Fashion
Nigerian designer pushes “Afro-lux” onto the global fashion scene
By
AFP
Published
August 28, 2025
Its striking architecture, framed by latticework inspired by traditional Yoruba textiles, makes Alara — west Africa’s first fashion and design “concept store” — an imposing landmark in Lagos, Nigeria’s bustling commercial capital.
Founded by Reni Folawiyo a decade ago, Alara embodies her vision of “Afro-lux,” a concept she defines as designs that balance tradition with modernity while positioning African fashion on the global stage.
Inside the store, upscale African labels share space with international brands, decorative art, and books — part of Folawiyo’s mission to place African creativity on equal footing with established global names. The building’s distinctive lattice is inspired by adire, a textile popular among the Yoruba people of southwest Nigeria.
“A lot of the beautiful things that people were making in different parts of Africa were not celebrated in the way that I thought they should be,” said the 60-year-old, explaining how rural craftsmanship often inspires Alara’s collections. “I felt very strongly in my belief that these objects and these people had value.”
Music stars become style ambassadors
West African design is experiencing a cultural moment, Folawiyo noted in an interview in Lagos, where she wore sunglasses with vivid pink lenses.
In May, Nigerian music stars Burna Boy, Tems, and Ayra Starr appeared at New York’s Met Gala, dressed by British-Ghanaian designer Ozwald Boateng.
But for Folawiyo, global recognition requires more than occasional runway appearances. “At the moment, the best way to platform designers outside Africa is to partner and collaborate with institutions that are of repute,” she said, citing her recent pop-up store and exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum and a collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Drawing from her Yoruba heritage — with its intricate textiles, bold colors, and elaborate ceremonies — Folawiyo also finds inspiration in Senegal’s rugged aesthetics and the Ivory Coast’s refined sophistication. “Alara is my own idea of what a celebration of Africa looks like,” she said.
Culture through cuisine
Behind the boutique lies NOK, a restaurant led by executive chef Pierre Thiam, the Senegalese culinary pioneer who has brought west African food to U.S. diners.
While still high-end, NOK offers more accessible prices than Alara’s fashion and design pieces — a delicate balance in a country marked by extremes: wealthy elites in the oil and tech sectors, a shrinking middle class strained by inflation, and millions of informal workers.
Amid Alara’s stark interior of black walls and white concrete, luxury items stand out as bold statements. A green dress by Nigerian label Eki Kere carries a price tag of 325,000 naira (around $210), while a sculptural table from Senegalese-Nigerian studio Salu Iwadi can fetch up to ten times more, underscoring the store’s blend of accessible fashion and high-end design.
Folawiyo herself comes from Lagos’s elite, as the wife of businessman Tunde Folawiyo and daughter of the late attorney general of Nigeria’s former Western Region, Lateef Adegbite.
But building her vision of African luxury was not easy. Convincing investors and partners to believe in “Afro-lux” proved challenging. “I was very committed to it and I had great belief in myself and my idea,” she said.
Now firmly established in Nigeria, Folawiyo also organizes international fashion showcases, including at Barbados’s Carifesta XV this month. But for her, the industry’s long-term success depends on “passing on knowledge to future generations.”
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Economic momentum remained strong at the end of 2025, with real GDP expanding 8.4 per cent year on year (YoY) in the fourth quarter, the fastest pace in several years. Growth was driven by robust export-oriented industrial production. Credit growth surged to 19.4 per cent YoY by December, well above deposit growth of 14 per cent, SBV said in a release.
Vietnam’s interbank rates, which rose sharply in late 2025, are expected to ease in 2026 as credit growth and economic momentum cool.
GDP expanded 8.4 per cent year on year in Q4, while credit growth of 19.4 per cent outpaced deposits.
Despite a strong 2025, US tariff risks remain.
The SBV is likely to keep rates steady while targeting slower credit growth.
While Vietnam enters 2026 on a positive footing after achieving an estimated 8 per cent growth in 2025, external risks remain significant for the export-driven economy. Goods exports to the US, which account for around 30 per cent of the total, face the lagged impact of 20 per cent reciprocal tariffs, uncertainty over transshipment duties, and the risk of additional sectoral measures, including possible semiconductor levies.
Monetary authorities have signalled a cautious policy stance for 2026 despite an official GDP growth target of 10 per cent, which analysts view as difficult to achieve. Growth is expected to moderate to around 6.5 per cent, while the SBV has set a lower credit growth target of 15 per cent to limit overheating and resource misallocation risks.
The refinancing rate is expected to remain unchanged at 4.50 per cent, though the possibility of an unexpected rate hike cannot be ruled out if liquidity strains persist.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
Published
January 16, 2026
Moncler and Rick Owens have unveiled their first-ever summer collection, expanding their ongoing collaboration with a warm-weather offering inspired by Berlin’s brutalist architecture and Moncler’s outdoor expertise.
Designed as a lightweight, warm-weather uniform, the collection reflects Rick Owens’ vision of where nature and city meet, described by Owens’ as “brucolic.”
Notably, as part of the Spring/Summer 2026 lineup, kilt-style shorts and slinky, asymmetric jersey skirts are paired with tonal hiking socks and Trailgrip Megalace sneakers, reinforcing the collection’s emphasis on movement and adaptability. The color palette is characterized by black, dark dust, vintage olive, and a bold carnelian red, which appears for the first time in this season’s collaboration.
Other collection highlights include quilting and graphic embroidery, lightweight outerwear in leather and nylon, as well as summery windbreakers and relaxed jerseys that play with proportion and silhouette. Consistent with the designer’s ethos, the collection embraces gender-neutral styling across relaxed bombers and nipped-in, cropped styles, with exaggerated shoulders. Completing the collection are accessories including sunglasses, quilted bucket hats, caps, and waistbags.
The collection launches with a series of intimate images shot by Juergen Teller, featuring Rick Owens and his wife and longtime muse Michèle Lamy, alongside Teller himself and his wife and creative partner Dovile Drizyte. The candid photographs capture moments of affection, reinforcing themes of love, passion, and human connection.
The collection is now available online, as well as in selected Moncler boutiques, Rick Owens flagship stores, and select retailers worldwide.
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