The beautiful chaos before Lagos Fashion Week

Every year, I tell myself this time will be smooth. And every year, the universe laughs.

This season, in a moment of optimism (or madness), we decided to split sampling between two studios, the idea being that we’d get everything finished on time. Fast forward to October, and both studios are still adding “just one last finishing touch.” At this rate, the finishing touches might just walk the runway themselves.

Then there’s the music contract. Because, of course, the perfect runway soundtrack doesn’t just fall from the sky, it needs legal approval. Luckily, that’s coming through this week. We chose a track by none other than Made Kuti, Nigeria’s own musical genius. It’s a match made in cultural heaven - Edo heritage meets Nigerian rhythm.

Now, every collection holds a special place in my heart, but this one hits different. It’s a homage to my dad, inspired by his tribe. That means every stitch, every detail, every bead has a purpose. Speaking of beads, the Ivie beads are essential to Edo culture, and as soon as we land in Lagos, we’ll be sprinting to the market to stock up. Imagine us, jet-lagged and slightly delirious, haggling over beads to weave into our models’ hair. Pure fashion week glamour, ha!

And while all of that’s happening, I’m also juggling hotel bookings, paperwork, and the small matter of airport pickup logistics. Because if you’ve ever landed at Murtala Mohammed Airport, you’ll know, it’s not the kind of place where you just call an Uber and wait by the curb. 😂

But that’s the beauty of it: the chaos, the culture, the creativity. By the time the runway lights come on, it’ll all be worth it. (Remind me I said that when I’m running on no sleep the next few weeks.)