Lagos Fashion Week 2026 is over, and two weeks later we are still thinking about it. The 15th edition ran from 28 October to 1 November at the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, under the theme “CRAFTED: Heritage. Innovation. Circular Futures.” More than 60 designers from across Africa showed work, and the week belonged to craft — handwoven cloth, fringe, beading, and clothes that carried their history in the open. These are the ten looks that stayed with us.
1. The governor on the runway — Ugo Monye
The moment of the week, and it was not close. On Saturday night, 31 October, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu made a surprise appearance on the runway, walking for menswear designer Ugo Monye in an off-white ensemble that blended a traditional caftan with kimono-inspired construction, finished with a beige fedora. It was his second runway appearance at the event since taking office in 2019, and the crowd cheered him down the catwalk. Monye closed the main runway programme with that presentation, and the image of it is the one that travelled furthest from the week.
2. The fringe that would not sit still — Hertunba
Hertunba opened the second evening with a black dress trimmed with red beaded fringe, and fringe never left the runway after that. Her collection ran on drop-waist silhouettes, beaded detailing and a palette of blue, brown and black, with hand-threaded fringe worked into Akwete, the handwoven cloth from Akwete town in Abia State. It moved the way fringe is supposed to move — every step did something.
3. The singer who became a model — Oshobor, worn by Zerry DL
Singer Zerry DL made his runway modelling debut on Friday 30 October, walking for Oshobor in a rust-coloured cropped open-knit top, loose tan trousers and an orange fringed apron tied at the waist, with his signature red hair doing half the work. The collection, titled The Night Has Come, is Oshobor’s tenth body of work, drawing on Benin cultural influences and spirituality. The internet had jokes about the walk. The clothes did not need the jokes to be remembered.
4. Old jerseys, new dresses — Ajanée
The clearest expression of the week’s circular theme. Ajanée’s Masquerading (Cloth as Spirit) took existing garments apart and rebuilt them — including turning old football jerseys into dresses. Deconstruction and reconstruction, done with confidence, so that sustainability felt expressive instead of worthy. It was the collection that made the theme feel like a design idea, not a slogan.
5. The quiet power of memory — Cynthia Abila
Cynthia Abila’s The Common Ground, a Spring/Summer 2027 collection, was built around shared cultural memory and community. The clothes were not loud about it — the point was that fashion can work as a record of collective memory, not just a product. In a week full of spectacle, this was the collection that asked you to slow down and look properly.
6. A debut with nothing to prove — DWL
DWL made its Lagos Fashion Week runway debut with Heritage Redefined: tailored suits, lacework and bold silhouettes. It read as a new generation of African menswear — confident, precise, and unafraid of ornament. Debuts can feel nervous. This one did not.
7. Tweed, polka dots and Aso Oke — For Style Sake
For Style Sake’s Áríyá mixed textured tweeds, polka dots, structured Aso Oke, organza and sheer dresses into something playful and polished at the same time. It was one of the most wearable collections of the week, and one of the most fun to look at — proof that craft and lightness can share a runway.
8. Akwete, tailored sharp — Emmy Kasbit, with ALARA
Emmy Kasbit’s collaboration with concept retailer ALARA reworked Akwete weaving through sharp, immaculate tailoring — structured shoulders, minimalist fastenings, rich tactile contrasts. The same handloom cloth turned up in the offsite shows in a pink Akwete menswear look. Heritage, worn like it was made yesterday, because the tailoring was that good.
9. After the rain — Lisa Folawiyo
Lisa Folawiyo presented After Rain: Volume 1 as an intimate dinner, with models moving between the tables while guests ate a three-course meal. Rain as a season in its own right — that was the idea, drawn from Lagos and its rainy season. Intricate beading caught the light with every turn, animal prints made their mark, from a leopard-print woven set to a zebra-print knitwear look, and flowing chiffon, lace and African prints filled out the rest. The most beautiful room of the week.
10. Wearable art, up close — IAMISIGO
IAMISIGO’s Sacred Ecologies was shown as an exhibition at the Aime Gallery at Eko Hotel, with models standing among the guests so you could get close to the work. Two-piece sets with oversized sequins, a cow-print two-piece with a ruched jacket and low-waist skirt, and a bikini set made from crocheted mohair from South Africa and recycled glass beads made in Kenya, assembled in Nigeria. Unconventional, rooted, and impossible to mistake for anyone else’s work.
That is the week, two weeks on. Craft won. Fringe won. And the governor walked. If you were there, tell us in the comments which look you are still thinking about — and if you missed it, start with these ten.
Featured image: X/@jidesanwolu.
