Omoyemi Akerele: The Woman Behind Lagos Fashion Week
For someone who is quite hesitant to do interviews, Omoyemi Akerele exudes an aura that puts those around her at ease. Akerele, a woman widely regarded as a driving force behind the burgeoning Nigerian fashion industry, is the founder and artistic director of Style House Files (SHF), a creative development agency for Nigerian and African designers.
With the belief that “some of the most important things in life are purpose and passion-driven, combined with a deeper need to contribute to something meaningful”, Akerele made the decision to revisit what she felt most passionate about.
Her career in fashion started about 15 years ago, with the need to contribute to something meaningfully, beyond the daily demands of her job. This came after two degrees in Law (BL, LLB), starting a third (LLM) while contemplating a fourth (PhD) — an interest she insists “was probably largely influenced by addiction to Ally McBeal, an American legal comedy-drama television series. She also worked at prestigious Nigerian law firm, Olaniwun Ajayi & Co, from 2000 to 2003.
The fashion pioneer started as a stylist assistant with popular fashion magazine True Love, eventually becoming the senior style editor. She then ran an exclusive styling and imaging consulting agency with PR powerhouse and content producer, Bola Balogun, before realising that there was much more to be done in the industry, which she felt wasn’t growing.
“I realised that there was a huge gap that needed to be filled and, for the industry to grow, it was important to think of a platform that would act as a catalyst on the scene to spearhead change and work towards positioning fashion properly in Nigeria, and of course in Africa, as a business.͟She was inspired by the abundance ͞of the talent we have͟ and ͞the sheer size of Nigeria’s population and an understanding of the potential that having clearly defined structure, infrastructure and a vision to position ‘fashion’ retail as a key contributor to Nigeria’s economy can have on the Nigerian economy.
Through the pioneering agency in image consultancy and creative direction within West African countries, SHF, Akerele works with Nigerian brands on brand positioning and retail strategies. The mother also helps brands gain essential international exposure through presenting showcases at Pitti Immagine in Italy and through the Lagos Fashion Week (LFW), which was founded in 2011. “For us, it’s always been beyond fashion week. It’s not just an event; it’s a platform. [SHF] has developed and executed strategic initiatives to support and strengthen the industry. Lagos Fashion Week is one of them.
LFW runs a four-day schedule, featuring a select list of talented up and coming designers and fashion entrepreneurs. The show has been instrumental in raising the profile of the Nigerian fashion industry and has drawn international attention and acclaim from renowned journalists and attracted a host of international buyers. An enthusiastic Akerele eagerly mentions the activities her platform uses to help develop the industry, including the Fashion Focus (formerly Young Designer of the Year), Fashion Business Series. LFW Autumn/Winter Presentation and Style House Files Train in partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
“With Fashion Focus, for the growth and promotion of creatives in the fashion industry, we present unique opportunities for emerging talents to harness their skills through business development workshops, creative workshops and a mentorship or internship. We further support emerging designers with business mentoring sessions. Last year we worked with Gozel Green, Sisiano, Onalaja, Titi Belo and Deji Eniola, several of whom were selected to present their work at Tranoi Trade Show, Paris and Pitti Super, a trade show in Milan.
“At SHF, we believe that, by creating an agenda of the most pressing issues faced by the fashion industry and then inviting thought leaders to share their perspectives, we can gradually begin to develop a semblance of structure for creating sustainable change in the industry. Our goal is to effectively capture, engage and connect with a diverse demographic of industry players, contributors, stakeholders, fashion cognoscenti, policymakers and potential investors. We achieve this through [the] Fashion Business Series.