Iyke Bede
In an evening marked by bright festive lights, runway fashion, and musical extravaganza, the outdoor space of the Prime Chinese Restaurant (PCR) nestled in Victoria Island, Lagos, was transformed into a gathering of fashion enthusiasts and music lovers for the maiden edition of the Prime Lagos Show (PLS).
Conceived by PCR and set into motion by creative agency Oxygen, the PLS is a yearly event that will showcase young creatives, positioning them to advance their careers beyond the shores of local entertainment to the international scene. PLS hopes to attain this goal by serving as a conduit for creatives and key figures in the international markets.
Budding Nigerian singer Uto Rosman, accompanied by two dancers donned in an all-denim ensemble, delivered an energetic performance of her single ‘Ozugo’ to kick off activities, earning acclaim. Singers Cabrini, and Akunna evoked similar reactions from the audience as well.
With the fashion shows serving as interludes, audiences were introduced to the different thematic pieces from fashion houses like Hellerose, Haya, Abitoye, McSteve”69, Anasams Collections, and Mabel Opara.
The event culminated in a fierce faceoff where 10 disc jockeys (DJs) battled for the star prize of N300,000. The gruelling process produced DJ Victoria (Victoria Ereuchalu) as the champion of the DJ Competition. DJ Yinka (Adeyinka Ogunbiade)clinched the first runner-up prize of N150,000.
Eliciting a standing ovation from the crowd, physically challenged DJ Schoolboy (Anaka Emmanuel) beat seven other contestants to emerge second runner-up.
“What we are doing tonight is about giving back,” head organiser of PLS, Princewill Uche noted. “We know these are kids with raw talents. So, when we identify a fashion designer who has creativity, we will absorb and encourage them. As for the models, some will gain access to walk international runways. But with the DJ category, we place prize money on it. We intend to get them into a recording studio where we empower them, polish them, and send them out to the world.”
Meanwhile, Stan Mukoro, an automotive entrepreneur who was instrumental to the meteoric rise of the Aramanda fashion brand in the international fashion market explained that PLS inspires creatives to think globally in terms of monetizing content.
“There is no limit to talent. If there is anybody in this country that can raise someone from here to think globally, this is what Oxygen does,” Mukoro asserted.
