What ‘thinking sustainably’ means at Lagos Fashion Week

Four days before Éki kéré’s fashion show at Lagos Fashion Week, the sewing machines in the hip Nigerian brand’s studio were still running at full speed. The studio is located in the heart of the cultural and economic capital of Africa’s most populous country.

On this day, Abasiekeme Ukanireh, the brand’s founder, gathered models and tailors for the final fittings. This was in view of the most important African fashion event, which took place from Wednesday to Sunday evening.

“Every year as a designer I try to go one step further in sustainability,” 35-year-old Ukanireh told AFP. In 2025, she explained, she placed a greater focus on the use of indigo, but also on dyes based on ‘kola nuts’.

Founded in 2020, her brand is known for using raffia and nutshell buttons in her creations. At her show on Sunday, around 30 models showcased outfits inspired by traditional wedding ceremonies in Ikot Ekpene. Ikot Ekpene, also known as ‘the city of raffia’, is located in Akwa Ibom state in the southeast of the country where the designer comes from. The usual lace was replaced with raffia, cardboard and linen.

Encourage designers

Abasiekeme Ukanireh confirms that Lagos Fashion Week encourages young designers to ‘think sustainably’. They would know that in order to succeed or even participate, they must take a responsible approach.

Omoyemi Akerele is the founder of the major gathering for fashion enthusiasts, which she launched in 2011. In 2018, it launched an incubator program called ‘Green Access’. This program tracks down young African designers, trains them and supports them. It gives them tools to develop sustainable collections.

“While sustainability is at the heart of their design practice, it is about encouraging them to be more responsible. This is done by rethinking their decisions at every step of the creative process and understanding that it all starts with the materials,” Akerele tells AFP. With Lagos Fashion Week she wants to show that “African creativity has its place on the world stage”. It is also “a catalyst for cultural pride and sustainable systemic change.”

The founder of Lagos Fashion Week not only encourages designers to adopt sustainable fashion, but also consumers. This is done in particular through their ‘Swapshop’ initiative, where you can exchange clothes that you no longer wear for other items.

“We all have clothes at home that we no longer wear. It’s great to be able to swap them with stylish people like those who attend such an event,” enthuses Danielle Chukwuma. The 43-year-old trader had come to watch several fashion shows at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos.

Overconsumption

She discovered the creations of Nigerian designers, but also talents from other African countries. Among them was Indo-Kenyan designer Ria Ana Sejpa of the brand Lilabare, who attended the Lagos Fashion Week for the third time.

“I think Lagos is the fashion capital of Africa. Fashion is part of the culture here. People are proud of their style, like to stand out and are not afraid to be bold or glamorous,” the 34-year-old told AFP. At her fashion show, she presented 25 outfits in shades of beige, white, brown, orange and green. These were made from pineapple and banana fibers or coffee grounds.

“It is essential to consider our ecosystem, the strengths of the environment and the people around you. You have to make conscious decisions at every stage of the creative process,” says Ria Ana Sejpa.

The Nigerian Florentina Hertunba also shares this opinion. The 31-year-old founder of the Hertunba brand is increasingly establishing herself in her country’s fashion scene. She says she uses traditional Nigerian fabrics such as Aso Oke and Akweté, as well as other local products. She also uses biodegradable packaging and limits waste.

“This piece is recycled. An old fabric was made into yarn and then reused to make it,” explains the young woman, pointing to a black, patterned dress in her studio in Lagos.

For them, sustainable fashion can only become established if consumers follow suit. “One of the biggest dangers is the culture of overconsumption, where you constantly buy new clothes for every occasion. Sustainable fashion is making positive progress, but so is overconsumption,” she worries.

The global rise of fast fashion is leading to a growing amount of textile waste. According to the United Nations, 92 million tons of textile waste are produced annually. Africa absorbs millions of tons of it every year, which are ultimately burned in open landfills. The fashion industry is responsible for ten percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.