When the SS23 edition of Lagos Fashion Week kicked off on a sunny Thursday afternoon last week, there was cause for celebration – finally, after two-and-a-bit years of COVID-induced uncertainty, the event was well and truly back.

As one of Africa’s most prominent fashion events, Lagos Fashion Week has long served as an incubator for many established African designers, including Kenneth Ize, Orange Culture, Thebe Magugu, IAMISIGO, and Andrea Iyamah. And after its unanticipated break, it continued in this vein, spotlighting fresh new talent like Metakay, Oshobor Nigeria, SVL, and Scheherazade Essrhir.

But it wasn’t just the catwalk offering up creativity and inspiration this season. As ever, there was plenty happening on the streets, as young fashion fans slipped into their best looks and headed out to the shows. Like the SS23 runways, the city’s street style across the event exemplified the ways in which a new generation of Nigerians continue to use fashion as a tool not just for self-expression, but also protest, indulgence, and storytelling – as well plain old peacocking and showing up and showing out.

Diving into subcultures as diverse as Afro-futurism, grunge, goth and beyond for inspiration, kids in the city are putting their own spin on style. Here, we took a look at what Lagos’ coolest fashion fans are wearing right now.

KNITWEAR, EVERYWHERE

From amoeba-esque patterned two-pieces, to barely-there, form-fitting looks, knitwear was everywhere this season – despite the sunny weather and warm temperatures, fashion week-goers were committed to the cause.

23-year-old Bolaji Akinwade, a writer and ready-to-wear fashion brand founder, was looking to add colour to his wardrobe, so had a mustard top custom made to complement his grey pants, black purse, and matching yellow coat. “The crochet top was inspired by Nigerian stylist Swazzi,” he explains. “Prior to fashion week I was scrolling through Instagram and saw it in white, so I contacted the designer and had it made in yellow. I love it with my black nails and tonal accessories.”

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In recent years, Lagos Fashion Week has become a haven for young Nigerians whose style sensibilities don’t align with convention, and this season more than ever attendees leaned into fashion that defied gender binaries. Male-presenting attendees opted for gowns and bright, diaphanous chiffon blouses layered over ruffled pants and skirts.

YouTuber Victor Emmanuel Vicwonder, rocked a long red dress trimmed with tassels, and matched it with dark sunglasses and brown sneakers. The 24-year-old found the dress at a swap-shop set up by the Global Fashion Exchange Program in a bid to encourage sustainable fashion redistribution. “I loved wearing it,” Emmanuel says. “It’s red, so it’s loud. I loved the attention it attracted and the conversations it ignited inside and outside of my circles.”

NOT-SO-FORMAL WEAR

An otherwise understated light blue suit elevated by dramatic, winged lapels. A dark green suit pomped up with a ruffled blouse and broad shoulder. A white, off-the-shoulder jacket paired with louche, floor-skimming pants. This year, young Nigerians flipped traditional formal wear on its head, ducking and diving into different eras for inspiration and clashing what they found there.

A standout look came via Izuchukwu Udokwu, whose white suit was covered with hand drawings he himself applied to the fabric. The designer explained that creating the piece “felt like writing a story”. “Sometimes you don’t know where the story is going, and you let yourself be carried by the flow and the independence of your characters. With this outfit, I was also telling a story of how deeply connected we are, which you can see with the lines, and yet how unequal the world can be, and how the actions we take can alter someone’s life forever, which can be joyful or painful.”

Sometimes, when you pick up the Bluetooth-paired phone at an afters, it’s tempting to try to guess the passcode. There can’t be that many, right? Well, maths fans know that this is simply not the case; six digits can literally have a million combinations, so you’re better off flashing Face ID in their face, putting on the new Burial track, and sinking into the sofa.

Anyway, there is a point here: with a few pairs of jeans and a handful of tops, dozens of different possibilities await you. Why? Almost any combo of the two – with the right accessories and shoes – can work, meaning that you’re able to mix-and-match items within a durable, sustainable wardrobe and avoid constantly repeating looks without buying more.

It’s why Levi’s is making Jeans and a Nice Top the focus of its AW22 campaign, fronted by Bridgerton diamond Charithra Chandran. Speaking about the campaign, she told Dazed: “You’re ready for anything and dressed for everything in Jeans and a Nice Top, and I suppose there’s a confidence that comes with that.” Handy for hand-luggage-only trips and a lifesaver when you feel like you haven’t got a stitch to wear, jeans and a nice top go together like Negroni and prossecco.

Now, Dazed Studio has produced a new shoot for Levi’s showcasing the combination’s versatility. Inspired by the magical naiveté of childrens’ flipbooks, it sees stylist Sally Bottomley create six combinations which can then be remixed every-which-way, splicing together jeans and tops to make them twice as nice.

To find out why it works and hear how to choose the best combinations, Dazed asked Bottomley to talk us through the shoot’s looks. Skim through the gallery above to get your Jeans and a Nice Top flipbook fix and check Bottomley’s comments on the Levi’s approach.

How do you use Jeans and a Nice Top in your styling repertoire? Why is it a combo that punches above its weight?

Sally Bottomley: For most people Jeans and a Nice Top is accessible, it has almost become a mantra before a night out. In my work, it’s a great starting point that can be built upon; you can create so many different moods and styles from Jeans and a Nice Top – dress up, or dress down. It features a lot in my work (and personal life). If you could be a fly on the wall listening to me and my friends getting ready for a night out, you may think the number of times we mention Jeans and a Nice Top is excessive!

Are there any big misses when it comes to matching up Jeans and a Nice Top? Is it possible to get it wrong? 

Sally Bottomley: There isn’t really a way to go wrong when pairing Jeans and a Nice top, that’s what makes it so brilliant. Whether you’re into keeping things classic or pushing the boundaries, you can create the most fun looks; for me, there are no rules. Often, my favourite outfits are when you think something shouldn’t go together.

Why has Levi’s got it covered on both counts? 

Sally Bottomley: Levi’s jeans are iconic, they fit so well, so they make the perfect starting point from which to build a look. The versatility of their jeans means they can work for any occasion; you can be confident that any outfit you build around a pair of Levi’s will make you feel fantastic. Additionally, you can always find a great top with Levi’s, whether it’s a classic white shirt or something more playful, they’ve got you covered.