After a two-year hiatus, the GTCO Fashion Weekend returned with a bang with style, creativity and pop of colour taking centre stage.
Glamtush reports that the Guaranty Trust Fashion Weekend which was created in 2016, has become one of the continents leading platforms for showcasing Africa’s finest and promoting real commerce for small businesses in the fashion industry.
The event is a free business platform that combines elements of global fashion trends, the delicate nuances of African streetwear styles, and human creative enterprise to create one of the most delightful experiences in fashion retail.
The 5th edition of the Guaranty Trust Fashion Weekend was held on Saturday, November 12, and Sunday, November 13, 2022, at the GTCenter Plot 1 Water corporation road, Oniru, Lagos.
The two-day event featured fashion leaders and industry experts from around the world while providing about 120 indigenous small fashion businesses with the opportunity to expand their online presence, reach new markets, and position their businesses for sustainable growth.
Themed The Future of Fashion Retail, the 2022 Guaranty Trust Fashion Weekend event featured masterclasses, runway shows, free retail stalls, presentations and a streetwear village. All-comers were in for an immersive shopping experience as indigenous small businesses showcased their fashion collections and style accessories.
The event pulled an array of talented fashion designers, creatives, fashionistas, style enthusiasts as well as entrepreneurs under one roof.
The GTCO Fashion Weekend which is critically acclaimed as one of the main events in Africa’s fashion circuit has over the years brought together universally celebrated fashion icons and engaging style personalities to interact with young Africans who are passionate about fashion.
Presentation of designs
During the presentations, attendees had the opportunity to watch the models who displayed beautiful and colourful collections of designers at a very close range as well as meet with the designers.
This direct encounter with the collection allows photographers and attendees to capture the designer’s clear sight. Another advantage of the presentations is that each attendee feels like they are in the front row of the event.
Some of the designers who presented at the two-day event included Hue by Idera, Toju Foyeh, Nonnistics, Desiree Iyama amongst others.
Masterclasses
The Fashion Masterclasses provide fashion entrepreneurs the unique opportunity to learn from global industry leaders and experienced brands. The series covers topics addressing challenges and opportunities across the entire industry value chain including: Entrepreneurship, Growth & Profitability, Retailing, beauty, and several others.
This year the enlightening Masterclasses which covered various interesting topics were handled by different experts in their fields like Ade Hassan, Yolanda Blaize, Melie Tiacoh, Amanda Cosco, Toussaint King, Felicia Leatherwood.
Others were Quil Lemons, Marielle Bobo, Alice Temperley, Mila Thomas, Dapper Dan and Antoine Gregory.
Runway shows
The Runway Show at the 2022 GTCO Fashion Weekend which was designed with current realities in mind, featured a carefully curated ensemble of bold and enthralling fashion statements by Africas finest fashion brands.
Models strutted the runway like professionals that they are showcasing the brands of a variety of GTCO fashion week mainstay designers including Idma Nof, Studio 189, Fruche, Mantsho, Adama Paris, Mmuso Maxwell, Dapper Dan and Taibo Bacar.
Others were Nkwo, PepperRow, Loza Maleombo, Ituen Basi, Rich Mnisi, Huishan Zhang and Romeo Hunte.
Attendees
The event, which featured several designers and their pieces, also witnessed some fashion moments from attendees who appeared in different stylish outfits depicting their personal styles, especially when attending a fashion show. Most of the attendees made sure to come with their A-games. The daring street styles caught everyone’s attention, especially the men.
