Celebrated Nigerian fashion designer, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi (LDA), is set to mark her 20th anniversary in the fashion industry.
She with a virtual media parley on Thursday, ahead of the grand showcase of her new anniversary collection slated for Sunday.
The online event, held via Zoom, drew media professionals, industry stakeholders, and long-time collaborators who joined in celebrating Da Silva’s two-decade journey of defining African luxury fashion through her eponymous label.
Da Silva, who launched her brand in 2005, reflected on her early beginnings, the evolution of Nigeria’s media landscape, and the inspiration behind her anniversary collection.
She recalled how her journey into fashion began after returning from the United Kingdom, where she earned degrees in Business Administration and Finance from Coventry University and the University of Leicester, respectively.
“Coming back from England, I was meant to go into investment banking, but I started making clothes for my friend Tundun. People saw them and encouraged me to turn it into a business. Here we are today, 20 years later,” she said.
She noted that the journey had not been without challenges, but credited technological advancement and media evolution for transforming the creative space.
“When I started, we relied on newspapers. Today, the media has changed completely — we can now have a Zoom media parley in 2025, which was impossible in 2005,” Da Silva remarked.
Da Silva revealed that her anniversary collection—titled “Pictorial Expression”—revives elements from one of her iconic showcases at Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda Exhibition in 2012.
The collection features beaded designs, metallic fabrics, and timeless couture silhouettes inspired by her past works, with fabrics such as velvet, Chantilly lace, lamé, and tulle taking centre stage.
“The collection is very timeless LDA — elegant, confident, and true to the Nigerian woman,” she said.
A major highlight of the celebration is Da Silva’s continued effort to mentor emerging designers.
She announced that three young designers Mariah of Garza Williams, Bisoye Olorunibe of Eyo, and Ugo of 1407 will showcase their pieces on her runway.
“It’s part of my way of giving back. When we started, there weren’t many people to lean on. Sharing my platform with the next generation is my way of ensuring the legacy continues,” Da Silva explained.
Host Tundun Abiola described LDA as “a true trailblazer in modern Nigerian fashion,” while praising her for consistently promoting African creativity on global platforms such as GTBank Fashion Week, South Africa Fashion Week, and Paris Fashion Week.
The designer ended the parley by thanking the media for their long-standing support and called for continued collaboration to spotlight African excellence in fashion.
