Lagos Fashion Week just wrapped its October edition under the theme “CRAFTED,” and the runways delivered some of the most talked-about looks we have seen in years. But not every trend that walked off those catwalks deserves a second season. Some of them peaked the moment the last model bowed. If you are planning your wardrobe for 2027, here is what we think you should leave behind.
Fringe is the obvious one. It showed up on almost every single show. Oshobor put it on gowns. Studio Imo layered it into billowy skirts. Holy One, Y’Wande, Sisiano, and Hertunba all carried it in some form. Off the runway, street style was doing the same thing. When every designer in one week picks the same decorative detail, it is no longer a discovery. It is saturation. Fringe already had its global moment in 2024 and 2025 with houses like Simone Rocha and Bottega Veneta. By the time it hit Lagos at this density, the novelty was already spent. By 2027, it will feel dated, not fresh.
Next, the whimsy wave. Ajanéé sent out straw gowns, Marvel-inspired prints, boys’ shorts, and exposed underwear straps. It was fun to watch. It was not a system. It was a single-season provocation rooted in nostalgia and pop-culture referencing. That kind of gesture works once. It does not build a wardrobe. If you bought into it in 2026, enjoy it. Do not expect it to make sense in 2027.
The beaded-bra-and-crochet-bikini-as-outerwear moment deserves the same treatment. Onalaja and Iamisigo pushed literal underwear onto the runway as a full look. It is a statement, not a silhouette. Statements age badly. By next year, the “underneath it all” concept will feel like a reference to a specific moment rather than a direction.
Ruffles, gathers, and tiered silhouettes are the trickier one because they are genuinely pretty. Desirée Iyama, MOT, and Jewel Jemila all leaned into soft, romantic tiering. But this is the same “romantasy” wave that Vogue already flagged as peaking for SS27. The global appetite for this look is deflating. Lagos followed it in, which means it will follow it out. By FW27, tiered ruffles will read as last season’s choice.
Finally, the red-burgundy-pink colour block. Jewel Jemila, Desirée Iyama, Y’Wande, and Imad Eduso all committed to it. Colour palettes rotate faster than construction techniques. A dominant colour in one season becomes a tell of that season in the next. You do not want your 2027 outfit to look like a 2026 runway recap.
What should you carry forward? The structural stuff. Adire, Akwete, and Aso-Oke as foundational textiles. Sculptural raffia work from brands like Kíléntár, Pepper Row, and Bornstar. Proportion play. The craftsmanship and circularity ethos the “CRAFTED” theme was built around. These are material and technique investments. They do not expire because a different decorative trend takes over.
The rule is simple: if a trend is a garnish, it has a shelf life. If it is a foundation, it does not. Fringe, pop-culture whimsy, literal underwear-as-outerwear, peak romantasy tiering, and a single dominant colour block are all garnishes. Let them stay in 2026.
FAQ Section
Q: Which SS27 trend from Lagos Fashion Week 2026 should I skip?
A: Fringe is the top one. It appeared on nearly every show and already had its global peak in 2024–25. By 2027 it will read as dated.
Q: Will tiered ruffles still be in style in 2027?
A: Probably not at the same density. The “romantasy” wave Vogue flagged as peaking for SS27 will likely deflate by FW27. Lagos followed it in; expect it to follow out.
Q: What should I keep from LFW 2026 for my 2027 wardrobe?
A: The structural elements — adire, akwete, aso-oke, sculptural raffia, and proportion play. These are technique investments, not one-season garnishes.