Fashion business was the big conversation as Lagos Fashion Week returned for its 16th edition under the theme CRAFTED: Heritage. Innovation. Circular Futures. This season looks at the knowledge, skills and creative processes behind African design. It puts heritage in dialogue with contemporary ideas and asks what the industry’s future should look like.
Day 1 combined practical lessons for designers and entrepreneurs with three runway presentations. Here are the key highlights.
“Crafted: By Whom, For Whom and at What Cost?”
The day opened with the Fashion Business Series session “Crafted: By Whom, For Whom and at What Cost?” Media personality and digital strategist Ayo Lawal moderated the panel. Speakers included:
- Sunny Dolat, Kenyan cultural producer and creative director
- Ifebuche Madu, founder of Afrikstabel
- Aisha Ayensu, creative director and founder of Ghanaian brand Christie Brown
- Dr Christine Checinska, Senior Curator, Africa and Diaspora Textiles and Fashion at the V&A
The panel discussed how the industry can better support textile artisans. They also covered how to raise artisans’ visibility and how to build fair, long-term relationships with the people whose skills sustain African fashion.
“It is necessary to build a sustainable relationship with African artisans, because the success of any African fashion brand relies on the craft people,” said Aisha Ayensu.
Fashion Business Modelling and Franchising
Deloitte sponsored this session, which Temitope Olugbile, Manager, Strategy and Business Design, moderated. It gave entrepreneurs practical guidance on business models, franchising and the structures needed to grow a sustainable fashion business.
Beyond the Runway: Are You Making Money or Just Making Sales?
Akindele Phillips, founder and managing partner at We Practice Africa, explained the difference between making sales and building a profitable company. He said standard processes and structures help a brand prepare for growth and outside investment.
“Build a business that not only looks successful online but is also successful in real life. Keep every single record,” Phillips advised.
Capital That Fits: Financing for Nigeria’s Fashion Business Owners
The final panel looked at funding options for fashion brands and what shapes financing decisions for creative enterprises. Kemi Ogunleye, a marketing communications and brand strategy professional, moderated the session. The speakers were Gbolade Okeowo, Director and Fund Manager at Kuramo Capital Management, and Dolapo Adedapo, Creative Specialist and IDCE at the Bank of Industry.
The speakers pointed to growth opportunities for brands ready to scale. They also stressed that financial accountability, proper documentation and a clear grasp of performance figures make a fashion business more attractive to funders.
On the Runway: Akwete Reimagined, Some Birds Fly South and The In-Between
Three presentations explored craft, materials and contemporary African design.
Akwete Reimagined. The runway opened with a capsule collaboration between Nigerian designer Emmy Kasbit and ALÁRA. Its statement pieces showed how traditional Akwete textile techniques can be reinterpreted for a modern wardrobe.
Sisiano, Some Birds Fly South. Sisiano’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection followed. It featured sheer pieces, fringe detailing that created movement, relaxed menswear silhouettes and a range of hand-printed fabrics.
Orange Culture, The In-Between. Orange Culture’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection brought together familiar silhouettes, uneven proportions, sheer layering, hand-stitched embellishments and looped-yarn surfaces across a varied colour palette.
Closing the Night
Day 1 ended with the Heineken Lagos Fashion Week 2026 Welcome Party, hosted by Moët & Chandon. Designers, industry leaders, media and invited guests gathered to celebrate ahead of the main runway shows.
For anyone building a fashion business, the message from Day 1 was clear. Creativity draws attention, but records, structure and fair partnerships with artisans keep a brand growing.
Heineken is the title sponsor of the 2026 season. Key partners include NIVEA, MTN, Bank of Industry, Lord’s Gin, Molped, Nigerian Exchange Group, Africa Finance Corporation and Lush Hair.
