Nigerian bank GTBank strengthens ties between Africa and diasporas through a prominent fashion event

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The domination of Nigerian pop culture is here to stay. Media hype about the West African Nation's 2018 World Cup football kit developed in partnership with Nike, with the country's growing footprint on the international music scene. Meanwhile, the Nigerian megacity, Lagos, is becoming an inexhaustible source of fashion talent. Since its first edition in 2016, the Nigerian bank Guaranty Trust Bank (commonly known as GTBank) has emerged as a link between African fashion designers and key players in the sector abroad. The latest edition of GTBank Fashion Weekend – whose DNA is defined by creativity and commerce – features parade parades led by the big names in African fashion Lanre Da-Silva Ajayi and David Tlale, alongside the one from New York-based designer LaQuan Smith. The participation of the illustrious Dapper Dan, Harlem tailor – come to Lagos to give a master class to "make a fashion statement" – also highlighted the underlying theme of reconnecting diasporans to the country. & nbsp;& nbsp;

Udochi & nbsp; Igbokwe is the managing director of & nbsp; Chime & nbsp; Group, a US-based marketing company that creates strategic solutions for companies such as Nigeria's Trust Bank Guarantee. Through his company, Igbokwe, an American citizen of Nigerian descent, connects international luxury brands such as Cond & oacute; Nast and Fendi, in Africa. "The GTBank Fashion Weekend is the biggest stage of fashion in Africa, connecting African artisans and designers to the rest of the world, through the company." He was extremely critical for Fashion houses and luxury retailers out of Africa understand the country's fashion situation here.BTBank & nbsp; provides a platform for the emergence of a consumer market that creates & nbsp; sustainability and empowering small businesses, "says Chime Group CEO Igbokwe says:" African brands such as Tokyo James, Adama Paris and David Tlale have developed a narrative that celebrates intricate art, ingenuity and culture, woven into the fabric of their creations, making platforms such as Fashion Weekend invaluable for the continent. "

To Dapper Dan, the Harlemite who gained notoriety in the 80s for his avant-garde and street-smart custom creations, participating in the West Africa-based showcase was a bit like a homecoming. Born Daniel Day, from Harlem who managed to clutter famous customers such as Nas, LL Cool J and Missy Elliot at the end of 20^{th & nbsp;}century, had already made a tour in Africa in 1982. The fashion designer has recently made a comeback in fashion after reopening his Harlem boutique in partnership with Gucci and created a collection alongside the Italian fashion house. Her masterclass, focused on the theme of fashion statement, gave Nigerian participants a better understanding of how to differentiate their fashion sector in a highly competitive environment.

For LaQuan Smith, the fashion designer of Day, New York, it was the second time that his brand was in the city that houses a large part of the wealthy people of the continent. Apart from trade, the staging of a parade in Nigeria had a greater significance for Smith. "As an African-American designer, I want to be an inspiration for our culture in general. I am inspired by the beauty of Lagos. And it is important for me to present my collection outside the usual fashion calendar, to recharge and refresh my energy, to bring more ideas to the table. " & nbsp;

While Nigeria, Africa's largest economy with more than $ 376 billion in GDP, is attracting more and more attention from global fashion entities as a lucrative consumer market, it is not receiving the credits that are due to him as a key influencer of global fashion trends, said a fashion journalist and former Kahlana Barfield Brown, editor of InStyle Beauty and Fashion. "I really do not think that African fashion designers are sufficiently recognized to have influenced global trends. Each season we see some of the most popular luxury brands incorporate African prints, fabrics and styles into their collections, without giving credit to the culture from which it is derived, "said the fashion expert Brooklyn-based who attended the two-day event. the subject of cultural appropriation versus appreciation. She adds, "I only wore African designers during my stay in Lagos. Every day I posted a photo of my outfit on Instagram and my Nigerian followers were proud to see me recognize and pay tribute to their country and their local designers. In Nigeria, the fashion and style of the city are much appreciated and appreciated by all. The community wants to have its place at the international negotiating table. "

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The domination of Nigerian pop culture is here to stay. Media hype about the West African Nation's 2018 World Cup football kit developed in partnership with Nike, with the country's growing footprint on the international music scene. Meanwhile, the Nigerian megacity, Lagos, is becoming an inexhaustible source of fashion talent. Since its first edition in 2016, the Nigerian bank Guaranty Trust Bank (commonly known as GTBank) has emerged as a link between African fashion designers and key players in the sector abroad. The latest edition of GTBank Fashion Weekend – whose DNA is defined by creativity and commerce – features parade parades led by the big names in African fashion Lanre Da-Silva Ajayi and David Tlale, alongside the one from New York-based designer LaQuan Smith. The participation of the illustrious Dapper Dan, Harlem tailor – come to Lagos to give a master class to "make a fashion statement" – also highlighted the underlying theme of reconnecting diasporans to the country.

Udochi Igbokwe is the CEO of Chime Group, a US-based marketing company that creates strategic solutions for companies such as the Nigeria Bank Trust Guarantee. Through his company, Igbokwe, an American citizen of Nigerian descent, connects international luxury brands such as Condé Nast and Fendi in Africa. "The GTBank fashion week-end is the biggest stage of fashion in Africa, connecting African artisans and designers to the rest of the world, through the business." It's extremely important that the houses of Sewing and luxury retailers out of Africa include GTBank provides a platform for the emergence of a consumer market that creates sustainability and empowers small businesses, "said Chime's CEO Group. "Igbokwe explained," African brands like Tokyo James, Adama Paris, and David Tlale have developed a narrative that celebrates the intricate craftsmanship, ingenuity, and culture that is an integral part of their creations. That's what makes platforms such as Fashion Weekend invaluable for the continent. "

To Dapper Dan, the Harlemite who gained notoriety in the 80s for his avant-garde and street-smart custom creations, participating in the West Africa-based showcase was a bit like a homecoming. Born Daniel Day, from Harlem who managed to clutter famous customers such as Nas, LL Cool J and Missy Elliot at the end of 20^th century, had already made a tour in Africa in 1982. The fashion designer has recently made a comeback in fashion after reopening his Harlem boutique in partnership with Gucci and created a collection alongside the Italian fashion house. Her masterclass, focused on the theme of fashion statement, gave Nigerian participants a better understanding of how to differentiate their fashion sector in a highly competitive environment.

For LaQuan Smith, the fashion designer of Day, New York, it was the second time that his brand was in the city that houses a large part of the wealthy people of the continent. Apart from trade, the staging of a parade in Nigeria had a greater significance for Smith. "As an African-American designer, I want to be an inspiration for our culture in general. I am inspired by the beauty of Lagos. And it is important for me to present my collection outside the usual fashion calendar, to recharge and refresh my energy, to bring more ideas to the table. "

While Nigeria, Africa's largest economy with more than $ 376 billion in GDP, is attracting more and more attention from global fashion entities as a lucrative consumer market, it is not receiving the credits that are due to him as a key influencer of global fashion trends, said a fashion journalist and former Kahlana Barfield Brown, editor of InStyle Beauty and Fashion. "I really do not think that African fashion designers are sufficiently recognized to have influenced global trends. Each season we see some of the most popular luxury brands incorporate African prints, fabrics and styles into their collections, without giving credit to the culture from which it is derived, "said the fashion expert Brooklyn-based who attended the two-day event. the subject of cultural appropriation versus appreciation. She adds, "I only wore African stylists during my stay in Lagos. Every day I posted a photo of my outfit on Instagram and my Nigerian followers were proud to see me recognize and pay tribute to their country and their local designers. In Nigeria, fashion and style are at the rendezvous and the community wants to have its seat at the international negotiating table. "