Nigerian-British designer Kanyinsola Onalaja presented her Spring/Summer 2027 collection, Re:Birth, at London Fashion Week on Sunday, September 20, marking her first appearance on the event’s official calendar. The presentation came two months after a fire destroyed her London studio, warehouse and more than a decade of her work.

The fire at Onalaja’s studio and warehouse in northwest London destroyed past collections, samples, fabrics, sketchbooks, bespoke commissions and wholesale orders. Her mother had also recently sent her Istituto Marangoni graduate collection to London, along with pieces from some of her earlier collections. Those pieces were lost in the fire as well. The blaze reportedly lasted four days before it was extinguished.

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After the fire, Onalaja moved into a new studio and continued working towards London Fashion Week. She also returned to an unfinished 2020 project called Rising From the Ashes. The idea became the starting point for Re:Birth, with the collection drawing from the fire and what came after it.

Re:Birth is divided into three stages, The Burn, The Ash and The Rebirth. The opening looks use burnt orange shades and textures inspired by glowing embers. The colours then shift to smoky grey and black before brighter shades and flashes of light appear in the final stage.

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Handwork runs through the collection, with broken beads, fringe and feathers used across several pieces. Embroidery, fabric painting and dyeing bring Yoruba and Edo influences into the designs, while Onalaja’s 1970s-inspired “disco glam” style appears in the heavily embellished occasionwear.

The label also offers an extended size range. Onalaja’s official London Fashion Week profile lists sizes from XXS to XXXXL and describes the brand as focused on demi-couture womenswear, embroidery and embellishment. Founded in 2014, the label has dressed celebrities including Tems, Olivia Dean and Ciara.

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Rather than recreate what was lost, Re:Birth turns the experience into a new beginning, moving from the imagery of fire and ash towards colour, light and renewal

Wisdom Kaye started making fashion videos in 2020, filming styling ideas at home and posting them on TikTok. Six years later, the fashion creator has received one of the industry’s honours named after the late Virgil Abloh.

Kaye was presented with the Virgil Abloh Award, presented by LVMH, at Harlem’s Fashion Row’s 19th Annual Fashion Show & Style Awards in New York on September 8. The ceremony, held at The Glasshouse, was part of the events surrounding New York Fashion Week and recognised Black creatives across fashion, media and culture.

The award is particularly fitting for Kaye because his route into fashion did not begin with a traditional fashion job. His online presence came first. He built an audience through styling videos before moving into modelling, brand campaigns, runway appearances and major fashion events.

Kaye’s early TikTok videos were built around styling and visual transformation. He used clothes, editing and different characters to create short fashion-focused videos from his home. His work soon attracted attention from the fashion industry, and he was signed by IMG Models.

Wisdom Kaye speaking at the podium after winning the Virgil Abloh Award at the 19th Annual Harlem’s Fashion Row Style Awards.

From there, the Houston-born creator began working with some of fashion’s biggest names. Harlem’s Fashion Row lists Dior, Fendi, Prada, Valentino, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., Coach and AMI Paris among the brands he has worked with. He has also walked for Balmain.

His move from social media creator to fashion professional has also included appearances on some of the industry’s biggest stages. In 2024, Kaye made his Met Gala debut wearing a dramatic Robert Wun look. The appearance further established him as a fashion figure beyond TikTok, while his online platform remained an important part of his career.

In 2025, Kaye was included in the inaugural TIME100 Creators list, recognising creators whose influence extends beyond social media. A year later, he took another step into the traditional fashion establishment when he joined the expert panel for the 2026 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers. LVMH lists him alongside editors, stylists, creative directors and other established figures in the fashion industry.

That progression makes his Virgil Abloh Award notable. Abloh himself became known for challenging the usual boundaries between luxury fashion, streetwear, music and popular culture. He founded Off-White and became Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Artistic Director in 2018, a position he held until his death in 2021.

Wisdom Kaye speaking at the  Virgil Abloh Award at the 19th Annual Harlem’s Fashion Row Style Awards.

Kaye’s career has followed a different route, but there is a clear connection in the way both understood the importance of culture beyond the traditional runway. Kaye first built an audience through his own content before fashion houses, modelling agencies and major events became part of his professional life.

At Harlem’s Fashion Row, his award was announced alongside honours for Erykah Badu, Brandon Blackwood, Jahleel Weaver, Audrey Smaltz and Recho Omondi. Badu received the Fashion Icon Award, Blackwood was named Designer of the Year, Weaver received Stylist of the Year, Smaltz received the Ann Lowe Maverick Award and Omondi was named Editor of the Year.

For Kaye, the Virgil Abloh Award marks another stage in a career that began with a phone, a wardrobe and an audience on social media. What started as fashion content made at home has grown into work with global fashion houses, appearances at the Met Gala, a place among TIME’s leading creators and, now, an award carrying the name of one of fashion’s most influential modern figures.

Nigeria’s Tamunosoye Karibi-George finished among the Top 12 contestants at Miss World 2026 during the grand finale in Nha Trang, Vietnam, on September 5. The 26-year-old was one of 111 contestants who competed in this year’s pageant, which featured several weeks of competitions and activities before the final night.

Karibi-George was not selected among the judges’ initial Top 20, but the live public voting format gave her another route into the competition. Under the pageant’s format, the top two public-voted contestants earned a spot in the Top 12, allowing Karibi-George to advance.

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Meanwhile, Eritrea’s Snit Habteab Tewoldemedhin won the overall People’s Choice Award, which fast-tracked her directly into the Top 6.

Before the grand finale, Karibi-George won the Miss World Africa Top Model title at the Vietnam Beauty Fashion Fest XVII, earning an automatic spot in the next stage after competing against other representatives from Africa.

Outside the main competition, Karibi-George used the Miss World platform to highlight causes she has worked on in Nigeria. Her advocacy project, Beyond Labels, focuses on inclusion and creating opportunities for children with disabilities and special needs.

Photo: Instagram/@soye_kg

She also participated in the Dance of the World presentation, representing Nigeria and drawing attention to environmental concerns connected to the Niger Delta.

Karibi-George earned the opportunity to represent Nigeria internationally after she was crowned Miss World Nigeria 2026 on June 6 at Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos. She emerged as the winner from 20 finalists and represented Bayelsa State at the national pageant before travelling to Vietnam for the Miss World competition.

The Miss World 2026 title was won by Joheirry Mola of the Dominican Republic. Spain’s Elisabeth Reynés finished as first runner-up, while Malaysia’s Taanusiya Chetty was named second runner-up.