A few weeks ago, Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week (LFDW) in collaboration with British Council returned to the International Fashion Showcase, London for the fourth time with LFDW Fashion Focus Designers & Alumni: Ejiro Amos Tafiri, Meena, Gozel Green, Onalaja, Papa Omisore and Sisiano. They joined over 100 designers and curators from 25 countries to share their versions of the Utopia – the theme of IFS 2016.
Titled “Across the Bleed” and curated by Yegwa Ukpo, the installation imagined the creative energy of designers as a cosmic bang. Inspired by optical illusions, guests were compelled to imagine a moment when the impossible fleetingly seems real.
Speaking on team Nigeria’s exhibition, designer, Onalaja said, “We all brought something different to represent team Nigeria, from my defragmented knit dress reminiscent of clay sands in parts of Nigeria to Ejiro’s pieces sparking discussions about the various religions that govern so many Nigerians, to Maxivive’s experimental take on classic menswear. Yegwa’s virtual reality video and image installation really helped to emphasise the focus on how fleeting our utopia was and how it can be often unattainable. The moral of our exhibition being we designers are all dreamers in our own right, we turn away from our current reality to a new and creative fictional dream state through the power of our designs.”
The International Fashion Showcase, London is positioned as a platform utilized by LFDW in collaboration with the British Council to empower creatives and connect them to their counterparts in the UK. Speaking on his experience, designer, Sisano remarked “IFS 2016 was an amazing experience that opened my mind to the endless possibility of building a growing brand. There was a lot of networking with other designers, potential buyers and the press. It also gave me an insight into positioning my brand for the future and convinced me of the exporting opportunities than can be explored”
View images from IFS, London below:
The Designers
Onalaja
Gozel Green
Sisiano
Ejiro Amos Tafiri
Team Nigeria’s Installation
A cross section of other countries
Austria
Egypt
Guatamala
Korea
Lebanon
Portugal
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