Tia Adeola reflects on her journey as a designer, showcasing her vibrant SS26 collection at GTCO Fashion Weekend, pushing boundaries, and embracing her roots with bold expressions.
At 28, Tia Adeola has learned an uncomfortable truth about doing business in Lagos: deadlines are more flexible here. She is no rookie, as she celebrated the 10th anniversary of her eponymous label in February. A collection that was sponsored by WYN Beauty — a beauty line by Serena Williams. Adeola was born and raised in Lagos but moved to New York to pursue a tertiary education and eventually built a successful fashion business. Now, she’s back to where it all began, with a collection dedicated to the city that trained her, and she’s learning, there are a lot of differences between running a clothing brand in Lagos and New York. One being, your seamstress, is going to miss the deadline!
The Tia Adeola SS26: An ode to the ever-evolving Lagos
The GTCO Fashion Weekend annually hosts a posse of talented designers from across the African continent and its diaspora. For the 2025 edition, Tia Adeola was one of the selected 12 to light up the GTCO runway at Water Cooperation Drive on November 8 and 9. She was among the six designers scheduled for the 9th and was one of two designers to have models show a lot of skin.
Daring, she knows, “My family was at the show, you know, and my friends tell me that my mum expressed a lot of shock seeing the models walk down in see-through outfits. I had a traditional upbringing, so having sheer dresses was out of the picture. But now, I am designing risqué dresses, and I know a lot went through my mum’s mind. But she did show support when she saw I made the news on CNN,” Adeola laughs.
Read also: Sheer is in, and it’s time to rock yours — here’s how and where to wear the see-through dress
The collection titled “From Lagos, with Love” saw Adeola turn the GTCO runway into a theatre, with a show opener that involved a cello and trumpet, and the models didn’t simply strut; they stopped and interpretively danced. The clothes saw the brand play with sultry silhouettes and cuts, including mini skirts, crop tops, and sheer dresses with low necklines.
There was a return of the brand’s signature ruffles and gathers. Adeola insists that she has no favourites, “I don’t think it is fair to pick one apart, I love them, they are all my babies.” However, a personal favourite was the Nigerian flag skirt. Due to its simplicity, the Nigerian flag is rarely used as an inspiration in fashion, unlike the Union Jack, and it certainly doesn’t command the same devotion as the Star-Spangled Banner. It doesn’t even have a name, but the green and white do represent agriculture, unity, and peace. But not on the Tia Adeola runway; for her, it is beyond a representation of peace – it is a symbol of pride.
“Nigerians are very proud people, and this can be seen on social media. You piss off a Nigerian, and now there’s a swarm of Nigerians in your comments. You please them, and it’s the same. Often, they don’t even say anything; they just put the flag. That’s what I wanted to do there with the skirt.”
The skirt might be inspired by a larger part of the nation, but the rest of the collection is all about Lagos. “I was born here, raised too. I was a minor when I left, but I took pieces of Lagos with me. I returned, and Lagos is different and yet still the same. The city has changed a lot in appearance, but our chaos, our girth, our hard work, our audacity; it never left, and that’s what makes this collection,” Adeola expresses.
This unrepentant energy is evident on the runway, decorated with a colour palette of electric blue, red, and neon pink. The makeup matched the brightness, as the models had bold blushes and white eye shadow. The collection ignored the typical fashion rules of balancing daring looks with simple accessories to prevent a clash of attention. The accessories at the show were as scene-stealing worthy as every garment, from the beaded bags to the gold jewellery. It was fun and vibrant. I had never wanted to be a Tia Adeola girl so much, and she explains that this feeling was intentional.
Into the Tia Adeola community, and you are welcome to join
“I am still in Lagos, and when I leave, it will be a short trip because I will be back in December,” Adeola reassures. She teases that 80% of her collection will be accessible in Nigeria at Alara. “I will also be at the Alara event in December, which is more like a pop-up than a runway, and I will be selling my clothes.”
She is excited; home means a lot to her. While she loves and adores New York, she would also love her clothes to be made and accessible in Nigeria. But she doesn’t just want to sell clothes; she wants to build a community, and she always wants the mood to convey that. It really was one of the biggest challenges she faced leading up to her GTCO Fashion Weekend runway show.
“GTCO is a well-established brand, so there are a lot of restrictions,” she says, “For one, I was told no influencers or friends of yours can walk the show. I couldn’t use models outside of the GTCO model roster. That was tough for me, because the best way I translate the message of the brand is by having familiar faces.”
She declares that this isn’t her last show in Nigeria, but the next will definitely be off-site. So she has creative freedom. If she could give a theatre spectacle with restrictions, imagine what she can do without one.
She cites her after-party as an example of the energy she wants at her shows. “I always have an after-party after my shows. This year’s was at Mood Lounge, Lekki — owned by my brother, which is another part of Lagos I love. I am not alone; my entire immediate family came for my show, which was a first. My brother helped with the after-party, and my friend DJ-ed.”
But that’s not the only difference between New York and Lagos.
Tia Adeola on navigating the Lagos fashion space
“Being a creator in Lagos is hard. I have seen that multiple times, but now, I understand. It is tough,” she jokes. The main challenge she faces in Lagos is the inability for things to run on time.
She recounts her SS26 collection experience. “I have a studio here, and seamstresses here. In New York, they send updates and produce the work before the deadline. In Lagos, the seamstresses switched off their phones on the deadline day.” Yes, some garments did not make it to the runway show because of this. Now she has an interesting solution, “I don’t tell the truth on deadlines anymore. If it is November 20th, I will tell them it is the 10th.”
However, every tunnel has its light at the end, and for her, Lagos has several highlights too. “They are bad with deadlines, but they are so talented. I love working with Lagosians; there really is so much skill and beauty.”
Homecoming and the future of Tia Adeola
Adeola plans to be very on-ground here; she is in communication with a few stockists. Lagos means a lot to her; GTCO meant a lot to her. It was a homecoming and a full cycle moment. The GTCO Day 1 had the designer Ituen Basi on the roster, and Adeola mentions that Basi is a pivotal part of her career.
“She is a family friend, and I grew up paying attention to her, the techniques, and more. It inspired me, she inspired me. It feels good to have her see what that passion of mine has become, too.”
Beyond the moment, Adeola is looking to the future with high hopes. I want to collaborate with other designers. I am also thinking of expanding into other forms of the creative space.”
To that, I asked, “Are you saying we might get a Tia Adeola fragrance?” and she responded, “From your lips to God’s ears!”
Lagos has kept her busy, and now she has a fitting at her studio to tend to. While her SS26 was met with praise and signalled a new age of the brand, Adeola wants you to know that there is more to come, and she hopes Lagos is ready.
