10 Fashion Influencers To Watch From Lagos

Style-wise, this designer loving designer is a legend. As creative director of Lisa Folawiyo Studio, her collections have been worn by celebrities as varied as Solange and Lucy Liu and her fashion shows are a must-see (print sits at its aesthetic heart and all of Africa’s Fashion Pack in attendance).

Meanwhile her closet is brimming with a fashion-loving-girls’ wish list. Balenciaga, Vetements, Celine and Gucci are all hardy perennials and she often teams them with pieces from her main line collection and diffusion J Label. She is also definitive proof that a petite woman can pack a serious high-fashion punch. And with an army of followers both online and off, it's no surprise that her star continues to rise.

Falana is Lagos’ ultimate cool-girl and go-to muse of many a designer (from IAMISIGO, Orange Culture, Lisa Folawiyo, the list really does go on). Hardly surprising when you combine being at the vanguard of the alternative music scene with cover girl looks. A creative multi-disciplinarian, she is very much at the nexus of music and fashion with her stage performances winning her plaudits both at home and abroad.

She also embraces directional hair styles and uses her natural hair as another fora for expression. In short, she is experimental and authentic with a voice of a nightingale.

'Effortlessly elegant', 'Looks like she’s gliding through life on coasters' and 'Consistently gives me wish I’d thought of that outfit wise vibes' are just a snapshot of what has been said about Rukky Ladoja. The co-founder of cult unisex brand Grey Projects, she is often seen in pieces that she's designed (which then promptly sell-out). Think floor length sheaths, apron dresses, and organza blouses.

Rukky also values comfort and often wears flats or midi- heels - a riposte to those who believe there is only one sort of ‘dressing up’. A recent recipient of a Commonwealth Youth Award, she was last spotted at a soiree where the Duchess of Sussex was in attendance. A collaboration in the offing? Lagos expects!

Jennifer Oseh is the epitome of the Lagos Millennial. A creative consultant, she is currently peroxide blond cropped (the hair changes with the mood) and her accessible outfits illustrate that major style game needn’t break the bank. Her hotly anticipated forthcoming brand, Wild Kulture, is described (in her own words) as wearable art, and her play on proportion and palette certainly speak to it’s possibilities. In the meantime she champions almost exclusively Nigerian brands with Mae Otti, Nuraniya Studios and Cynthia Avila populating her feed.

Bola Balogun is the PR Power-house and CEO of Glam Brand Agency who brought beauty mega beauty brands such as Lancome and YSL Beauty to Nigeria. Casually repping ultimate Yummy Mummy Goals as mother-of-five, it's no wonder she is described as a verb rather than a noun. Style-wise, she is famed for having mastered the working woman’s wardrobe with an edgy androgynous twist. Think Stella McCartney trousers teamed with sky-high Tamara Mellon stilettos, denim days wherever possible, and vintage rock band tees for a woman constantly on the go. Oh, and the hair is a long, lush mane.

The editor’s edit is how Zinkata is often described. Founded by Ezinne Chinkata, what was once a fashion blog has evolved into an online shop, a retain space in the heart of Lagos and an incubator and champion for domestic talent, with many brands such as Nkwo and Meena Official benefiting from the Zinkata nod of approval. Personally, Ezinne is the ultimate style chameleon embracing hyper femininity one day and androgyny the next. Her hair is an equally evocative expression, changing colour, length and texture as the season dictates. A true fashion original.

'A Parisian girl comes to Lagos' is how Zara Odu, the Production Manager for Lagos Fashion Week and Founder of Designer’s Consociate, is often described. And there is definitely more than a grain of truth in the assessment as her innate insouciance often shines through. After studying in Paris and interning with Fashion Royalty Tim Blanks, she returned to Lagos to spearhead press and communications for fashion brands and institutions.

The coltish beauty favours minimal make-up and clean silhouettes and is more often in trousers than not. Closet wise, Jacquemus and Chanel are mixed with cult Nigerian brands such as 87 Origins and Abiola Olusola in a way that only a frequent habitué of the Rive Gauche would.