London and Lagos – The annual Homecoming festival of Nigerian creativity is collaborating with London fashion store Browns East for a phygital 2020 edition.
Upholding the goal of Homecoming to spotlight emerging African talent across music, fashion, art and culture, this year’s iteration presents an e-zine alongside an array of digital events and in-store activations. The zine, Ni Agbaye, which means ‘in the world’, focuses on the global influence of Afro culture, exploring cultural exchange through a range of mediums and voices from the diaspora.
Combining panel talks, interviews, customised artwork and an exclusive fashion collection sold at Browns East, Homecoming gives a platform to African creatives beyond their local audience. Discussing the Browns East collaboration, Grace Ladoja, founder of Homecoming, says: ‘We're stocking 15 designers; most are from Nigeria and for some, it’s their first stockist. It was really important for us to get their products in-store so that we could spotlight them globally to a new audience.’
As the African Fashion Market continues to gain momentum on an international scale, globally-minded retailers have an opportunity to provide inspirational in-store spaces that support nascent design talents.