With the Lagos Canvas event, on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, Marie Claire Nigeria used the fashion runway to tell a story about a city so alive you could feel its pulse.
At the end of July 2024, media mogul, Mo Abudu, assembled a brilliant team to paint the story of Lagos. Her ask was simple – or it was supposed to be – use art, music, food and fashion to showcase the heartbeat of the city.
It was a beautiful Tuesday afternoon when we met at the US consul general’s residence to envision what this event will look like. Our small runway idea grew a tad larger faced with the physical space; a runway on grass and no heels allowed? How do we pull this off?
I instantly thought of boots as our replacement shoe choice. And streetwear to go with it.
While other cities define streetwear as just casual pieces, in Lagos, it means so much more. It is vibrant colours, bold cuts, extravagant embellishments, and bold adornment carried like a crown, lifted like a trophy. We eventually settled for colourful handmade ballet flats that are all the rave now. This way, our runway was just like the city, constantly moving with trends.
Trends on our Lagos Canvas runway
Skin-like makeup
True to Marie Claire’s standard, the makeup looks on the Lagos Canvas runway were skin-like, emphasising the natural features of each model. With MAC Cosmetics’ products we were sure to have an almost airbrushed result at the end of it all.
Pop of colour
Green-winged graphic eye-liners brought a pop of colour to the runway with MAC Cosmetics elevating the skin-like finish on the models.
A touch of chrome
A dance of silver gems sat on a few sultry eyes, banked with rose gold shadow over their eyelids to complement the outfits.
Afro puffs and buns
Popular hairstyles had a facelift, like pigtails affixed with curls and bantu knots surrounded by flat braids. To keep with the minimal and exotic vibe of our runway, there were a number of braided buns with Afro puffs around the head, adding an extra layer of pzazz to the styles.
Elevated cornrows
Out of the ordinary, Darling Nigeria transformed traditional hairstyles into elevated versions with braided crowns, disc-rolled attachments at the nape of the neck, and even turning short hair into full afros.
Metallic fabric
Shining through the night, iridescent fabric created an almost ethereal glow on the models. The green in both Zephans & Co pieces danced in its northern Nigerian-inspired designs, while Kadiju and Orire’s pink dress and golden Oman dress with their ruffles brought playfulness to the models’ dance with light. The Barry dress, also from Orire, had a more modern silhouette with the drop-waist style, and we would expect nothing less from the brand that clothed royalty — dressing Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex on her visit to Nigeria. Finally, Ibilola Ogundipe’s rose gold one-hand dress reminded me of a luxurious time at the beach, bringing that expensive feel that only metallic fabric can execute flawlessly.
Flow: Fringe, ruffles, and layers
One cardinal aspect of our runway was flow. We prioritised designs and fabric that welcomed movement, with the wind and with each model. Nitemi the Label’s Kachi dress with fringe detailing, and the Somadina co-ord in red with pleated layers were the jazz sisters, dancing in tandem with each other. The backless autumn dress from Ibilola Ogundipe even had pockets for that fun flow that is every woman’s dream. A final fan favourite, the Ally Set by Wanni Fuga opened our runway with a full ruffle shirt and pleated pants. The dress speaks of ease and sophistication. A little antithetical to the city of Lagos, but what we wish on every woman.
More than a pop of colour
Bright colours of yellow, orange, and green brought an extra edge to the sophistication on the runway.
The yellow V-back dress from Kadiju was a bright transition into the colourful pieces of the runway. Keeping with its classiness, the Idia dress from Hertunba makes you feel cuddled by heritage, coloured using the traditional Adire dyeing technique. The ruffles, a Hertunba signature, gives structure and grace to this dress. A close favourite, the coat of many colours, intricately woven using traditional Aso Oke techniques defines the modern royal woman. Hertunba was the perfect transition to a colourful closing with the hues of yellow to green.
The peacock kimono by Fourteen Zero Seven closed the night with its cascade of colours, from white to yellow, blue, red, and green. Flowing behind our model, all 6ft 2 inches of her, she was just like a peacock ready to spring. This piece carried the proud spirit of Lagos.
Minimal jewellery
The queen of minimal and meaningful jewellery, Kelly Praise’s fine necklaces and rings were the perfect accompaniment to this runway, with a few stones, affirmations, and subtle detailing on each piece.
Flats and sandals
It takes a lot of courage to stand out in Lagos. If we must tell the story of this city, we knew it was important that our choice of footwear stood out; not just the predictable boot choice.
The shoes from Renaissance by Janet are far from ordinary. The platform sandals were shaped differently from the typical; some of her pieces are even anime inspired and very strongly structured. Even the ballet flats featured boat soles and wooden buttons that look both chic and incongruous.
There are moments in every person’s life that seem like a T-Junction, a point between alternate choices and universes. With the Lagos Canvas runway, each choice was a universe of possibilities all leading to the same outcome; showcasing a fascinating city in all its glory. Each designer, jeweller, cobbler, makeup artist, and hairstylist was a reminder that the city that never sleeps is wide awake and bursting with rich talent. This has been Lagos painted so skillfully, the Lagos Canvas.
