Trend Takeaways From Lagos Fashion And Design Week

Designer Rayo made a great play for Queen of statement accessories, walking restrained outfits with oversized wicker cowboy hats. Some of these were given an extra flair thanks to large red and white tassels that hung down over the face. Meanwhile luxury store Alara presented Maki Oh‘s designs, who paired floral crowns with avant-garde and sculptural designs, engendering striking juxtapositions of form and colour.

Throughout the four days, there was one SS17 that was seen time and time again: frills. At Wanger Ayu they cascaded down sleeves ; Loza Maleombho layered them finely on tops and trousers; Omilua used them to add extra volume to her statement prints and Lanre Da Silva added rich silk versions to dropped hems and organza tops. Read more about how to channel the frill trend here.

Traditionally associated with nautical trends, stripes at Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week were given a refreshing revamp courtesy of designers such as I.AM. Isigo and Kenneth Ize. The former embraced a playful juxtaposition of red and white with drawstring detail, while the latter opted more more muted pinstripes, printed on loose fitting sleeveless dresses.

One main takeaway from LFDW was that dressing loud is the new normcore, and we’re delighted. Emerging brand to watch, Orange Culture, walked sheer, printed, collarless shirts over salmon pink shorts; he showed pastel pink suit and shorts, and threw in a vibrant red, loose fitting combo complete with mini yellow manbag for good measure. Lisa Folawiyo brought womenswear, pairing rich shades of sky-blue with lime greens and royal purples.

Across all the SS17 shows – at Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week, but also in Paris, Milan, London and Seoul – embellishment has been a major trend. In Lagos, designers such as Tsemaye Binite allowed embroidery detail to take the centre stage on elegant evening dresses, while David Tlale gave a new meaning to shoulder pads with statement florals.