeria quickly emerges as a launchpad for younger designers, transferring past its former popularity as a less-regarded profession selection.
She mentioned, “Africa Trend Week Nigeria is a springboard for younger designers. Over the previous 10 years, we’ve showcased 3,000 designers, hosted 50,000 visitors, and generated over 200 million social media impressions. Our mission extends past showcasing style to preserving cultural heritage in textiles.
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“Trend in Nigeria was as soon as seen as a fallback choice, however right this moment, it’s a revered subject with content material creators commanding charges of as much as N1-2 million. We should concentrate on monetary sustainability for our creatives and transcend social media glamour, which doesn’t all the time translate to revenue.”
This yr, AFWN plans to audition over 1,000 fashions, deciding on 60 who will every obtain $1,000 for his or her participation. The present can even have interaction trade professionals, together with present producers, lighting and sound specialists, digital entrepreneurs, and stylists, enhancing the occasion’s worth chain.
The occasion’s official magnificence accomplice, L’Oréal, will present hair styling providers. On the similar time, different sponsors embody the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Funding, Sterling Financial institution, Financial institution of Trade, Elizabeth Miller PR, and Essenza.
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