What to Expect From Lagos Fashion Week 2026

African craftsmanship, contemporary design and circular fashion will take centre stage at Lagos Fashion Week 2026. This year’s theme, CRAFTED: Heritage. Innovation. Circular Futures., explores how traditional techniques can inform modern design and encourage more responsible ways of making clothes. Running from October 28 to November 1, the event will bring designers, fashion businesses and industry professionals together for runway shows, presentations and discussions on the future of African fashion.

The programme opens on October 28 with the Fashion Business Series, which will cover business modelling and franchising, fashion business in partnership with the Bank of Industry, and fashion education with the Italian Institute of Fashion Management. Later in the day, Sisiano will present its collection offsite at 5 p.m., followed by an Alara x Emmy Kasbit retail presentation at 6 p.m. and Orange Culture at 7 p.m. The Heineken Lagos Fashion Week Welcome Party, hosted by Mofe Duncan, will round off the opening day at 8 p.m.

Photo: Instagram/@lagosfashionweekofficial

The runway shows will feature designers drawing on different aspects of African fashion, including traditional textiles, contemporary tailoring and the reuse of existing materials.

Hertunba incorporates Akwete weaving into its work, while Oshobor draws on Nigerian cultural references through sculptural silhouettes and expressive colours. Nkwo focuses on sustainable design and material reuse, while Pepper Row works with fabrics such as aso-oke and adire, alongside raffia and cotton. Imad Eduso is known for contemporary womenswear and tailored pieces, while Éki Kéré draws on African craftsmanship and locally sourced materials. Dimeji Ilori also explores Nigerian heritage through traditional textiles and the creative reuse of discarded materials.

Photo: Instagram/@lagosfashionweekofficial

Circular fashion will feature through Lagos Fashion Week’s Green Access initiative, which supports emerging African designers exploring more responsible approaches to production. The initiative encourages participants to reuse existing materials, reduce textile waste and rethink how garments are designed and made. These approaches offer designers ways to work with available resources while developing new ideas for their collections.

Beyond the runway, industry discussions will address the business challenges facing African fashion brands. One of the scheduled sessions, Capital, Craft & Commerce: Scaling African Fashion for Global Demand, will take place on October 31 in partnership with BusinessDay. The discussion will focus on what it takes for local labels to grow their businesses and reach international markets.

Photo: Instagram/@lagosfashionweekofficial

The final day, November 1, will feature presentations by Iamsigo at noon, Oríré at 4 p.m. and Gozel Green at 5 p.m. Andrea Iyamah will open its studio at 6 p.m., followed by Emmy Kasbit at 7 p.m. and Lisa Folawiyo at 8 p.m. With presentations and a studio visit on the schedule, the closing day will give attendees further opportunities to engage with the designers and their work.