Sly Monay honoured at the Africa CEO Merit Awards 2022

Sulaimon Ayoola Monayajo, the Lagos-born founder and creative director of Sly Monay Fashion, has been recognised by the Africa CEO Merit Awards as the fashion innovator of the year. An accolade that shines a light on a designer who has spent more than a decade reframing traditional West African dress for contemporary and global audiences.

Since launching Sly Monay Fashion in 2012, Monayajo has become known for a signature aesthetic that marries technical tailoring with cultural storytelling. His pioneering work with the deconstructed Agbada, a reworking of the voluminous ceremonial robe into layered, modern silhouettes often infused with Adinkra symbolism has been described by industry observers as both a reverent reinterpretation of heritage and a radical step toward expanding the language of African menswear.

His collections have appeared on a number of prominent runways and stages, including Africa Fashion Week London, the MAIN Festival at Eko Atlantic, earning the label press attention across regional and international outlets.

Monayajo’s trajectory is notable not only for creative innovation but also for its pragmatic foundations. He holds a BSc in Accounting & Economics and an MBA from Cardiff University UK, credentials that have informed a strategic approach to brand growth and production management.

The Africa CEO Merit Awards crowns a period in which Monayajo’s work has increasingly intersected with celebrity visibility and civic acknowledgement. For many observers, the award is both an affirmation of his creative contribution and a signal of the growing influence of designers who reinterpret African dress for new contexts without erasing its cultural specificity.

As Sly Monay Fashion moves into its second decade, the accolade also raises questions about the conditions needed to sustain and scale such practices in Africa. Monayajo’s career highlights the potential for design-led enterprises to generate jobs, revive artisanal skills and contribute to national creative industries, provided persistent infrastructural and investment barriers can be addressed.

In awarding Monayajo as the Fashion Innovator, the Africa CEO Merit Awards have turned a spotlight on a designer who blends heritage, technical skill and social purpose, and whose next steps, whether deeper international collaboration or further local investment will be watched closely by a fashion community increasingly attentive to African innovation.