How GTCO Fashion Weekend Made Indelible Imprints on the Fashion Landscape

Mary Nnah

The recently concluded  Guaranty Trust  (GTCO) Fashion Weekend, which ran from November 11th to 12th,  a haven for fashion lovers, left an unforgettable memory for fashion enthusiasts and on the Nigerian fashion landscape in general.

Like the previous editions,  the 2023 Fashion Weekend, which took place at the GTCentre, Oniru, Lagos, kept the guests and fashion lovers hypnotised with the tremendous creativity and style innovations on display.

This year’s event featured insightful masterclasses, and free retail stalls, for over 120 fashion designers. As well as a street-wear village. Aside from the master classes, the runway shows were impeccable.

Fashion devotees and other guests were thrilled and entertained with glamorous,  creative designs, which came in various designs including casual, corporate, party wear and Afrocentric styles.

Renowned designers unveiled their latest collections,  setting trends that will influence fashion in the future.

Attendees at the fashion weekend, which showcased various fashion items and fashion icons around the world, were treated to immersive experiences, including interactive installations and discussions on the future of sustainable fashion.

During one of the master Classes, international model Jourdan Dunn spoke on different issues ranging from self-confidence, and mental health, to her sense of insecurity and foray into modelling among others, Fame News reports.

Dunn told the audience that her sojourn into the world of modelling had its ups and downs.

She recalled that at first, she suffered a sense of insecurity because she was not that fleshy, and that people kept staring at her slim stature.

Dunn explained further that because of this development, she finds it difficult to venture out of her parents’ home.

“Like every time I went out, I always felt that people would just have eyes on me and judge me. And yeah, I just was at a stage where I just did not enjoy being in my body. I didn’t, I felt uncomfortable.”

However, she had encouraging news that the situation has changed, as her current figure has won her many modelling jobs which has made her the centre of all eyes, including A-list magazines, frontline casting directors and fashionistas.

“And then I’m now a model and it’s all about the body. It’s all about the face and that’s what I’m selling. So I had to learn the most important thing, I’ve learned about self-love.”

Jourdan who is also a mental health expert added that the highest form of self-love is self-acceptance. She says she has learnt that she has to love herself first and does not seek any validation from anyone.

“The dusting from self-love is self-acceptance. And it’s like, for me, anytime I saw a comment, it made sense to me because that was already my mindset. So it’s like, yeah, I would see something about, oh, chicken legs are skinny or this or that. And I’d be like, yeah, that’s confirmation because that’s what, how I already feel.

“So I always feel with your mindset, if you’re going to think something, I mean, we all know about like thinking positive. And when we think comes to reality, my mindset was very negative about myself”, she noted.

The GTCO Fashion Weekend, now in its sixth edition, has consistently redefined the fashion landscape, bringing together designers, fashion enthusiasts, industry professionals, and trendsetters both locally and internationally.