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Omoyemi Akerele

Omoyemi Akerele, Founder, Lagos Fashion Week & Style House Files

The lawyer-turned-fashion consultant advises Nigerian fashion brands creative direction and raising their profiles overseas.

Omoyemi Akerele

Omoyemi Akerele is the founder and CEO of Lagos Fashion Week and Style House Files. She has worked in the international fashion industry for more than two decades and is credited with contributing to the acceleration of the African creative economy. Her work is focused on delivering long-term solutions within the African textile and apparel ecosystem by empowering brands, creative businesses and communities with opportunities for growth.

Omoyemi has notable achievements in the areas of youth development, job creation, circular fashion development, showcasing and discovering talent and creating access to the market globally for Africa’s evolving textile and apparel industry while working with multilateral agencies. She has a proven history of empowering creatives and providing launch pads for their creative career development.

She is also on the advisory council for Sustainable Markets Initiative (Africa Council), Mastercard Foundation (Nigeria) and State of Fashion (Netherlands), and is a long-standing member of the Business of Fashion Global 500 index.

Career History

Education
University of Lagos
University of Warwick

VITAL STATISTICS

NATIONALITYNigerian
LOCATIONNigeria
MEMBER SINCE2013

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Latest News & Analysis
Partner Content

Copenhagen Fashion Week Challenges the Conventional Fashion Week System

BoF and Copenhagen Fashion Week partner for a second season, inviting industry leaders, designers, strategists and cultural experts including Esprit’s Ana Andjelic, Lagos Fashion Week founder Omoyemi Akerele, and author and sustainability strategist Alec Leach, to explore future visions for fashion weeks globally.

Partner Content

Copenhagen Fashion Week Challenges the Conventional Fashion Week System

BoF and Copenhagen Fashion Week partner for a second season, inviting industry leaders, designers, strategists and cultural experts including Esprit’s Ana Andjelic, Lagos Fashion Week founder Omoyemi Akerele, and author and sustainability strategist Alec Leach, to explore future visions for fashion weeks globally.


Luxury

‘Fashion Can Change Africa’: The Pioneering Designers Chasing a World of Opportunity

Global interest in African-made goods has grown in recent years but designers on the continent continue to face production challenges.

Luxury

‘Fashion Can Change Africa’: The Pioneering Designers Chasing a World of Opportunity

Global interest in African-made goods has grown in recent years but designers on the continent continue to face production challenges.


News & Analysis

BoF VOICES 2023: Craft, Culture and Colonial Legacies

Bottega Veneta designer Matthieu Blazy, Gap Inc CEO Richard Dickson, Brunello Cuccinelli and others discussed craft, culture, brand building and more, while a panel of sustainability stakeholders examined the colonial dynamics embedded in fashion’s climate crisis.

News & Analysis

BoF VOICES 2023: Craft, Culture and Colonial Legacies

Bottega Veneta designer Matthieu Blazy, Gap Inc CEO Richard Dickson, Brunello Cuccinelli and others discussed craft, culture, brand building and more, while a panel of sustainability stakeholders examined the colonial dynamics embedded in fashion’s climate crisis.


Global Markets

The Gatekeepers to Nigeria’s Fashion Market

Brands are partnering with Lagos-based talent to help them navigate the complexities of the country’s billion-dollar fashion market and create a ripple effect across the African continent.

Global Markets

The Gatekeepers to Nigeria’s Fashion Market

Brands are partnering with Lagos-based talent to help them navigate the complexities of the country’s billion-dollar fashion market and create a ripple effect across the African continent.


Sustainability

Chanel’s Sustainability Financing, Explained

Chanel is joining the likes of Burberry and VF Corp in the booming market for sustainable bonds, but Chanel's bond comes with a hefty penalty if it doesn’t hit its green goals, making it a trendsetter.

Sustainability

Chanel’s Sustainability Financing, Explained

Chanel is joining the likes of Burberry and VF Corp in the booming market for sustainable bonds, but Chanel's bond comes with a hefty penalty if it doesn’t hit its green goals, making it a trendsetter.


News & Analysis

#BoFLIVE: Seizing the African E-Commerce Opportunity

How are African e-commerce brands marketing and selling product to international consumers?

News & Analysis

#BoFLIVE: Seizing the African E-Commerce Opportunity

How are African e-commerce brands marketing and selling product to international consumers?


Workplace & Talent

Victor Glemaud Unveils New Network for Black Creatives in Fashion

The organisation, called In the Blk, offers members from all over the world mentorship, community and various business resources.

Workplace & Talent

Victor Glemaud Unveils New Network for Black Creatives in Fashion

The organisation, called In the Blk, offers members from all over the world mentorship, community and various business resources.


Global Markets

Africa’s $20 Billion E-Commerce Opportunity

The pandemic shone a spotlight on African e-commerce giants like Jumia, Konga and Takealot but now there is a race to become the fashion gateway for the continent. Which specialist etailer will win?

Global Markets

Africa’s $20 Billion E-Commerce Opportunity

The pandemic shone a spotlight on African e-commerce giants like Jumia, Konga and Takealot but now there is a race to become the fashion gateway for the continent. Which specialist etailer will win?


News & Analysis

BoF VOICES Day 1: Fashion Confronts a Challenging Future

The industry is grappling with an uncertain outlook amid projections for slowing growth and mounting socio-political unrest, but new technology and business models offer hope for innovative solutions.

News & Analysis

BoF VOICES Day 1: Fashion Confronts a Challenging Future

The industry is grappling with an uncertain outlook amid projections for slowing growth and mounting socio-political unrest, but new technology and business models offer hope for innovative solutions.


Global Markets

Manufacturing in Africa Could Transform the Fashion Industry. But Who Would Benefit?

Several of the continent’s top fashion minds weigh in on the exciting opportunities and legitimate concerns that come with making clothes in the region.

Global Markets

Manufacturing in Africa Could Transform the Fashion Industry. But Who Would Benefit?

Several of the continent’s top fashion minds weigh in on the exciting opportunities and legitimate concerns that come with making clothes in the region.


What is The BoF 500?

The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.

The BoF 500 2025 medallion logo