CYNTHIA ABILA REIMAGINES IGBO FOLKLORE THROUGH FASHION AND PERFORMANCE

At Lagos Fashion Week, Cynthia Abila transformed the runway into a cultural stage, one that merged performance art and fashion presentation. The show began not with models, but with movement: a traditional Igbo masquerade danced across the stage to the sound of the oja flute, summoning a rhythm of ancestry and storytelling.

Abila has often spoken about her fascination with folklore, and in this season’s presentation, that fascination became her medium. Each garment carried the texture of memory, the pulse of ritual, and the artistry of reinvention. The first look featured a strapless raffia dress with ts bodice clung close to the body before exploding into long, swaying strands of straw, echoing the raffia garments of Igbo masqueraders. The natural fibers caught the light with every step, creating a dialogue between movement, material, and meaning.

That dialogue continued in a series of pieces that merged tradition with modern craftsmanship. A two-piece black and white ensemble featured a structured, bustier-style bodice and a skirt with abstract linear patterns, a nod to ancient symbols reinterpreted through contemporary design. Beneath it, cascading raffia threads anchored the look in the organic world, reminding the audience that Abila’s vision of femininity is both rooted and ever-evolving.

Then came a burst of color: an orange trench-dress fringed with exuberant energy. Tailored like officewear but vibrating with cultural rhythm, it layered corporate precision over folk textures. The collared shirt and tie beneath it gave the piece an androgynous confidence, while the fringe, alive and untamed, reclaimed softness as strength. Striped side panels injected further vibrancy, reminding viewers that identity, like color, is never static.

One of the most memorable looks, however, was the two-piece black ensemble adorned with hand-painted patches, concentric circles, faces, and geometric symbols reminiscent of Nsibidi, the ancient Igbo ideographic script. It was wearable storytelling, with every brushstroke breathing new life into ancestral art.

Cynthia Abila’s collection brought folklore to life. The runway became a ritual ground where the past conversed with the present, and women, who were adorned in straw, paint, and pride,  reclaimed the power of narrative through dress.

In Cynthia Abila’s world, fashion is language, and this season, she reminded us that to dress is also to remember.