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"You have to fight so hard for your voice to be heard, that's why Lagos will always stand out," said Larry Hector, model, about Nigeria's mega-city, Lagos, unquestionably glamorous and glamorous.
The 20-year-old statuary clad in white was standing backstage at Lagos Fashion Week Friday night, surrounded by a dizzying array of lush fabrics and gazelle leg models.
A generator throbbed in the background – the response to Nigeria's irregular power grid and a symbol of perseverance in the face of adversity.
"We are constantly pushing for something we have never seen before, something extraordinary," Hector said.
"We now have international personalities, starlets, celebrities from Paris, Milan, New York, everyone comes to see what Lagos is."
Lagos fashion designers are being courted by international taste designers in search of talent and inspiration at a time when Afrobeat and African fashion are storming the United States.
The success of Lagos Fashion Week, which runs until Saturday, shows the growing appetite for African fashion and its invigorating colors, elaborate prints and unusual street style.
On Friday, the Moofa show offered the public fluid silk dresses and layered lace-embellished looks and accessorized white yellowish fedor-like funk-like seventies.
Ugo Monye's men's clothing has delighted the public. It was set to a remixed song from the original "Black Panther" soundtrack & # 39; and was accompanied by drummers.
Nigeria has had a year of exceptional fashion with model appearances in a list in Lagos and a flamboyant World Cup team that has captivated fans around the world.
Veteran of the industry, Naomi Campbell, came to Lagos in April to walk on the track. She fell in love with the megacity of some 20 million people, whose "hubbub" defines "adap-or-die" creativity.
"I did not want to leave," Campbell said of his trip to Nigeria.
"I have the impression that Africa, as a continent, is about to explode – it's the next destination," she said.
– Golden street style –
Shortly after, Nigeria was again in the spotlight with its exhausted soccer jersey, a zigzag green and white neon worn by the Super Eagles for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria, the tournament's youngest team, not only had the coolest kit, but also made one of their flamboyant style off the field.
"This only improves, I think people are starting to see what we have," said Amaka Osakwe, the creator of Maki Oh, one of the most famous brands of West Africa.
One of the shirts of Oh, a black blouse with polka dot sleeves and the name "Oh" in yellow, made the headlines this year after being worn by Lady Gaga on the set of her hit movie , A Star is Born.
"We have shown that we have it and we are global contenders," Osakwe said.
The appeal is undeniable. "The elegance of intricate African patterns on silk," said Suzy Menkes, Vogue writer, in an Instagram article about an indigo blue cape by Tiffany Amber from designer Folake Coker.
The Afrobeats star WizKid, whose golden street style is a good example of Lagos, recently made a campaign with Moschino and walked on the podium of Dolce and Gabanna.
– & # 39; Unapologically African & # 39; –
The city is becoming the preferred destination for African designers to showcase their work.
"Lagos has this dynamism and unfailing African energy," said Iona McCreath, a 22-year-old Nairobi designer, who came to present KikoRomeo.
"If you can do it in Nigeria, you can do it in Africa."
For some, we finally have the feeling that African fashion has its reason to be after years of determination and entrepreneurial vision.
"Of course, we built that, the world has changed," said Abrima Erwiah, co-founder of Studio One Eighty Nine, a creative collective divided between Ghana and New York.
"I think we export culture," she said, "that gives a lot of power."
African fashion is storming the world
A-list models recently visited Lagos
Many designers opt for the Lagos Golden Street style
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