Omoyemi Akerele
Founding Director, Style House Files and Lagos Fashion Week
I am the Founder and Executive Director of Style House Files and Lagos Fashion Week, a fashion business development agency that's played a pivotal role in shaping and advancing the African fashion industry. With over two decades of experience, we have created transformative platforms that support emerging designers, foster market access, and integrate sustainable practices across the textile and apparel ecosystem.
Through Lagos Fashion Week, we have elevated African talent on the global stage, offering designers a platform to showcase their work while providing advocacy, masterclasses and incubation support. Our work has opened doors for African designers connecting them to market. We advocate for sustainability, closing the loop and ethical practices in design through our initiatives like Green Access and Woven Threads; and sourcing for companies who want to incorporate artisanal craftsmanship into their supply chain.
I serve on the Mastercard Foundation Advisory Committee (Nigeria) and Sustainable Markets Initiative. She looks forward to working with a diverse group of opinion formers to re-define the future. I'm based in Lagos and I remain committed to driving innovation, sustainability and growth across Africa's creative industries.
What does stewardship mean to you?
Stewardship means honoring the gifts, skills and knowledge that's been passed down from generation to generation and weaving them into a shared future where dignity, opportunity and cultural legacy are accessible to all.
This photo was taken during a visit to a community on the outskirts of Ouagadogou, in Burkina Faso. Sitting at the loom was a humbling reminder of all we often take for granted and the human cost behind every piece of woven cloth. I could barely operate the loom. The time, skill and labour poured into each thread is a reflection of this and yet, when we compare this to the pricing of luxury garments today, there's a stark imbalance with the luxury brands profiting significantly while the artisans often receive little more than a minimum wage. This experience really underscored a hard truth - luxury brands must do better, period. Fair compensation and meaningful investment in the communities they source from are not just ethical responsibilities, they are necessary toward justice. True luxury should honour the hands that create it.
