African culture and style celebrated at Arise Fashion Week in Lagos

International supermodel Naomi Campbell was among the models on the catwalk at Arise Fashion Week in Nigeria.

She was helping to showcase the talent and latest creations of African designers.

The high-profile event, which ran from 2-4 February in Lagos, kicked off the continent's 2023 fashion season.

Among the creations being shown at the high-profile event was clothing from the Éki Kéré collection. 

Abasiekeme Ukanireh the creative director at the fashion brand and said:  “The collection I'm showcasing today is my take in the future, or like in the next 100 years. 

"So, with all this environmental crisis we are experiencing today, we are only talking about what is happening today and what might happen in a couple of years, but then we are not really looking at what is probably going to happen in the next 100 years.”

The designers and fashion houses presented their latest collections to a diverse audience of industry professionals, buyers, journalists, and the general public.

Joy Ijeoma Meribe is a Milan-based designer originally from Nigeria and explained how these creations are a blend of influences. 

“I see my style as Afropolitan, a mixture of Afro, which is my cultural heritage, and metropolitan, which is mainstream. So, it’s just a fusion of the two, of Afro and mainstream,” she said.  

The event began originally as a music and fashion festival, organised by Nigeria's ThisDay Media Group.

Senegalese designer, Mokodu Fall, believes there is a lot to celebrate about fashion in Africa. 

“The message for my Arise fashion week 2023 in Lagos is to show beautiful Africa, beautiful Africa you don’t see all around the world," he said.

"Because you know, I travel a lot all around the world, but the thing I see in Africa sometimes is always consuming, or something you know, poor poverty, or something you don’t understand, and with fashion, it’s possible to show the world [that] Africa is beautiful."

The event has become a highlight of the global fashion calendar, celebrating culture and style from across Africa.