Lagos Through Fashion Textiles and Creative Culture

Begin at ALARA, West Africa's landmark fashion, art and lifestyle concept store. Housed in a striking building designed by architect David Adjaye, ALARA brings together fashion, furniture, textiles, art and objects from across Africa and its diaspora. A privately hosted introduction explores the store's designers, curatorial approach and influence on contemporary African luxury. Continue with an intimate conversation featuring a Lagos based designer, stylist, editor or fashion entrepreneur, offering an insider's perspective on the city's fashion ecosystem and international influence. Allow time to explore the collections before settling into lunch at NOK by ALARA, where food, architecture and design come together in one setting.

Highlights

• Privately hosted introduction to ALARA

• Contemporary African fashion and design

• Architecture by David Adjaye

• Conversation with a Lagos fashion insider

• Time to explore the collections

• Lunch at NOK by ALARA

Enter the commercial heart of Lagos fashion through Balogun Market, an expansive trading district on Lagos Island. Move through carefully selected sections of the market with a fashion professional who understands its network of textile vendors, importers, embellishment specialists and accessories merchants. Learn to distinguish among ankara, lace, jacquard, silk, brocade and other materials used by Nigerian designers and their clients. Discover how fabric, colour and embellishment communicate identity, status and occasion. After selecting materials, continue to a tailoring studio to follow the journey from measurement and sketch to pattern cutting, fitting and finished garment. Guests interested in creating a piece begin a personal commission, with final fittings incorporated into the remaining days.

Highlights

• Curated Balogun Market experience

• Introduction to Nigerian fabrics

• Fabric sourcing with a fashion professional

• Meetings with specialist textile vendors

• Tailoring and garment construction

• Opportunity to commission a custom piece

Travel from Lagos to Abeokuta, one of the most important centres of Yoruba adire production. The city's indigo dyed and resist patterned textiles have moved from local tradition into the collections of some of Nigeria's most influential contemporary designers. Explore Abeokuta's textile heritage before visiting Itoku Market, known for its adire fabrics, makers and traders. Meet artisans who continue to use established resist dyeing methods while developing new patterns and colour combinations for contemporary fashion. During a practical workshop, create an individual textile using folding, tying, stitching, waxing or hand painted resist techniques. Following lunch, enjoy time to browse the market and purchase textiles directly from local makers before returning to Lagos.

Highlights

• Full day journey to Abeokuta

• Yoruba textile history

• Itoku Market

• Meetings with adire makers

• Indigo and resist dyeing techniques

• Practical textile workshop

• Personal handmade textile

• Direct purchasing from artisans

Begin at Nike Art Gallery, one of Lagos's best known cultural institutions and home to an extensive collection of Nigerian paintings, sculpture, textiles and mixed media work. Explore how traditional materials and cultural references are interpreted by contemporary Nigerian artists, with particular attention to textile art, beadwork, pattern and representations of Nigerian dress. After lunch, continue to Lekki Arts and Crafts Market, where hundreds of stalls bring together makers and traders from across Nigeria. Browse beads, handworked leather, woven bags, jewellery, textiles and wearable objects while meeting selected artisans. Conclude with a private making workshop led by a Lagos based artisan. Create a beaded jewellery piece or small leather accessory while learning about the cultural meanings of colour, material and adornment.

Highlights

• Nike Art Gallery

• Nigerian painting sculpture and textile art

• Lekki Arts and Crafts Market

• Meetings with selected makers

• Nigerian beads leather and wearable craft

• Private accessory making workshop

• Personal handmade piece to take home

After several days inside Nigeria's fashion and creative ecosystem, enjoy a day beside the water. Travel by private boat to a Lagos beach destination for swimming, lunch and an unhurried afternoon away from the pace of the city. Choose between water activities, beach games or complete rest beside the pool or ocean. Spa treatments and a hotel based day provide quieter alternatives for anyone staying in the city. There is no required evening programme, leaving everyone free to rest or make independent dinner plans.

Highlights

• Private boat transfer

• Beach club or coastal retreat

• Swimming and water activities

• Beach games

• Spa treatments

• Hotel pool

• A completely unstructured day

Dedicate the day to discovering Lagos through its designer boutiques, private showrooms and independent fashion labels. Move through a curated selection of spaces representing different sides of Nigerian style, from established luxury designers and contemporary ready to wear brands to jewellery, leather goods, accessories and emerging labels. Private shopping appointments provide time to explore collections with support from a Lagos based stylist. Multi brand boutiques introduce Nigerian and wider African designers whose work is not readily available internationally. The day also provides time to collect commissioned garments, attend final fittings and complete any necessary alterations before departure. Lunch and refreshment stops between appointments keep the experience relaxed and unhurried.

Highlights

• Curated Lagos fashion shopping route

• Private designer showroom appointments

• Nigerian luxury and ready to wear

• Jewellery accessories and leather goods

• Personal shopping with a stylist

• Collection of commissioned garments

• Final fittings and alterations

Enjoy a slow final morning with no scheduled activities. Sleep late, pack, relax beside the pool or return to a favourite part of the city. The afternoon remains open for the collection of commissioned pieces, an additional fitting or an independent visit to a gallery or cultural space. In the evening, gather for a celebratory closing dinner in one of Lagos's design led restaurants. Continue to a live music venue, cocktail lounge or nightlife experience for one final evening together in the city.

Highlights

• Slow and unscheduled morning

• Time to pack and relax

• Collection of commissioned garments

• Independent gallery or cultural visit

• Celebratory closing dinner

• Live music and cocktails

• Optional Lagos nightlife