Heineken Lagos and Design Fashion Week, the annual style spectacular which showcases the best in Nigerian talent, reveals the upcoming clothing trends and attracts socialites cum celebrities to the front rows, ended on Saturday night with a bang – a boisterous medley of patterns, courtesy of Maki Oh. It was the final note of a whirlwind 4 days of lively shows, private viewings, parties, e.t.c. And while it saw many designers expressing not only style but cultural agendas as well, there were some ‘aside’ moments that made the event even more memorable…and fun.
From an electric spark incident to a nip slip, here are some ‘aside’ moments that stood out amid the blur.
The Nip slip at Style Temple show
Apparently, Nicki Minaj will not be the only one to have suffered a nipple slip at a fashion week show (Marc Jacobs NYFW) this year. Although not a celebrity, there was a slightly similar incident at the Style Temple show at LFDW where one of the model’s bosoms suffered unraveling while she strutted down the runway. Some believe the action was intentional, while others argue that it was a mishap and she handled it professionally. Point is, there was a bare boob on the runway, we saw it, and it is etched in our memory.
Davido on the runway
So, David ‘fell’ on the runway at the Heineken LFDW Day 2 and we were there for it. The debut collection in collaboration with Orange culture ( Davido x Orange Culture), exclusive to Selfridges featured pieces inspired by Davido’s hit song, “IF” The collection wasn’t blindingly original, but it did seem personal, and Davido come out at the end to take a bow was just profound.
The exuberant plus-size model who opened the womenswear for the “About that curvy life”
Curvy models are not the norm on Nigerian runways, so it was quite exhilarating to see one of the shows at LFDW featuring super curvy models. Most notable was the first female model who strolled the runway quite exuberantly, eliciting rapturous shouts and applause from on-lookers. She looked fierce AF in the clothes she was modeling and walked the runway like she owned it, slaying all the way. Yass!
The Ever-Animated Denrele
But of course, Denrele wouldn’t be Denrele if he wasn’t being extra. And EXTRA he was at the LFDW runways. Although he referred to himself as #Walkapassmodel on his IG, he modelled for more than one show, including Kinabuti, Day 1 and Maybelline Day 3 and he owned the runaway each time…enough to make it memorable for everyone.
Agbani DaregoFormer Miss World, and forever Africa’s It-girl, Agbani Darego, stunned spectators with an unexpected appearance at the Andrea Iyamah show, garbed in an enchanting wedding dress by the designer. It was great to finally see her walking down an aisle in a wedding dress, considering she has a secret wedding at Marrakesh earlier this year and many of her fans were deprived the joy of seeing her literally walk down the aisle.
Mai Atafo’s Beauty and the Beast presentation Day 3
Mai Atafo certainly took home the prize for the most talked about show of LFDW as he brought the ‘Beauty & The Beast’ literally to the runway! The dance performance was almost magical as the actors nailed it so well you could hardly tell it was not the movie itself being shown live. The costume was great as well with belle garbed in a yellow ball dress and the Beast in a mask with horns and a blue jacket. It certainly was an exquisite moment! It was unexpected, it was beautiful.
The anonymous dancer who tried to steal the show
The final day of the LFDW was the packed with so many celebrities’ as well important personalities and while the models that were strutting the runway were the stars of the show, they were not the only ones work to keep the attention of the viewers. A young man insisted on showing his elaborate dance moves as he kept twisting and twirling to almost every song played per show. And get people attention, he did.
The lady with the newspaper dress who became the belle of the ball
There are certain expectations when you come to LFDW: print and embellishment galore, but a certain belle took her game even further by gracing the LFDW carpet in a dress by Stephanie Daniels made completely from newspapers, adorned with stones and floral cut-outs. If you followed Vogue during the NYFW, you would recall an article stating that newspaper prints were New York Fashion Week’s most powerful trend. This belle perhaps thought to the trend, and she did it quite beautifully. Her ensemble was indeed ostentatious and impressive.
Before long, he got his moment on the runway, except the security was not having it and they pulled him away with the crowd shouting “No!”. They actually wanted more of him. Maybe he will get a dance gig soon, who knows.
*Photo Credits: Kola Oshalusi (Insigna).
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