By Chinazam Ikechi-Uko.
‘Twas the second weekend of November, the street was lined with orange and white posters, there was a colourful crowd of various age groups; if you witnessed this, chances are you were at GTCO Fashion Weekend which took place on the 12th and 13th of November. Listed on the London stock exchange, GTCO fashion weekend met its expectations. Calling GTCO fashion weekend a fashion show would be a great injustice; referring to it as a fashion fair would also be understating its brilliance. GTCO fashion weekend has successfully managed to merge a fashion exhibition, fashion class and fashion week all into one innovative and lucrative event.
The aim of GTCO fashion weekend has always been to promote enterprise and by giving platforms to emerging and fan-favourite local designers, it has highlighted the best the Nigerian fashion industry has to offer. Celebrating its quinquennial year and proving that despite the loss caused by the pandemic, the event will still persevere and the Nigerian fashion industry is ready to take on the world.
At the site, the event had an array of stalls for fashion retailers both indoors and outdoors. The stalls provided full access to vibrant and exciting brands ranging from skincare to hair companies. It gave opportunities for new brands to widen their market while also introducing the audience to fresh faces. The audience came for different reasons, some came to shop, some to witness the fashion shows and others came for the masterclasses. The GTCO fashion masterclass is one of the stellar moments of the fashion weekend. This year wasn’t any different with an impeccable lineup of tutors but we can all admit that the star teacher was Dapper Dan.
I came for the event with a few of my non-fashion friends and when they witnessed the buzz around Dapper Dan, they asked the question “who is Dapper Dan and what’s the obsession?” If you’re a fan of Megan Thee Stallion or you just have a keen ear for good music then you can recognise the line “I can’t decide if I want the new Louis, Dapper Dan yellow, I’m always in Gucci”. This isn’t the first time Dapper Dan is referenced in a song nor is it the most recent. Dapper Dan has been heavily referenced in both Latin and North American music; he is also credited as an inspiration for the late Virgil Abloh so now that you understand the buzz, let’s discuss the who.
Popularly known as Dapper Dan, Daniel Day made a name for himself as the king of knock-ups. The New York Times bestselling author pioneered streetwear in the 80s; he would make original designs and then print bold logos of high-end labels such as Gucci, Fendi and Louis Vuitton on the garments. His designs were amazing but for a black man in the 80s, he couldn’t sell his outfits… unless he slammed a renowned brand’s name on them. It was genius, and it attracted a crowd of New York hustlers with a similar vision as him.
The craftsmanship on the garments was too impeccable for them to be called knock-offs so the term knock-ups was invented. His designs were worn by notable names such as Jay-Z, Missy Elliot, Aaliyah, Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, P.Diddy and many more. His store was closed in 1992 due to multiple lawsuits from brands he had sampled.
In an ironic twist of events, in 2017, Gucci copied an original Dapper Dan design and they were met with a lot of backlash. Many suggested that Gucci collaborated with Dapper Dan instead. By the end of 2017, Gucci and Dapper Dan partnered for a line of men’s wear. By 2018, In partnership with Gucci, Dapper Dan opened an atelier, the first luxury house fashion store in Harlem.
At GTCO fashion weekend, Dan taught a masterclass, held a runway show and hosted an auction for the Dapper Dan x Puma collection; proceeds from the collection will be donated to Living Foundation Orphanage.
The event lasted from 10 am to 10 pm, the stalls were accessible during those hours and the masterclasses ran from 1 pm to 7 pm. Each masterclass was 45 minutes long, a few other tutors included Ade Hassan, Melie Tiacoh, Toussaint King, Felicia Leatherwood, Mila Thomas, Alice Temperley, Antoine Gregory, Marielle Bobo, Yolanda Blaize, Amanda Cosco and Quil Lemons. The fashion shows began at around 7 pm and the guest was met with fashion shows from Nigerian and foreign designers. Stand-out collections from Taibo Bacar, Studio 189, Fruché, Mmuso Maxwell and many more stole the attention of the audience. Studio 189 had its models dance on the runway which felt like a breath of fresh air to the viewers.
L-R: Idma Nof, Fruché.
Models dancing during the Studio 189 show.
L-R: Mmuso Maxwell, Taibo Bacar.
Now it wouldn’t be a fashion event without intriguing street styles. Street Style has become so synonymous with fashion shows that there are multiple pages dedicated to it in the GTCO fashion editorial (which also includes an interview with Mavin Record artiste, Boy Spyce and a lot of other original pieces about fashion, music and the art industry. My personal favourite article was the one about the future of fashion and where it is headed). The GTCO fashion weekend is no different. Attendees adorned their best attires and strutted down Plot 1, Water Corporation Drive, Oniru (yes that’s the location for GTCO events). They defied nature as they wore layered outfits despite Lagos being 33 °C by noon.
But when it comes to fashion, don’t let the temperature stop you from looking your best. After all, what’s the worst that can happen? Fainting? Heat cramps? Lightheadedness? Exhaustion? Nausea? Yea, those seem like a bunch of Google-diagnosed symptoms; you’ll be fine. Plus, it is no secret that interviewing and taking pictures of attendees is my favourite part of fashion events.
Fun Fact: Being able to identify the key inspiration of an outfit is a great conversation starter and being a fashion writer is really just the cherry on top.
