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Beyond the annual spectacle it has been since inception, the GTCO Fashion Weekend has become a permanent, year-round infrastructure for Africa’s fashion industry.
This much came through when Guaranty Trust Holding Company unveiled GTCO Fashion Collective, a platform designed to keep designers, models, stylists, photographers, buyers, content creators and indigenous fabric makers connected long after the runway lights dim.
GTCO’s Head of Corporate Communications,
Oyinade Adegite, who briefed journalists ahead of the ninth edition of the GTCO Fashion Weekend, scheduled for November 7 and 8 at Plot 1, Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Lagos, said: “Over the past nine years, the GTCO Fashion Weekend has done what many thought unlikely—built Africa’s most exciting fashion experiences on the back of a financial institution’s commitment to promoting enterprise.
“This year, we are introducing the GTCO Fashion Collective, a year-round platform that connects every part of our fashion ecosystem: designers, models, stylists, photographers, editors, buyers, content creators and the broader creative community.
At the heart of the new initiative is a manufacturer and textile directory. The directory will document artisans and producers behind indigenous fabrics, including Aso-oke weavers and Adire dyers. These craftspeople form the foundation of African fashion, yet they have often remained invisible in commercial conversations. GTCO intends to give them a permanent, searchable home within the ecosystem.
Noting that the two-day fashion event remains a high-energy consumer fair, Adegite said that it will feature masterclasses, designer presentations, retail outlets, a craft and fabric market, and runway shows presenting both African and international designers.
Confirmed masterclass speakers include Renee Morris, Sherlina Nym and Rachel Ojuromi. Designers scheduled for the presentation stage include Spectrum by Aisha, MSO Lagos, Cisca Cecil, Sheye Oladejo, Meme Rocha and Mide World.
