The widely anticipated fashion event, Lagos Fashion Week 2019, concluded last weekend. The four days event which has expanded to one of the formidable and extensively talked about fashion shows within Africa – thereby putting Lagos on the fashion map of the world – has an intelligent and foresighted woman, Omoyemi Akerele, at its helm. Today, she’s our Woman Crush Wednesday.
As the creative and managing director of Stylehouse Files, a creative development agency for Nigerian and African designers, Akerele has expanded the vision and opportunities of fashion designers within the continent, giving them proper placement in the international market scene. One way she has been able to achieve this is through Lagos Fashion Week which was founded in 2011.
“I realised that there was a huge gap that needed to be filled and, for the industry to grow, it was important to think of a platform that would act as a catalyst on the scene to spearhead change and work towards positioning fashion properly in Nigeria, and of course in Africa.”- Omoyemi Akerele
For Akerele the event is not just a show, in its literal form with a shallow view of the assemblage of fashion aficionados to a creative muster point; it’s beyond that.
“For us, it’s always been beyond fashion week. It’s not just an event; it’s a platform.” – Omoyemi Akerele
Through this platform several African designers, Like Orange Culture, Maki Oh, IamIsigo, et cetera, have gained longer strides – that otherwise, would have been a different journey – within the international scene.
Her commendable work of excellence has been globally recognized.