Incidentally, it was the climax of the fuel crisis in Lagos when the Gala Night was in progress; the streets were empty and just a handful of vehicles traversed the usually busy roads. But that didn’t do any damage to the show’s attendance. On Sunday, May 24, despite the crisis being at its peak, people thronged into Eko Hotel and Suites, eager to catch up with the hottest trend in African fashion. Remarkably, the organisers were proactive enough to mine the situation, as models, at the beginning of the show, walked on stage carrying empty kegs of fuel with tags like ‘Fuel Scarcity’ emblazoned across their bodies. The crowd applauded instinctively.

The red carpet, marshalled by maverick presenter Denrele Edun, was a cluster of extremely fashionable outfits clasping one another in brief hugs, shaking hands, and smiling at the camera. Behind that was the main entrance which led into an expansive, airy hall, high-ceilinged and breathtaking. There were brand stands lined up at both sides and pockets of drink stands placed across the commodious space.

Another entrance at the other end of the expansive hall opened into the main exhibition hall. The walkway, a crisp zigzag, was bordered by filled seats that stretched backwards. At the front end of the walkway were hundreds of camera men, some rolling tapes, others flashing bright lights at the advancing models.

The Gala night was opened with a short performance by women clad in traditional attire, acting, singing and dancing. “Shey tori mi le lo ge gele skekele,” they sang with cheer, swinging their hips and moving their legs to the rhythm of the beat. It was an almost perfect rendition of the sophisticated beauty of African culture, and its varied offerings which are being lost in the din of modernity and its fickle fads.

The models walked the stage accompanied by blithe, rhythmic music. There were lots of them, female and male, as there were lots of dresses, lots of colour, lots of new, crazy styles. From a blouse that showed too much cleavage, to a layered Caribbean skirt of many colours, the diverse quality kept the crowd cheering and waiting for more.

Some of the fashion brands on display included: Chaivo, Okiki Marinho, VHOR (Vice House of Roy), House of Solange, Osuare, Lumiere, Lorenore, T-Ngazy, Marco Martinez, Revolution by Yetty D, King Hakbal,Elikem The Tailor, Baroque by Wendy.

Others were: TrishO Couture, JPK Kouture by Hadassah, Africa Fashion Today from Switzerland, Big Ben Kilani, House of Muafechi, J-Reason, Lines by Chaab,Day_Idah, Faw Couture.

The show was anchored by Emmanuel Ikubese and Mercy Ajisafe. Emmanuel is the current Mr. Nigeria and the first runner up at the Mr. World 2014, while Mercy, popularly known as ‘Omo London’ is an On Air Personality at Cool FM. The duo’s eclectic performance was definitely one of the highlights of the night. Mercy’s flamboyant British accent – which murdered a lot of the names she called, including her own – and Emmanuel’s sophisticated reticence, which didn’t help his showmanship resourcefulness, left the audience amused and very entertained.

Then there was Isaac Geralds, the chubby, bubbling crooner of hits like ‘Fall in Love’ and ‘Ijebu Girl’. He came on stage and made it his own. His conversational style endeared him to the crowd, and he didn’t flatter to deceive as he delivered one of his latest singles ‘Shakara’ with vigorous swagger. He ended in a flourish, leaving the crowd gasping for more, clutching at his receding shadow.

Big Ben Kilani, a designer of male outfits, had Uti Nwachukwu of Big Brother Africa as one of its models. Loud cheers filled the room at the sight of Uti, who stepped out in a flowing Agbada, and made a comeback in a stylish lemon trench suit over pink slacks, wielding a black umbrella.

One of the unique features of AFWN is how much attention it pays to the development of local fashion scene. There was time and space for new and upcoming designers to show what they’ve got, too.

“It’s an excellent idea because there are millions of talents within the Nigerian Fashion Industry that need to be given the right exposure,” AFWN Goodwill Ambassador, Abiola Okoya, had previously noted, in respect of the initiative. “That is what Africa Fashion Week Nigeria is billed to provide. This will enable them find a footing in the fashion industry and build successful careers.”

She added: “There is a global movement now towards generation of self employment as a means of tackling poverty. Most institutions nowadays have enterprise development among their curriculums. AFWN is a practical project that supports this new way of thinking by giving real enablement to young people, enabling them to fend for themselves through fashion.”

This is a view also shared by AFWN founder, Ronke Ademiluyi. In her Welcome Address for the 2015 edition, she echoed: “AFWN scouts for and discovers fresh talents within the fashion industry and helps them grow into fashion brands by providing them with maximum exposure. Our vision is to use fashion as a catalyst for positive social change and youth empowerment.”

A spate of awards was doled out during the Gala night, including for the Emerging Designer of the Year. Antonia Suarez of Complete Fashion grabbed the Emerging Fashion Journalist, while the Young Fashion Entrepreneur went to Kumbi Oyelese. There were many others who were recognised for their efforts in pushing the industry up the ladder.

And, for AFWN 2015’s charity of choice, the Sickle-Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN), there was a fundraising effort, directed by Ms. Abiola Okoya, who enjoined members of the audience to contribute towards the health of over 150,000 babies who are born annually in Nigeria with sickle cell anaemia. The SCFN is a not-for-profit non-governmental organisation with a good reputation and integrity, as attested to by the United Nations and the World Health Organisation, for its tireless work over the years to bring succour and hope to patients with sickle cell disorder.

For the success of the event, Okoya said: “We have too numerous people and organisations to appreciate. We had Bet9ja pools, MNET Africa Magic, Ovation Magazine, Ebony TV, Guinness Nigeria, Inagbe Beach Resort and many others on our side.”