ARISE Fashion Week, one of the biggest fashion events in Africa, is underway in Lagos, Nigeria, as 30 young designers converge on Africa’s entertainment capital to compete for prize money totalling $500,000.
The event schedule kicked-off with a bang Thursday night with an exclusive welcome dinner for the thirty designers and models, held in strict compliance with Covid-19 protocols.
Part of the many highlights of Thursday night’s glitzy event was the presentation of $5,000 to each designer as a participation fee.
The virtual event is first of its kind on the African continent and is an avenue to unveil new stars in the global fashion industry.
This season, the main attraction is the “30 Under 30: The New Stars” competition, a showcase of work by emerging designers who will present collections in live-streamed catwalk shows and compete for $500,000.
Designers participating in 30 Under 30 include Bibi, Lagos Space Programme, Ghetto and Elfreda Dali and Kenneth Ize.
Others include Ilham.G_Ng, Jawara Alleyne, Kenneth Ize, Kiko Romeo, Ladunni Lambo, Lagos Space Programme, Mazelle Studio, Moon by Me, Mmuso Maswell, Muyishime, Onalaja and Pepper Row.
On Friday, starting at 4pm, models will walk the runway in collections from twenty designers.
Designers and their models will follow a carefully planned Covid-compliant transit schedule on the way to the shows.
The next day, the last 10 designers will showcase their collections and scores will be calculated. The top eight will be announced and they will have their final showcase.
On Sunday, the final day of fashion week, the final eight designers will battle it out for cash prizes totalling $500,000.
The virtual show will be broadcast to a worldwide audience on the new ARISE PLAY streaming service and other ARISE and THISDAY digital platforms.
Rita Osakwe