The Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week business series is seven days away, and as part of the lead up to the event, the LFDW team has just announced some of the key speakers for the event. The business series first instituted in 2015 aims to help emerging designers and fashion brands connect with veterans and pioneers in their fields and learn from them through interactive sessions such as this one.
First off there is the creative director of Mai Atafo Inspired and Mai Atafo bridal, one of Nigeria’s most visible menswear designers.
We are honoured to have one of Nigeria’s leading menswear designers join us at the upcoming #fashionbusinessseries. He has achieved a lot in the industry and he is known for his own personal dapper style. As a former Senior Brand Manager of a multinational @maiatafo is familiar with the business and creative side of fashion.
Then there is Bola Balogun, a long time Fashion stylist and PR consultant with nearly two decades of experience in the industry. She actually got her start working on a styling agency with Omoyemi Akerele, the creative director of the Style House Files and founder of the Lagos Fashion and Design Week. Just think of the wealth of knowledge she wields.
Brand and PR Guru @bbalogun will be sharing her unique insight on ‘Communicating Fashion’. She runs a brand strategy agency called @glambrandagencywith clients like #Lancome#poloavenue#maybelline#hairfinity She was also one of Nigeria’s first stylists’ and started her illustrious career in fashion.
And last but by no means least, is Simon Cipriani of the Ethical Fashion Initiative. He is the one that really gets my heart pumping. As the head of the Ethical Fashion Initiative, Cipriani is spear heading many of the initiatives that seek to encourage Africans to shun fast fashion from morally ambiguous international firms and support cottage industries on the continent by patronizing Ethical business. His insight will be invaluable.
We are proud to announce that Simone Cipriani of the Ethical Fashion Initiative will be our keynote speaker for the upcoming Fashion Business Series.
He is the Head of the Ethical Fashion Initiative of the International Trade Centre (ITC), Simone Cipriani oversees the promotion of trade and incubation of creative micro-enterprises within marginalised communities in Africa and Haiti. Operated through the wider ‘Poor Communities and Trade Programme’ launched by the ITC, the Ethical Fashion Initiative, spearheaded by Cipriani, launched Ethical Fashion Africa Limited in Nairobi and through partnerships with designers such as Vivienne Westwood , Sass & Bide and Stella McCartney , has created a hub for creative manufacturing and production in countries such as Ghana and Uganda, using fair trade labour and ethical fashion practices.
So are you going for the Fashion Business Series? Its the 15th of April at the Metropolitan Club at Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island and other speakers will join our cardinal three to do justice to the less visible but just as important aspect of running a fashion business in Africa.
Do come guys.