Omoyemi Akerele: Taking Lagos Fashion to the Global Stage

Lagos has long been a meeting point for creativity, culture and business, with its fashion scene reflecting the city's energy and diversity. From independent designers and local textile producers to established fashion houses, the city has continued to nurture talents shaping how African fashion is perceived around the world. At the centre of this growing influence is Omoyemi Akerele, the founder of Lagos Fashion Week, whose work has helped transform the city's fashion industry into a platform for international recognition, business development and creative exchange.

Born in Lagos on May 13, 1978, Akerele's journey into fashion took an unexpected route. She studied Law at the University of Lagos before obtaining a master's degree in International Economic Law from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. After working at the Nigerian law firm Olaniwun Ajayi & Co. between 2000 and 2003, she decided to leave legal practice in 2004 to explore opportunities in the creative industry. It was a significant career change, but one that eventually placed her among the influential figures in African fashion.

Her early experience in the industry came through styling and image consulting. In 2004, she co-founded Exclusive Styling with Bola Balogun, working on television productions such as Big Brother, Idols West Africa and Deal or No Deal. She later became a fashion editor at True Love, a fashion, beauty and lifestyle magazine for Black women, where she worked between 2005 and 2010. These experiences gave her an understanding of fashion beyond clothing, exposing her to the importance of presentation, creative direction, media visibility and the people responsible for bringing designs to life.

However, Akerele began to recognise that Nigeria's fashion industry needed more than talented designers and attractive collections to grow. There were gaps in business development, production, market access and industry infrastructure. Many designers had the creativity to compete internationally but lacked the connections and support systems required to build sustainable businesses. This realisation influenced her decision to establish Style House Files in 2008, a fashion business development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of Nigerian and African designers.

Three years later, she took that vision further by launching Lagos Fashion Week in 2011. The event created a structured platform where designers could present their collections to buyers, fashion professionals, international media and wider audiences.

Over time, it developed into one of Africa's major fashion events, attracting designers and industry stakeholders from different parts of the continent and beyond. For Lagos, it also strengthened the city's position as a destination for fashion, creative enterprise and cultural expression.

What distinguishes Akerele's work is her attention to what happens beyond the runway. She understands that a successful fashion industry requires more than seasonal showcases. Designers need access to manufacturers, skilled artisans, investors, retailers and international markets.

Through Style House Files and Lagos Fashion Week, she has continued to create opportunities that connect different parts of the fashion value chain. Her work with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council has also supported efforts to strengthen local garment production and improve the international reach of Nigerian fashion businesses.

Sustainability has equally become an important part of her approach. Through initiatives such as Green Access and Woven Threads, Akerele has encouraged designers to explore responsible production, traditional craftsmanship, textile innovation and circular fashion. Green Access, launched in 2018, provides emerging African designers with mentorship, industry knowledge and opportunities to develop commercially viable collections with sustainability in mind. These programmes reflect a wider understanding that Africa's fashion future can draw strength from its indigenous materials, creative traditions and local production capabilities.

Her influence has also earned her recognition beyond the African fashion industry. In 2017, she served on the advisory committee for the Museum of Modern Art's exhibition Items: Is Fashion Modern? in New York. In 2022, footage from Lagos Fashion Week featured in the Victoria and Albert Museum's Africa Fashion exhibition, where she also advised the curatorial team and delivered the keynote address at the private view. She has participated in international conversations through platforms such as Business of Fashion Voices and the Copenhagen Fashion Summit. In 2025, she was named among TIME's 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders, reflecting the growing international attention on her work in sustainable fashion. She is also a member of the Business of Fashion 500.

For Akerele, fashion is not simply about what people wear or what appears on the runway. It is a business, a source of employment, a means of cultural preservation and an opportunity to strengthen Africa's participation in the global creative economy. Her journey from legal practice to fashion entrepreneurship demonstrates how recognising an industry's unmet needs can lead to opportunities for meaningful change. By building platforms that support designers, artisans and businesses, she has helped create a stronger foundation for African fashion. Today, Lagos Fashion Week stands as an important part of the city's creative identity, while Akerele's work continues to connect Lagos talent with audiences and opportunities across the world.