Lagos Fashion Week SS26 featured passionate off-site shows, where music, theatre, and fashion intertwined, showcasing vibrant collections and immersive storytelling.
This Lagos Fashion Week (LFW) revealed some of the most interesting off-site shows, where the relationship between music and fashion was explored. While the clothes are usually the main event, the accompanying sounds also play an integral part in how the collection is interpreted. At the on-site Lagos Fashion Week, we saw brands like Dimeji Ilori and Studio Imo use live performers to convey the mood for their runway looks, adding a layer to their storytelling. However, with a limited time slot where 19 designers are waiting for you, it can be harder to create a multidimensional immersive experience. This has created a demand for off-site shows where designers can curate a more in-depth experience for their audience.
Lagos Fashion Week SS26 was a memorable display of creativity, not just on the main runway at the Federal Palace Hotel, but also through a series of captivating off-site shows. These intimate presentations offered designers a unique platform to tell their stories, showcase their technical mastery, and define their vision for the season. Here is a look at the standout collections from the LFW off-site schedule that blew our minds.
Banke Kuku: A trip to the wild savannahs of Africa
The eponymous label, Banke Kuku, brought its signature use of prints and fine silks to the forefront with the “Savannah” collection, hosted at the Gratitude Mansion, Ikoyi. The venue for the Banke Kuku show was redecorated to match the collection’s theme, with images of flamingos and zebras on the digital display. Long, wind-blown stalks of grass move from side-to-side on the screen as the runway backdrop shows videos of animals in the wild.
The brand’s well-known aesthetic was immediately recognisable as the models strutted in, many of them rocking their iconic tassel bag. The collection was a safari-inspired fantasy, heavily featuring animal prints and motifs of zebra, flamingo, antelopes, and various foreign birds.
The colour palette made use of both warm and cool colours, aligning with the SS26 trend for shades of yellow, blue, green, and orange. The range of clothing items was remarkably broad, showcasing everything from swimwear and loungewear to sultry, backless dresses. Details like ruffles and voluminous sleeves added drama to the collection. It offered up elegance for everyone, catering to men, women, the ‘rich aunty,’ the modest woman, and the ‘Detty December participant.’ The show also served as a supermodel fiesta, with renowned faces like Eniola Abolarin and Rebecca Fabunmi returning to the catwalk.
Read also: Marie Claire Nigeria Trend Report: Lagos Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026
Wanni Fuga: The art of turning Lagos into a canvas
Wanni Fuga presented “Eko Elan,” a collection deeply inspired by the spirit and rhythm of Lagos. Staying true to their brand ethos, they focused on the revival of traditional wear within the contemporary party scene. This was achieved through a mix of traditional silhouettes, like the Iro and Buba, accented with metallic elements — a nod to the glamour of Lagos celebrations and dance culture.
Key features included the brand’s signature headpiece — the Simi Band — alongside draping techniques and fringes used to enhance form-fitting silhouettes. Accessories included classic coral beads. The colour palette was intentionally selected to reflect the city itself, with significant use of green, yellow, brown, and red — colours associated with Lagos’s transportation and finance systems. A closer look at the prints revealed unique motifs of buses, cars, and traditionally dressed people, directly referencing the city’s vibrant life.
Oríré: An orchestra meets a fashion show
The Oríré presentation, titled Hands – a love letter to all the hands that created it and the hands that will purchase it. The show was held at MHQ in Lekki; it was a study in theatrical elegance. Models walked slowly to the operatic choir and orchestra, setting a dramatic, refined tone. The collection embraced several global trends, including the drop waist, alongside classic elements like pleats and stripes.
The colour story featured soft pastels, contrasted with olive, red, and green. Silhouettes were a blend of form-fitting ruched dresses with distinctive textured details and flowy dresses with empire waistlines and gathers.
The finale was particularly memorable, featuring a white dress made of tulle and black velvet, with decorative gathers, and styled with a fascinator. The brand emphasised body inclusivity by featuring a pregnant model.
KADIJU: Exploring the beauty of the in between
The sister brand of Orire, KADIJU, revealed its new collection, “Here to There,” which explores the nuanced concept of “grey areas,” which focuses on themes of motion. It examines the in between — the journey between doubt and direction, exhaustion and clarity, Lagos and everywhere else.
The palette featured a balance of warm and cool colours, with a notable presence of orange, red, and blue. Accessories included striking beaded pieces and a recurring spiral motif in the jewellery. The spirals went beyond jewellery, as they notably appeared on a black maxi dress. The collection occasionally featured stripes and chequered fabrics. It saw the return of their signature ruffled neckline, a detail made iconic in their 007 collection.
KADIJU also collaborated with the Green Access cohort — Unrefyned for the jewellery. Silhouettes included more drop and bubbled waistlines and hemlines. The beauty trend of blush blindness was observed on the runway.
Lisa Folawiyo: A reinventing of archives
Lisa Folawiyo is a pioneer in propelling African fashion onto the global stage. Folawiyo presented “A Life in Colour” at Space Hub, Lekki. The collection captured the designer’s evolution over two decades, proving that even with a 20-year portfolio, there is still room for innovation without sacrificing African heritage.
While the signature use of Ankara remained, the brand introduced unexpected elements like wool, seen on a brown dress with patches of red and black. Fabrics also included glittering materials, shimmery beaded African fabrics, and ruched white cotton. Prints were playful, incorporating plants and bicycles. Right now, the designer is currently displaying some of its coveted archives online, highlighting the brand’s rich history.
Kìléntár: The art of becoming
Kìléntár’s SS26 collection, “Surulere: The Art of Becoming,” was a profound exploration of beads, transforming them into intricate, sultry pieces, jackets, and two-pieces. Hosted at the high-end boutique Temple Muse, the show focused on a toned-down colour palette to let the meticulous beadwork shine through.
The brand, which champions slow fashion and the use of natural fibres like organic cotton and silk, introduced beads into its heritage-imagined collection. Other details included fringes, yellow accents, voluminous sleeves, and bubbled hemlines. Significantly, the show saw the brand incorporate Aso-Òkè, adding another layer of traditional Nigerian fabric to its contemporary vision.
Ejiro Amos Tafiri: The journey through time
Ejiro Amos Tafiri marked her 15th anniversary with “The Odyssey Collection,” presented at the JK Randle Centre. The collection was described as a “journey through elegance and emotion.”
The design elements were rich and varied, with an abundance of tulle, organza, bubus, and draping. Details included striking floral appliqués, plunging V-necks, exaggerated hips, and spiral motifs.
Fabrics ranged from silk to various textures used for stripes. The collection also featured the now-popular and trendy drop waist silhouette. The colour story included vibrant shades of orange and red.
The need for balance
These off-site shows collectively paint a diverse and rich picture of contemporary Nigerian fashion. These intimate settings allowed for a deeper engagement, enabling designers to express their thematic inspirations fully and set the stage for a rich exploration of identity and artistry. Nevertheless, on-site shows also give a platform and network for established and emerging designers at a controlled cost. Fashion has become a vital currency for both the Nigerian economy and creativity. The success of both signals a promising evolution in the narrative of fashion, where every brand has a stage for expression, leaving a lasting impression on all who experience it.
Read more: Beyond the runway: How Lagos Fashion Week is powering Nigeria’s creative economy
