Dakar Fashion Week 2025 Day 3: The Runway Moved to the Atlantic
December 8, 2025
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Lagos Fashion Week kicked off on Thursday night with a vibrant showcase of creativity, culture, and contemporary style. The opening shows brought together some of the continent’s most exciting labels, delivering bold silhouettes, rich textures, and trend-worthy moments that captured the spirit of Lagos: energetic, expressive, and unapologetically stylish. From innovative craftsmanship to confident runway moments, day one set the tone for a milestone 15th-anniversary season. Below, we round up the biggest highlights from the first day of shows in Lagos.
A worthy show-starter. The collection felt like a conversation between the past and the present. Frayed trousers, straw hats, and richly textured fabrics moved with purpose—part ritual, part rebellion. On the display screen, an old colonial photograph lingered, insinuating that the collection might be inspired by traces of breaking slave chains and hinting that history still shapes beauty, power, and the way we choose to remember ourselves.
Ghanaian designer Boyedoe came back to Lagos Fashion Week with a collection that felt powerful and personal. Known for his sharp cuts and clean shapes, this new work played more with texture and movement: well-tailored suits, denim skirts and trench coats, patchwork crocheted sweatshirts, maxi jackets, frayed edges, soft colors, and strong belts. It built on his past collections beautifully, showing a designer growing more confident, more emotional, and more sure of his voice.
Fruche’s “Nkiruka” collection was a love letter—a son’s ode to his mother, and to the women who pass down strength through beauty. Each look walked like a story of inheritance. Sculptural gowns bloomed in rich reds and metallic tones, shaped to mimic the folds of a headtie. There were voluminous pleats, textured coats, and deconstructed suits with the signature Fruche aesthetic.
“The collection is called Nkiruka, which is my mother’s name. It means ‘the future is greater’ or ‘what lies ahead is even better.’ I dedicated this collection to her because she’s been such an integral part of who I am. The greatest gift my mother gave me was creativity and passion—that’s my coat of many colors. I wanted to channel that feeling, but instead of using bright rainbow tones, I worked with softer hues and textures to make it feel refined,” Frank Aghuno tells Guzangs.
Every aspect of the runway showed this maternal devotion: the reimagined geles, soft yet commanding silhouettes, and even the sound choice—a gospel song renowned in the early 2000s that Aghuno’s mother had loved dearly even after years.
“Everything about this collection comes from that place of love, and I’m really proud of it. I hope people can feel that when they see it,” he says.
Florentina Agu of Hertunba has always been intentional about celebrating feminine essence, and in this new collection, it comes through even better. The looks glide between softness and strength: flared skirts, body-skimming tops, and flowing robes. Cowrie shells reappear as symbols of wealth and womanhood, woven into necklines, hems, and belts. The collection also carries Hertunba’s signature grace but adds something new—a bolder rhythm that walks tall yet feels at ease in her own skin.
Founded in 2017, Kenyan designer Ria Ana Sejpal continues to build her label Lila Bare around slow fashion and craft. This new collection plays with cowries, raffia, and jute in soft, earthy tones. Raffia wraps gently around the legs, cowries appear on pants in cross shapes and on pockets as small charms. Each piece feels light, handmade, and full of care, making the brand one to watch out for.
Imad Eduso has always designed for women who lead with quiet power. This season, she turns that strength into something deeply cultural and graceful. Her new collection glides between satin and structure. We also spotted touches of coral beadwork, hinting at a nod to Edo royalty and the language of heritage that runs through her brand.
The biggest moment of the night came when music star Ciara appeared for Fruche’s final look. The crowd erupted in a loud cheer. She walked down the runway in a striking red dress with a bold headpiece, completely owning the stage. It was a scene full of energy and excitement, the kind that makes fashion history and closed the show on a high note.
Another interesting moment came during the Dimeji Ilori show, when the wife of the Ooni of Ife arrived. Her royal guard stood tall beside her, holding her staff high—a symbol of power and divine presence in Yoruba tradition. The raised staff signified that royalty was in the room, a quiet but commanding gesture that carried centuries of cultural meaning. In that instant, the runway became a meeting point of heritage.
Crochet made one of the strongest statements on day one of Lagos Fashion Week. Once seen as a nostalgic craft, it returned this season with bold, modern energy. Designers like Studio Imo and Ki Design Ghana pushed the technique beyond its bohemian roots, creating eccentric, sculptural pieces that felt fresh and fashion-forward. Think open-knit dresses, oversized tops, and textured separates that play with color, form, and movement.
Also, while leaning into heritage isn’t new, it’s very much reimagined this season, especially through objects like cowries, bronze, coral, and beads. The gele might be making a return too—Ciara wore one for Fruche, and Hertunba made a twist with it, using a strong focus on structured femininity to bring it all together.
Photos: Dan Torey
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