By Yemisi Suleiman 

The Nigerian fashion industry, like Afrobeats and Nigerian Jollof rice, needs to claim its place in the global space. To do this, young people and fashion entrepreneurs must understand the history of fashion, the role of fashion in Africa, and how to position themselves to work with worldwide companies. This is why the Fashioned Museum, a fashion-focused organization dedicated to making fashion accessible, inclusive, and sustainable, hosted its inaugural ‘Bridging the Gap’ event, a lively celebration of Africa’s rich fashion legacy and a catalyst for fashion’s promising future. The recent ‘Bridging the Gap’ event in Lagos was a call to action to connect, learn, and envisage a brighter, more inclusive, and sustainable fashion world. The immersive event brought together fashion fans, industry professionals, and aspiring fashionistas with the goal of bridging the gap between African fashion’s rich heritage and its hopeful future.

The Fashioned Museum’s Principal and Founder, Tejumola Maurice-Diya, believes the ‘Bridging the Gap’ conference is an essential component of The Fashioned Museum’s aim to stimulate a broader and topical conversation about modern fashion in an ever-changing world. According to her, the immediate goal is to celebrate the ever-changing world of fashion by bridging the gap between the younger and older generations, as well as between the Western World and the African continent.

The event featured seasoned industry experts such as ace designer Lisa Folawiyo and Ejiro Amos-Tafiri, Founder Heritage Apparels, Abisade Adenubi, Ugo Monye, and Emmy Kasbit, as well as ex-beauty queen and social media influencer Powede Awujo, who all spoke about their career journey, It was a well-rounded program that helped attendees consider the overall mechanics of building a successful fashion business.

The one-day celebration of style, culture, and innovation was hosted at the Alliance Francaise Ikoyi Lagos.