Aside from the “gbas-gbos” that accompanied this year’s AMVCA awards, one thing that rocked the pages of most media platforms about the award was the iconic fashion elegance that different Nollywood stars doled out at the awards night.
Indeed, the Nigerian fashion sector has experienced so much success and has attracted attention from foreign celebrities and fashion brands. Nigerian fashion names like Veekee James, Mai Atafo, Matopeda King, Toyin Lawani, and Yomi Casual have become quite popular in the fashion scene and are competing with foreign brands outside the shores of Nigeria.
The success isn’t accidental! A quick dive into the state of play of the Nigerian fashion scene will reveal an element that is not often talked about. The role “enabling platforms” have played in the Nigerian fashion sector and how these fashion designers took advantage of these platforms to get their deserved success.
In the past, the Nigerian fashion sector was hugely dominated by foreign brands. Celebrities relied heavily on imported clothing, influenced by red-carpet culture where “what are you wearing?” meant boasting established names. Local designers struggled for visibility.
However, the emergence of platforms like the AMVCA has shifted the narrative. These platforms provide a stage for indigenous designers, encouraging them to push boundaries. This not only benefits brands but also contributes to the global recognition of Nigerian fashion. Designers leverage these opportunities to showcase their talent and refine their aesthetics.
Hard work remains paramount, but the role of enabling platforms cannot be understated.
Take the newly launched MBN, designed specifically to support local Nigerian brands. Here’s how platforms like MBN can help you elevate your brand identity:
- Find the Platforms – There are only a few platforms that are solely dedicated to boosting the Nigerian brand. One of which is the MBN platform. These platforms have been designed to provide brands with all the tools required to excel as a Nigerian business in an easy-to-digest manner.
- Understand your Audience – Your audience has unique characters and desires. As such, an understanding of these will help you position your brand in ways that appeal to them. The tools to help with these are also available on some of these platforms.
- Craft your identity – Competition is an instrument and can help with the distinctiveness your brand needs. Brand identity matters and some of these platforms provide customization tools to help with that. The MBN platform for example also has an AI-embedded tool to further make customization seamless.
- Build your Brand – Consistency plays a huge role in the desired success. As such, your long-term goal of building your brand can only be enabled with an ecosystem that provides all the support required during this journey. The MBN platform has a robust ecosystem that provides all the support you need.
Written by Ayodeji Ojo.