From the 14th to the 18th of September, Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week conducted regional auditions in Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja to scout for the 2015 Fashion Focus Finalists. If you missed that, click HERE.
At the auditions, over 150 young designers presented their works for an opportunity to make the 2015 Fashion Focus Finalist shortlist. One of the designers who presented was Asev Silas, Creative Director Sildek-Style-City. This is the 3rd time Asev is applying for the Fashion Focus facilitated by British Council and hopes to be selected as a finalist this year. One will wonder why Asev is so relentless. He clears this up as he says “I keep coming back because the Lagos Fashion and Design Week Fashion Focus workshops helped me to understand my brand and the business of fashion. The knowledge imparted during the workshops, has been integral in keeping my business running”.
British Council Nigeria has worked with Lagos Fashion and Design Week since inception to facilitate the capacity building and skills development vision for the platform. Its Program Manager, Arts & Creative Industries, Jennifer Onochie, reinterates the Council’s commitment as she says, “The growth of the Nigerian Fashion sector is creating an opportunity for increased artistic participation and international collaboration. Through the British Council’s partnership with Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week, we provide a platform to continue to facilitate long term UK – Nigeria fashion collaboration by encouraging artistic expression by young people, providing skills to support the development of a viable and sustainable fashion industry in Nigeria and exposing new people to new work from Nigeria and the UK reciprocally.”
Remarking on the talent seen during the Lagos regionals, Mobolaji Sadare, a Buyer at Grey Velvet said, “Heineken Lagos Fashion & Design Week Fashion Focus Initiative is a wonderful platform with amazing opportunities for emerging designers. During the regionals, we were able to sift through all auditions to find true raw talent. I’m excited to see which finalists emerge and I look forward to seeing their brands grow within the industry”.
Godson Ukaegbu, Editor-in-Chief Mania Magazine, who judged at the Port Harcourt and Abuja regional auditions also expressed his excitement for the shortlisted applicants; “With the promising few scouted at the Fashion Focus auditions, the Nigerian fashion industry is headed in the right direction”.
Fashion Focus finalists will be presented at a Heineken LFDW networking event on the 9th of October and offered opportunities to participate in targeted workshops and networking sessions in partnership with various institutions and prestigious industry leaders locally and internationally.
For details on LFDW Fashion Focus, please visit www.lagosfashionanddesignweek.com
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