A host of designers recently converged on Ago-Iwoye for the Ijebu Fashion Festival. The gathering brought a large number of people together.
The organizer put together young minds in the creative industry in Ago-Iwoye for the purpose of promoting and empowering local designers in Ijebu and its environs.
The two-day event aimed at encouraging sustainability, social change and to also celebrate ijebu heritage as an ethnic group with unique fashion style.
The event started with a master class, which brought key industry players to enlighten, motivate and inspire budding creatives in Ijebu with real life experiences and facts.
Speaking at the event, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Ijebu Fashion Festival, Aare Safriyu Kazeem, disclosed that for Nigeria to become an industrialised nation with good economic indices, all hands must be on deck to support the creative industry to be able to generate employment for the teaming population.
“The industrialisation we yearn for, and the economic progress we long for, can only be our reality when we have platforms that support them. While we all look up to the government, it is glaring that the intervention we need cannot be handled by government alone,” he said.
Speaking also, the Convener, Ayokunle Maraiyesa, disclosed that government should create enabling environment for business to thrive.
She stated that accessing loan by industry players, particularly, by Small Medium Scale Enterprises (SMSEs) has been a herculean task, noting that government should make process of obtaining loans seamless for the industry.
Maraiyesa noted that the festival is a local platform designed for fresh and emerging designers and artists who want exposure, but do not have finances for international shows.
She further said the main focus is to use fashion as an instrument of sustainability and social change as well as to celebrate awareness, recognition and empowerment of promising local designers in Ijebu land and its environs.
