Nigerian fashion has come a long way in the last 5 years or more. There was once a time when people didn't wear Ankara as an everyday staple not to mention patronizing Nigerian designers. The new generation and by new I'm referring to everyone below 40 who are now embracing the beauty of Ankara and wearing clothes produced by Nigerian designers. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to find logo's marked 'Proudly Nigerian' and some designers place these logos on their branding material in order to be associated with a wholly Nigerian made product.
Production and quality control are probably the two biggest challenges, lack of financing and acceptability have also added to the mounting problems most emerging designers face when trying to enter and compete in the market.. Five years on, these problems still exist and there have been little or no improvements and developments in these areas. The frustration of not being able to produce a good quality range coupled with the inconsistency in deliverables and the lack of business skills among newcomers to fashion contributes to a high level of labels folding in their infancy.
There are several important things which contribute to the success of a new designer. There is of course the Public relations aspect which is vital for any designer - it's one thing to design your collection but it's another thing to then deliver the right visuals, brand image and lookbooks to publications, the consumers and the customers. The designer's PR manager needs to understand and have an appreciation of the role that publications play in creating a 'buzz' around a new collection. PR managers are often required to submit lookbooks and press releases to publications each time a new collection is produced. But due to the lack of understanding in the industry, PR managers do not put enough effort into getting the designers the right level of press coverage, e.g. High fashion editorials which would subsequently generate interest from fashion consumers.
Fashion is and can be a great industry especially for the creative industry. Fashion plays a huge role in our everyday lives from the colour choices we make to the prints we wear. People might think fashion is enjoyable because of the immense colours and textures but then also think it is trivial. Fashion is a serious business and has the potential to generate the much needed revenue, employment and expertise, which in turn will put Nigeria on the fashion map with London, Milan, New York and Paris.
"Fashion is finally being regarded as a serious sector within the industry but is no where on par with finance, banking or law"
Funmi Daniel, Business manager for Tiffany Amber
Designers such as Deola Sagoe, Violet Hecksher, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi, Kosibah by Yemi Osunkoya, Adebayo Jones have all made their mark as high end/luxury fashion houses specialising in Haute Couture to avant garde and bridal fashion. They are great in their respective design styles as they have a clear message in their collections - cohesive, form fitting, colourful, fun and wearable. Deola Sagoe off course takes it a step further creating a high end line which is creative and breaks the boundaries of the typical Nigerian fashion designers capabilities.
Deola Sagoe
Kosibah by Yemi Osunkoya
Emerging designers like Maki Oh are creating fashion collections that are not necessarily wearable but challenges the norm. Her line is creative, imaginative in her use of raw materials like rafia and mixing it with silks. There are also the designers who choose to create collections with Ankara and modernise it with embellishments creating the wearable Ankara pieces that can be worn in the evening or for red carpet events.
Maki Oh
"I'm excited because I know it's going to become explode like the music industry did. The styling industry has evolved greatly as well"
Ebun Aboderin, Stylist for Complete Fashion Magazine
People may not be excited about fashion in Nigeria because most collections appeal to one market - the elite, those with a disposable income who can afford to shell out N50k or more. For this reason, Nigerian Fashion is not readily accessible to all demographics and classes; it makes me wonder why in the last few years no designer has created a diffusion line It's absolutely important to understand your market and understand the business aspect but also keep in mind that people generally aspire for better. Designers might find that there are many university students who aspire to wear a piece from their label but cannot afford it. When Jimmy Choo created a diffusion line for H & M, it was a hit and sold out within hours of it's release.
"Its on a steady rise glad to be a part of it"
Osaji Oladapo, Designer for Effeci Clothing
The young fashionable Nigerian guy and girl are excited about fashion and fashion events that seem to be a hit. Arise Magazine Fashion Week was hugely popular for the industry but might not have been accessible for the younger generation because of ticket prices. Many of the fashion events that are hosted are not supported by the people because in most instances the fashion events aren't publicised or are only publicised to one target market and segregates the other side.
So are you excited about the Nigerian Fashion Industry?
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