MTN LAGOS FASHION & DESIGN WEEK SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER

MTN Lagos Fashion and Design Week (LFDW) returns to Lagos and will take place at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos for the 2012 edition after a successful debut last year.

Speaking on the event Omoyemi Akerele, Creative Director of StyleHouse, the producers of LFDW said “Our goal for LFDW 2012 is primarily to make an impact in the Nigerian fashion industry beyond the runway. Fashion is a viable economic driver in Europe and North America and it is no longer just about aesthetics but a business model which can significantly contribute to Nigerian economy if made part of the agenda.”

LFDW has been at the forefront of growing the Nigerian fashion industry by seeking out various international opportunities for Nigerian fashion designers. In February this year LFDW designers participated in an international Fashion Showcase in conjunction with the British Fashion Council and British Council to exhibit a cross-section of Nigerian fashion designers in the “Tales by Moonlight” exhibition in London.

Akerele added “LFDW designers have just returned from a successful international showing at Pitti Immagine, the response we received to their work was phenomenal, and we have created an international appetite for Nigerian fashion as more international fashion buyers are now looking in the direction of Nigeria to stock their stores and all eager to see what comes out of Nigeria this fashion season.”

This year’s edition will host for a period of four days over 20 designers on the runway, showcasing their Spring/Summer collection. The runway shows will be headlined by a guest international designer. The week will also host a series of Awards, namely; The MTN LFDW Awards – Young Designer of the Year co- sponsored by British Council, Young Model of The Year and Young Creative Entrepreneur of The Year which is a British Council initiative.

MTN LFDW 2012 sponsors include MTN, RIM (BlackBerry), British Council, Porsche, Virgin Atlantic, Africa Magic Entertainment, House of Tara and Mania Magazine.

Last year’s MTN LFDW Awards had 3 categories, The MTN British Council Young Designer of the Year, won by Binta Shuaibu who went home with a car, Master Classes facilitated by British Council and a 3 month presence at Le Petit Marche’s monthly pop up store.

MTN British Council Young Creative Entrepreneur Ayotomi Rotimi went home with A Million Naira and a Tour of the United Kingdom’s Fashion Capital during London Fashion Week by British Council and a MTN

This year, the stakes have been raised! With Cash Prizes from From 2 Million to 4 Million Naira to be won from MTN, Master Classes facilitated by British Council and prizes from RIM Blackberry, MTN LFDW’s Official Technical Partner.

MTN Lagos Fashion and Design Week (LFDW) which is scheduled to take place from the 24th -27th of October 2012, is calling out to all Young designers and Creative Entrepreneurs willing to participate in the awards categories.

Categories

MTN British Council Young Designer of the Year (YDE) – Cash prize of N4,000,000, business mentoring and capacity building working workshops.

British Council Young Creative Entrepreneur of the Year (YCE) – Cash prize of N2,000,000 and a tour of the London Fashion Week.

MTN Young Model of the Year – Cash prize of N1,000,000 and a modeling contract.

Application forms are available for download on the official website www.lagosfashionanddesignweek.com.