The Port Harcourt Fashion Week is a three-day fashion event targeted at promoting sustainable development through stimulating youths who have interest and potentials in the fashion industry, with the necessary tools that will enable, encourage and support their aspirations of being successful and economically empowered youths. The event also aims at increasing the visibility of the fantastic home grown fashion, showcasing the creative talents that abound in this part of the country while highlighting the culture and sophisticated glamor inherent in the people of port Harcourt and South-South at large through the language of fashion. It is a market place for the creative minds to connect with the Media and Buyers, creating industry opportunities and relationships.
In 2019 when we first launched the Port Harcourt Fashion Week brand, the theme of the event was “Fashion…the new Oil and Gas” The essence was to draw attention to the fshion eco system, celebrate Sme’s who are already making impact in the sector and encourage youths who had interest in the industry to genuinely pursue their interest. Port Harcourt Hitherto have been known as the Oil rich city and youths who could not find themselves in the oil and gas sector felt out of place. That narrative needed to change and we were able to achieve it through the Master classes facilitated by veterans of the Fashion industry, Lexy Mojo Eyes, Frank Osodi, international celebrity makeup artist, Marco Louis of MAC cosmetics Africa, entrepreneurship coach and formal president of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce Engr. Emeka Unachukwu and Mrs Gift Nwankwo.
The second edition which held in 2021 was themed “Revitalizing the Economy through Fashion Tourism” Historically the fashion industry has been used to uplift urban-based development objectives and the sector continues to be viewed as an important tool for economic and tourism development at a local and international level. Cities like Paris, Milan, London and New York have long been applauded for their thriving fashion industries they have achieved a strong position as international fashion capitals of the world. In Africa, South Africa has also used Fashion Tourism, as a vehicle to project its cities while Lagos Nigeria is not left out.
As technology continues to evolve to offer innovation, improve connectivity and provide ease of doing business, industries across the global economies are beginning to adopt and apply the use of technology. The Port Harcourt Fashion Week’s third edition is themed “Tech; The Future of Fashion” As always, through the PHFW Summit, we will pull together key stakeholders within the Fashion space and the Tech sector as players within the larger economies to share ideas and provide possibilities for sustainable fashion.
The role of technology as a tool for growth, innovation and advancement cannot be over-emphasized. It provides the opportunity for globalization, cross-border collaboration, skill enhancement and knowledge development. To engage and employ the technology of fashion , PHFW fashion summit will drive conversation on the evolution of technology in the business of fashion and how its application can provide and promote a more sustainable fashion ecosystem.
The Fashion Week will facilitate a young designers competition, which will serve as a platform to launch the carriers of over 15 fresh fashion designers, who will have the opportunity to be tutored. The selected winner will be given a start-up grant as well as mentorship for business and skill development. This segment of the event holds in March 2023 and is proudly supported by the British Council and Godwin Etim Foundation.
The Summit which is scheduled to hold in May 2023 will welcome experts from across the business, tech and fashion industries while the Fashion Week in July 2023 will have over 100 established fashion designers and exhibitors from across the region, over 25 local and international media platforms and over 5000 visitors.
