When models strutted down the runway Wednesday night at Lagos Fashion Week, they weren't wearing the kind of muted, "safe" designs that typically dominate high fashion. Instead, they were covered in beads, sequins, vibrant colors, and patterns inspired by traditional Nigerian facial scarification — a practice that has marked rites of passage in some Nigerian communities for centuries.
The designer behind this bold vision? Kanyinsola Onalaja, a British-Nigerian creative who has had an incredible year. After showing her work at New York Fashion Week earlier in 2025, she returned home to Lagos to open Africa's most prestigious fashion event — and she brought the house down.
