First Bank of Nigeria Limited has adduced reasons why it decided to sponsor the sixth edition of the Africa Fashion Week, Nigeria, which held on Friday and Saturday, 20 – 21 December 2019 at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island.
The premier bank said the Africa Fashion Week, Nigeria, is a convergence of fashion entrepreneurs and the general public, which promotes the creativity and innovation of Nigerian and African brands through worldwide visibility, distribution and manufacturing.
It added that this year’s edition with the theme ‘Africa Unites’, has consistently been recognized internationally due to the unique African styles displayed by entrepreneurs across the dynamic and versatile African fashion landscape.
“We are pleased to identify with Africa Fashion Week, Nigeria as it showcases creativity by African fashion designers to the teeming public, leading players and enthusiasts of African fashion whilst promoting their contribution to the growth of the fashion industry,” said Folake Ani-Mumuney, the Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications at First Bank of Nigeria Limited.
She promised that Firstbank will continue to drive advocacy such event as it can create jobs that will deepen the opportunities for the revival of Nigeria’s textile industry resulting in SME growth along the value chains especially, with the growing demand in the fashion industry.
With the growing interest of the public and fashion enthusiasts using fashion as an instrument of sustainability and social change, the Africa Fashion Week, Nigeria provided a platform to help raise awareness around the Sickle Cell disorder. The event featured runway shows (comprising designers and runway models with Sickle Cell disorder), Marketplace exhibition and Panel session of Fashion Talks.
Dignitaries at the event include First Ladies of Ekiti, Ogun and Kwara states, Mrs. Bisi Adeleye – Fayemi, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun and Mrs. Folake Abdulrazaq respectively. The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, former Director-General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Mrs. Omotayo Omotosho; popular television presenter and model, Idia Aisen; model and beauty influencer, Whitney Madueke were also in attendance. FirstBank was represented by Helen Ogboh, Business Manager, Corporate Banking.
Leading fashion designers that showcased their wares at the 2-day event were Daviva, Zephyr’s Atelier, Caroline 1942, Ashor by Bumz with exhibitions from Bee Fab, Moon by me, Bolams Aso oke amongst others.
In the course of the event, the Bank showcased the FirstBank Ankara in “The FirstBank Collection” segment at the event where FirstBank staff wore the Bank’s 125th-anniversary fabric and walked the runway.
Only recently, the Bank promoted the use of local fabric with a ‘What If’ campaign to commemorate Nigerian Independence. The campaign was run across the social media channels; Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, to promote the versatility and creativity of sewing local fabrics as a national symbol vis-a-vis our outfits, clothing, accessories, household furniture and so forth, which is in line with the Bank’s celebratory 125th anniversary, themed, “Woven into the Fabric of Society”.