Music breathes life into fashion shows. It sets the mood, defines the tempo, and mirrors the creativity on display. In Nigeria, where fashion has grown into a vibrant cultural and commercial force, the soundtracks that accompany runway shows are often deeply rooted in Afrobeats — the genre that has become the country’s most powerful global export.
Where Music Meets Fashion
Since fashion evolved into big business in Nigeria, music — especially Afrobeats — has stood beside it as both inspiration and amplifier. From Lagos Fashion Week to brand campaigns, designers and musicians have found creative harmony, each helping the other express identity and culture.
Lagos Fashion Week, launched in 2011, has become the heartbeat of this collaboration, often featuring star-studded appearances and live performances from some of Afrobeats’ biggest names. Tiwa Savage’s electrifying live set at the 2017 edition remains one of the event’s most memorable moments, while more recent editions have showcased experimental soundscapes that blend African rhythms with futuristic textures.
The Sound of Creativity
For many designers, music is an essential part of storytelling. Some, like Orange Culture, have pushed sonic boundaries, their Spring 2022 collection at LFW featured protest chants and ambient synths inspired by the #EndSARS movement. Others, like IamIsigo, have mixed traditional African instruments with experimental sounds to evoke mystical, dreamlike experiences as heard in her 2024 Heaven, Earth & Below showcase.
Designers such as Emmy Kasbit have leaned into Nigeria’s musical heritage. His Lagos Fashion Week 2023 show featured an eclectic playlist, from Fela Kuti’s Water No Get Enemy to Davido’s Dami Duro, capturing the evolution of Nigerian sound and spirit. Similarly, Tia Adeola’s 2022 New York Fashion Week show paid homage to Fela, styling models after his legendary Kalakuta Queens.
From Ugo Monye to Kadiju and Oshobor, many Nigerian designers have embraced Afrobeats not just as background music, but as a central part of their creative expression.
Artists Turned Fashion Icons
Afrobeats stars have long influenced style and fashion culture from Obesere’s flamboyant 1990s flair to P-Square’s early 2000s denim aesthetic and Ice Prince’s statement streetwear. For these artists, music videos often double as fashion runways.
Today, that influence has transcended the screen. Wizkid’s 2018 appearance for Dolce & Gabbana at Milan Fashion Week marked a turning point for Nigerian artists in global fashion. Lojay, Magixx, and Davido have all followed suit with Davido stealing the show at the 2024 Lagos Fashion Week in Ugo Monye’s regal “Ife Aso Anyi” collection. Burna Boy made his own runway debut earlier this year at the Off-White Fall/Winter 2025 show in Paris.
The Beat of the Runway
Live performances have also become a fixture at major Nigerian fashion events. From Asa and WurlD’s soulful duets at Arise Fashion Week to Falana and Lojay’s intimate runway sets at Lagos Fashion Week, music now forms the heartbeat of these events elevating them from mere showcases to immersive cultural experiences.
The growing bond between Afrobeats and fashion underscores a powerful cultural truth: both are driven by rhythm, self-expression, and identity. Together, they are reshaping how Nigeria presents itself to the world, bold, creative, and unapologetically African.
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