Africa Fashion Week Nigeria (AFWN) has confirmed that its 2025 edition will take place on 20 and 21 December at the J. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, Onikan, Lagos. The event, tagged “Detty December Edition,” will feature fashion showcases, cultural exhibitions, and creative industry engagements as part of efforts to promote African design within a festive setting.
The organisers said the 2025 edition will move beyond its traditional runway format to adopt a more interactive structure, bringing together designers, buyers, and industry professionals in a marketplace atmosphere. The programme will include fashion presentations, live music, cultural performances, and sustainability-themed exhibitions.
According to Queen Aderonke Ademiluyi Ogunwusi, Founder and Executive Director of AFWN, the choice of venue and timing reflects a deliberate attempt to situate fashion within Nigeria’s cultural and social calendar. “Fashion is a language of identity, and Africa’s long-neglected voices deserve to be heard on the global stage,” she said. “With the Detty December Edition, we are turning Lagos into a meeting point for heritage, commerce, and innovation. Hosting it at the J. Randle Centre allows us to connect fashion with history and cultural pride.”
Since its inception, Africa Fashion Week Nigeria has hosted more than 3,000 designers and attracted over 90,000 participants, including local and international buyers, stylists, and media representatives. Organisers said this year’s edition would continue that legacy by creating business opportunities for emerging designers while strengthening Lagos’s reputation as a creative hub.
Elizabeth Igwe, Communications and PR Director for AFWN 2025, said the event is designed to foster collaboration across Africa’s creative economy. “Detty December is our statement that fashion is both culture and commerce,” she said. “This edition brings together designers, creatives, and guests to celebrate African creativity in a festival format while promoting growth opportunities within the sector.”
Attendance at the two-day festival will be free but subject to advance registration for crowd management and security purposes. Further details on designer participation, volunteer registration, and media accreditation will be released on the AFWN website and social media channels in the coming weeks.
