See the Finalists of GTBank Lagos Fashion & Design Week & British Council’s Fashion Focus 2014

This year Guaranty Trust Bank Lagos Fashion and Design Week (GTBank LFDW) launched the Lagos Fashion and Design Week Fashion Focus (LFDW Fashion Focus) and now you get to meet the 15 finalists!

The year-long initiative is aimed at developing the Nigerian fashion industry and is in partnership with, Frallain Inc and Istituto Marangoni.

The LFDW Fashion Focus will offer fashion designers opportunities to be participants at targeted workshops and networking sessions between 2014 and 2015. They will also have a chance to exhibit their collection in front of a select audience at Guaranty Trust Bank Lagos Fashion and Design Week October, 2014.

15 participants; Michael Shumaker, Olivia & Sylvia Enekwe, Mimi Habibah, Franklyn Uchechukwu, Titi Belo, Jumoke Ademilua, Temitayo Nathan, Oluwatobi Akintoye, Abimbola Oye, Oyindamola Omolale, Adeju Thompson, Babatunde Oyeyemi, Omowunmi Owonifari, Lamipo Somoye and Ugonna Ibe were selected out of over 100 competitive applications by the LFDW Fashion Focus judges; Wadami Amolegbe (LFDW Fashion Focus, Creative Director), Kehinde Okunoren ( Designer, Okunoren Twins), Dimeji Alara (Genevieve Magazine Editor) and Oluwabunmi Alake (Project Co-ordinator, British Council).

As part of the phase 1 activation, Fashion Focus hosted a comprehensive 3-Day workshop for the 15 designers in partnership with various institutions and prestigious industry leaders from Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Facilitators included A.B Lemon (HOD, Industrial Design department, Yaba College of Technology), Mrs. Adejuyitan (Head of Fashion Section, Yaba College of Technology), Mr. Adeyemo (Screen Printing, Yaba College of Technology), Benjamin Akano (Chief Lecturer, Department of Industrial Design, Yaba College of Technology), Nike Awoyinka ( Head of International Development, Ravensborne, UK), Elena Corchero (Lost Values, UK), Iain and Andrew Foxall (Foxall Studios, UK).

Wadami Amolegbe, Creative Director LFDW Fashion Focus stated “Fashion Focus is aimed at developing the Nigerian fashion ecosystem by nurturing the very best of talent through intensive workshops and classes delivered of international standards. This will ensure that our designers can compete in fashion industries locally and globally.”

Temitayo Ilesanmi Nathan, CEO of fashion brand T.I Nathan and one of the 15 finalists stated “I enjoyed every part of this experience. I learnt the ethics of fashion trade and how we could work with hands to make fabrics and accessories. I also learnt how we could to mix wearable technology with fashion, how to tackle retail spaces with technology and basically boost customer service with technology. I also learnt the importance of branding and brand identity. It was an awesome experience generally.“

For more information please visit www.lagosfashionanddesignweek.com