Returning to London’s International Fashion Showcase (IFS), the Lagos Fashion & Design Week (LFDW)‘s collaboration with the British Council is back for a fourth edition, with an installation featuring designers Ejiro Amos Tafiri, Meena, Maxivive, Gozel Green, Onalaja, Papa Omisore and Sisiano.
Launching from today the 18th with an end date of February 26th, the event follows from last year’s successful exhibit, where Nigeria’s Yegwa Ukpo (CEO of the store Stranger Lagos) took home the prize for ‘Curator of the Year,’ for his installation entitled “Meta 5”, which featured Orange Culture, Grey Projects, Kenneth Ize, IAMISIGO and T.I Nathan.
This year’s installation, again curated by Mr Ukpo, is entitled “Across the Bleed” and will imagine “the creative energy of designers as a cosmic bang”, with works inspired by optical illusions. The team explain they are asking “visitors to imagine a moment when the impossible fleetingly seems real,” and to;
“…Bear witness to the evolution of fashion: a utopian fashion that transcends the imagination, dynamically merges heritage and innovation, and takes its place in the veritable paradise of Africa and beyond.”
Each of the entrants, of which there are over 100 international designers and curators (from countries including Egypt and Lebanon), were asked to share their versions of “the Utopia” – the theme of IFS 2016. And, as with last year, there will be an award given for the best exhibition, judged by a panel of cultural and commercial fashion experts and chaired by Sarah Mower MBE BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent.
The IFS is designed to support emerging talent, and sees new designers from 25 countries in exhibition at Somerset House, as part of London Fashion Week, which holds from today till the 23rd of February. The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in turn provides the link between Nigerian creatives and the IFS platform, with the IFS being a brilliant opportunity to expose talent to the fashion journalists, buyers, bloggers and the general public that are expected to be in London for Fashion Week.
Team SPICE can’t wait to explore the installation(entry is free, though you’re advised to pre-register here) and wish labels Ejiro Amos Tafiri, Maxivive, Meena, Gozel Green, Onalaja, Papa Omisore and Sisiano all the best in representing Nigeria at this year’s International Fashion Showcase.
Image source: Lagosfashionanddesignweek.com, @Lfdw_ng, @Sisiano
