At Maiden EWL, Tech is the New Colour of Fashion 

Iyke Bede 

At a recent panel session held at the maiden edition of the Entertainment Week Lagos (EWL) that was held at the Livespot Entertainment Center, Lekki, Lagos, fashion entrepreneurs and influencers discussed ways technology can propel fashion creatives to attain sustainability. 

Themed ‘The New Wave – What will Entertainment Wear in the Future’, the session moderated by Denola Grey engaged three panellists: fashion and lifestyle blogger, Dimma Umeh; Founder, Astraverse, Delz Erinle; and fashion entrepreneur, Ozinna Anumudu on possible ways the third generation of the internet, also known as Web3, will spur growth and push local content to the rest of the world. 

During the discussions, it was noted that the decentralised nature of Web3 will facilitate processes to authenticate, and trace indigenous fashion on the blockchain, two disruptive features essential to pave the way for new, independent designers. 

With the fashion industry ranked as the second most environmentally degrading industry in the world, the duo of Erinle and Umeh suggested that streamlining production will cut down on waste in the value chain. They also proposed the use of AI-assisted tech products such as virtual testing and sampling to source data and information production.  

Similarly,  harvested data will play a crucial role in securing funds from investors and development financial institutions (DFIs). 

“The first step of acknowledging tech was having a website. A lot of people were not necessarily comfortable shopping Nigerian brands online because of that aspect of trying on clothes physically. The first part of our jobs is trying to get people comfortable with being online, understating that e-commerce Nigeria works,” Anumudu explained how the tech industry has impacted fashion consumer behaviours over the years and ways to attract creatives to adopt it. 

The panellists collectively highlighted other setbacks to scaling the fashion economy such as power supply, low demands, high cost of shipping, and poor reach to a global audience. To offset these limitations, the panel suggested sensitisation workshops for creatives on the role of Web3 for the sustainability of the industry.