By -Yemisi Suleiman

It was a weekend of unparalleled fashion, where the best sought-after fashion houses, to the most promising and talented retail brands, showcased the latest fashion, beauty, and lifestyle trends and products to a large and diverse audience of consumers, fashion aficionados and industry professionals under one roof, as the much anticipated GTCO Fashion Weekend took centre stage in Lagos.
Positioned as a consumer-focused event, the GTCO Fashion Weekend has become a meeting place for all stakeholders within the fashion community, evolving as one of the continent’s leading platforms for showcasing Africa’s Finest and promoting real commerce for small businesses in the fashion industry.
For two days, Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 November, attendees were treated to a series of fashion events; fashion presentations, Entrepreneurial and Fashion Masterclasses from global industry leaders and experienced brands, and a world-class runway show as the icing on the cake.
This year’s event which is the 6th in the series, featured 11 top designers from countries across Africa and Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Nigeria, with the likes of Senegalese designer Sukeina, Nigeria’s Ejiro Amos Tafiri, Mazelle Studio, Bruce Glen amongst others, pushing boundaries with their collection, while staying true to their brands.
From blooming prints, sexy cut-outs, and bold bright to elaborate detailing, the trends, as sighted on the GTCO Fashion Weekend 2023, uncover some of the most innovative designs yet.
We sifted through show after show, to come up with some trends that will have significance, and staying power to move to our wardrobe’s next season.

Fluffy Feathers
Feather trims have made their presence known this year on international runways, and the GTCO Fashion Weekend was no exception.

Vibrant Shades
Almost all the designers floored the runway with some of the most vibrant colours around. Colours such as orange, sun yellow turquoise and the like added so much brightness on the runway and we feel compelled to introduce bright colours back into our wardrobes.

Blooming Prints
Embrace the flower power vibes this season as designers; Banke Kuku, Bruce Glen reinvent classic florals to bring chic optimism to our wardrobes.

Monochrome Moments
Although the GTCO Fashion Weekend was not raking in colour designers, Sukeina, Dauaba Sewar, and the likes, all opted for a high-contrast take on monochrome looks.

All black everything
All-black looks littered the collections on the runway At Sukeina, Mazelle Studio as others, the message was clear: These are clothes for women who mean business.

Sheer Shapes
Designers know that it’s always more elegant to leave a little to the imagination and on dresses, tops and skirts, transparency will be a must for your wardrobe next season, even for men, as seen at Ejiro Amos-Tafiri, Tolowei, and more.

Unexpected Cutouts 
What could be more feminine than some unexpected Cutouts and pretty detailing. It’s obvious we will see a lot of this trend next season. 

Elaborate detailing
Dresses with intricate details and embroidery are definitely a must-have as designers sent models down the runway in some of the most beautifully crafted designs.