As Nigeria celebrates the 60th anniversary of its independence on October 1, the THISDAY ARISE Group is hosting a virtual event which promises to be an evening of excitement filled with heavyweights from the music and fashion industry.
Several internationally recognized designers, such as Deola Sagoe, Kenneth Ize, Lanre Da Silva, Tania Omotayo, Tiffany Amber and Lisa Folawiyo will be showcasing their creations and models will be strutting their stuff on the runway at the event.
Deola Sagoe has been at the cutting edge of high fashion since 1989 and has gained international acclaim for her colourful designs. She became the first black woman to present a collection at AltaRoma, Rome’s celebrated fashion week, back in 2004.
Sagoe’s style has earned her an enviable clientèle that includes top model Alek Wek, Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith.
Kenneth Ize recently made history as the first black designer to partner with Karl Lagerfeld to co-create the spring 2021 capsule collection. Ize was a finalist for the LVMH Prize 2019 and a joint winner of the Arise Fashion Week Award for “Designer of the Year.” Earlier this year, the designer debuted his brand at Paris Fashion Week S/S20 to critical acclaim.
Lagos-based designer Lanre Da Silva is considered to be one of Nigeria’s leading couturiers. Silva incorporates traditional African prints and motifs into her elegant, modern and timeless designs.
Equally adept at marrying prints with modern tailoring techniques is Lisa Folawiyo whose eponymous label is best known for its colorful, innovative Ankara pieces. Lupita Nyong’o, Thandie Newton and Solange Knowles are just some of the big names to have rocked her designs, and her pieces have appeared on the pages of some of the world’s leading publications.
Odio Mimonet’s brand delivers haute couture made from a uniquely African perspective, while Folake Coker made history as the first African-based fashion designer to stage a show twice at the New York Fashion Week with her label, Tiffany Amber.
Also to showcase designs is the young and fresh Tania Omotayo, who founded the affordable, ready-to-wear fashion label Ziva Lagos in 2016.