This December, the heartbeat of Lagos will once again pulse with colour, creativity, and culture as Africa Fashion Week Nigeria (AFWN) returns for its 2025 edition.
Scheduled for December 20 and 21, the event will take place at the J. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History in Onikan, bringing together fashion lovers, industry professionals, and cultural enthusiasts for what promises to be a vibrant celebration of African design and heritage.
Tagged the “Detty December Edition,” the 2025 show aims to move beyond the familiar runway experience, offering a more engaging setup that connects designers directly with buyers and fashion audiences. The event will feature fashion showcases, live music, cultural exhibitions, and sustainability-themed displays, transforming the venue into a lively marketplace of ideas, style, and artistry.
Queen Aderonke Ademiluyi Ogunwusi, Founder and Executive Director of AFWN, said the venue and timing were carefully chosen to align with Lagos’s festive energy. She described the initiative as an opportunity to place African fashion within its cultural and social context. “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, AFWN has showcased more than 3,000 designers and drawn over 90,000 participants from within and outside Nigeria. The upcoming edition aims to sustain that legacy while opening new doors for emerging designers and reinforcing Lagos’s image as a creative powerhouse.
Elizabeth Igwe, Communications and PR Director for AFWN 2025, described the event as a festival of collaboration. “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 will be free for the two-day fashion festival, but will require advance registration to ensure proper crowd and security management. Additional details on designer participation, volunteer enlistment, and media accreditation will be shared on the official AFWN website and social media pages in the coming weeks.
