My 2021 Lagos Fashion Week Experience

Fashion week may have come and gone but the experience still lingers! And it won’t be great if I don’t share it with you, loves. I attended Lagos Fashion Week for the first time and I must admit, it felt great working with all the creatives and learning while at it!

I got to work backstage, fixing the runway clothes, dressing up the models and basically just taking part in rehearsals.

I applied to Intern at the Lagos Fashion Week and so when I got the mail, I was a bit nervous. Because it was my first time, I didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t sure of what it would entail but I was sure I wanted to do it and boy! I’m grateful I did because I’ve always wanted to see what goes on backstage as we’re so used to seeing the finished work and the glam that is presented to us. Anyway, let’s dive in already. Lol

Day 1

I went into day 1 with so much energyyy!!! I was eager to see everything start already. I was itching to see all the amazing designs that would be on the runway but guess what? My energy died in no time! This was because we waited for 4 hours before the backstage work started. By the time we were starting to prepare for the main show, I was exhausted but I still managed to put in the work. At about 6pm, we were done with fittings, steaming and ready for the show to start. The show started some minutes past 6 and I was assigned 4 models to dress. As soon as the show started, I started to feel alive again because the whole atmosphere changed; designers started coming in, there was loud music and majorly because I got to dress people up (if you know me well, you’d know how much I love play dressing up.)

I repeated the dress up process for as long as the show was on and I didn’t even complain because I was enjoying it! The show ended at about 10pm and we called it a day!

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Fun Fact: I didn’t eat before coming in for Day 1. I got to eat in between though. I wish someone had told me to eat before going in. 

So yes, if you’re going for the Lagos Fashion Week, please make sure you eat before going. You’re welcome!

Day 2

“What doesn’t kill you, prepares you for another day!” -Rayha, 2021.

I guess you thought that quote was about life, lol… Bruhhh!! I ate like someone that was going to the war front before going in for Day 2. I stuffed my tummy and had a lot of snack in my bag just in case… haha!

Well, Day 2 was much more lighter than Day 1, perhaps, because we didn’t have to wait for long before starting or because I was already enjoying the work process from Day 1. Anyway, in terms of the process, Day 2 was a slight repetition. The only difference was – a different set of designers were on the runway, and it took longer to start and end because it was the closing ceremony. They were more performance and more designers compared to the first day.

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My Outfit

I was working and needed to be comfortable so I kept it really simple. We also had to be on black. I tried to bring in a little bit of street style too because that’s what the Lagos Fashion Week is about. 

What I loved about the Lagos Fashion Week

– The opportunity to meet other creatives and key industry players

– The interpretation of street style from different creatives’ perspective

– The decor outside was lovely and also great for taking pictures 

– The runway stage and lighting 

– The choice of location.

One major thing I didn’t like about the fashion week was the fact that they did not keep to time. Show times were delayed and they were behind schedule. Well like they say “This is Lagos”.

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Runway Shows

They were so many designers who put up a show at the Lagos Fashion Week but my favorite in no particular order were;

– Emmy Kasbit

– Assian

– Ejiro Amos Tafiri 

– Cynthia Abila

– Austrian Lace

– Bridget Awosika

Tips on attending Lagos Fashion Week as a Newbie 

– Go early so you can have enough time to get all the dopeass pictures

– Go with a friend or try to make new  friends while you’re there. Trust me, you don’t want to be standing or sitting alone while the show is going on. You also need someone to help you capture ‘em nice angles

– Eat! Eat! Eat!! Honestly, if you’re going to be working, I advise you eat before going. However, if you’re attending (as a VIP), I guess there’s a food for you in between.

– Network! Be open to meeting people because trust me, it helps. I’m not the best at this but I tried while I was there

– Lastly, have a full battery and a standing power bank because you don’t want to miss capturing all the beautiful moments.

FAQs

When I posted my Lagos Fashion Week pictures, I got a lot of questions but the most common were:

– How do I get my brand to be on the runway? 

Well, I’m not Omoyemi Akerele lol! But one thing I know is that Lagos Fashion Week has a talent discovery platform called Green Access and it aims to discover raw talent from Nigeria and encourage them. So I would advice you follow @lagosfashionweekofficial and @stylehousefiles on Instagram to stay updated so you don’t miss out when the application is out.

Also, make sure you stay on top of your game! Keep doing amazing stuff and put your brand out there!

– How can I attend?

For VIP guests, I guess you’d have to be invited particularly now that Covid is outside! 

Tickets are also sold but you have to stay informed so you don’t miss out because they get sold out really fast!!

If you’d like to attend as an intern, member of the press, production team etc, you would have to apply for the position you want when application forms are out. (it’s usually a month or so before the main event)

Lastly, if your goal is to be a model on the runway, there’s usually a casting call for models.

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And that’s it on my experience at the Lagos Fashion Week 2021, guys. I hope you enjoyed this and you found this helpful. Also, I hope I was able to answer your questions as you’d love me to.

Before I say goodbye, I’d like to know if you’ve ever attended a fashion week. Kindly share your thoughts and experiences with me in the comments.

All Rights Reserved on every photo in this post.

Thanks for reading. 

Until my next post, 

stay informed!

Rayha.