Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week Cocktail Party

By Azuka Ogujiuba

Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week will return for its 6th edition from the October 26-29, 2016 with Heineken as the headline sponsor.

The annual event, which attracts over 6,000 fashion insiders, including buyers, retailers, local and international press, celebrities, models, and special guests, will feature an exciting four-day line-up, consisting of the Fashion Business Series, LFDW X Retail, the #HeinekenLFDW After Party and Africa’s finest fashion design talent.

The event was formally announced to the press at a cocktail held at Heineken House, recently. Speaking at the event were: Omoyemi Akerele, Founder Style House Files and Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week; Sampson Oloche, Portfolio Manager, International Premium, Heineken; Londe Thompson, Project Manager, LFDW Fashion Focus; and Ronke Adeola, Project Manager, Fashion Business Series and XRETAIL.

In a presentation, Omoyemi Akerele said the initiatives were spearheaded by Style House Files and supported by Nigerian Export Promotion Council which ran throughout the course of the year leading up to #HKLFDW. These initiatives with the objective to ensure that opportunities abound in the sector for skills acquisition, apparel manufacturing, access to market, included: The International Fashion Showcase in London, featuring designers from the Fashion Focus Programme; The Magic Trade Show in Las Vegas; The Fashion Business series seminars which for the first time, will host two editions in a year; and the apparel manufacturing courses running at the Human Capital Development Centre in Apapa.

Commenting on these initiatives and this year’s event, Akerele said, “The underlying vision has always been to move the conversation beyond fashion towards creating an ecosystem of thriving fashion businesses that can impact the Nigerian economic landscape. It’s about adding value to the industry, through creating various platforms that allow knowledge acquisition, skills development, access to market and showcasing talents to a networked global audience.”

Speaking on Heineken’s involvement this year, Oloche said, “Heineken is an innovative brand that has proven itself as a supporter of local businesses, entrepreneurs and the creative industry with our continued support of Lagos Fashion and Design Week. This year, the World’s No. 1 International premium beer brand, will continue to push the boundaries in creating innovative designs and experiences.”

Londe Thompson, Project Manager Fashion Focus, talked about the programme’s new direction and the impact created during the Fashion Focus X British Council Creative Hustle Seminars recently held in Lagos, Enugu, Calabar and Abuja.  In addition, the LFDW Fashion Focus scouting, took the form of a competitive open process aimed at selecting five Fashion Focus candidates, who will be enrolled in the programme for a year.

Commenting on the programme, she said, “Fashion Focus presents unique opportunities for emerging talents to harness their skills through business development, creative workshops, and a mentorship/internship. This year-long opportunity affords young designers with the tools they need to facilitate innovation, growth and commercial success.”  Fashion Focus is supported by The British Council and The African Fashion Fund.

In line with LFDW’s role as catalysts on the scene, Fashion Business Series will host its 4th season tagged “Beyond Fashion” in partnership with FETS Wallet and Pal Pensions, announced Ronke Adeola, its project manager. Day 2 of #FBS will feature Fashionomics, a presentation which will explore how the African fashion value chains can be upgraded, making use of the talent, creativity and market opportunities in Africa at the global level where demand for African fashion is growing through a Business to Business online platform created by the African Development Bank, which will become operational in the first quarter of 2017.  

LFDW X Retail is back! Designed to further position retail as a primary tool that contributes to the growth of the Nigerian fashion industry, this initiative will be pushed by the Style House Files #BuyNigerian campaign. Positioned as a commercial hub, guests will be able to shop a curated selection of fashion and lifestyle products from October 28-29, 2016.

Full Event Line-Up

•Runway Shows: 26th -29th October, 2016  | 5pm – 10pm

•Fashion Business Series: 27th October, 2016  | 10am – 3pm

• Fashionomics: 28th October, 2016 | 9am – 1pm

•XRETAIL: 28th – 29th October, 2016 | 11am – 6pm

Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week is supported by Maybelline, Jumia, FETS Wallet, NEPC, Sterling Bank, Vlisco and The British Council. Media Partners: Business Day, BellaNaija, Style Vitae, YNaija,  Spice TV, Genevieve Magazine, Guardian Life,  Style Mania Magazine, Complete Fashion and Vanguard Allure.