LFW 2025 Trend Report: The Return of The Showgirl and Glamorous Embellishment

Opulence, Drama, and The Power of Shimmer

If the Raffia trend spoke to craft, the Sequin and Showgirl aesthetic was the voice of pure, unapologetic glamour at Lagos Fashion Week 2025. This trend rejects "quiet luxury" in favour of full-throttle maximalism, positioning the wearer as the star of their own spectacle. The mood favored confidence, visual drama, and an elevation of traditional African embellishments into true couture moments.

The sheer volume of luxurious surface work confirmed that the African fashion scene is not afraid to embrace high shine. Designers drew on handcrafted beadwork, rich surface design, and experimental embellishment inspired by local craft techniques. Sévon Dejana exemplified this with a collection of pure grandeur, featuring lavish beadwork and regal embellishments. Similarly, LFJ transformed the runway into a spectacle with fluid dresses and feathered headpieces, while Eki Silk contributed to the luminous aesthetic with pure silk and jewel-toned designs, confirming the high-glamour, dressed-up mandate.

The trend’s power was demonstrated through innovative material use and refined tailoring. Onalaja, for instance, transformed the runway into theatre, using cascading glasslike beads that mirrored the light and shimmered with movement. Elsewhere, Desirée Iyama presented luxury occasionwear utilizing refined tailoring and luminous textures. Even Sisiano embraced the "all dressed up" feeling with uber-elegant looks in stretchy jersey, confirming that the trend is less about costuming and more about applying brilliant, meticulously detailed surface work that speaks to exceptional artisanal skill.

This wave of opulence is inherently investment-grade. The construction complexity involved in creating fully beaded or sequined garments—often taking weeks of focused handwork—makes them valuable artifacts of slow fashion.