GTCO Fashion Weekend 2026 in Lagos: runway shows, shopping and free masterclasses on 7–8 November
Tongoro Studio, Ibrahim Fernandez and Kim Shui head the first runway names for Guaranty Trust's fashion weekend in Lagos, with a market of small brands and free online masterclasses. Here's what to expect and how to take part.
GTCO Fashion Weekend comes back to Lagos on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November 2026. Run by Guaranty Trust Holding Company, the group behind GTBank, it puts catwalk shows and a market of small fashion brands side by side for two days, with free business classes alongside. GTCO calls the weekend a free business platform; it has not yet published how visitors register for 2026.
Why it is not like other fashion weeks
Most fashion weeks are made for buyers, editors and people on a guest list. This one was designed for shoppers and for the small labels selling to them. GTCO describes it as a consumer fair as much as a showcase, and the market floor covers almost everything you might wear: menswear and womenswear, shoes, fabric, jewellery, skincare, perfume and children's clothes. Between 2016 and 2025, GTCO counts 410 small business owners and 69 fashion-industry leaders from 13 countries.
The masterclasses are the other draw. In 2024 ThisDay's preview billed four masterclasses with designers, stylists and entrepreneurs, on sustainable fashion, branding and marketing, beside more than 140 free exhibition booths. Last year BusinessDay's preview listed twelve runway shows and six masterclass sessions, led by professionals from fashion, modelling and make-up.
“Our focus every year remains Promoting Enterprise.”
Who is on the runway
The organisers' 2026 runway page puts four designers on the Saturday and one on the Sunday, with further places still marked as coming soon. It is a properly pan-African line-up with a New York accent:
- Tongoro Studio, Sarah Diouf's Dakar label, made with Senegalese tailors and worn by Beyoncé on her Renaissance tour; it was on the 2025 runway list too, BusinessDay reported.
- Ibrahim Fernandez, the Ivorian designer behind the orange tie-dye jackets Côte d'Ivoire's squad wore on arrival at the 2026 World Cup.
- Washington Roberts, a Nigerian-born designer who worked for American brands before starting his own label.
- Fia Factory, also on the Saturday programme.
- Kim Shui, the New York Fashion Week designer, who has the Sunday runway to herself so far.
Before you go
The official site has not yet named the 2026 venue. The 2024 and 2025 editions were held on Water Corporation Drive in Oniru, Victoria Island (at the GTCentre in 2025, BusinessDay reported), but check the site before setting off rather than assuming it will be the same.
If you hoped to sell, applications for 2026's free stalls have already closed. Masterclass registration is billed as free and opening soon, and the session schedule is still to be published. GTCO's About page says the 2026 masterclasses will be online, as interactive webinars, so you can follow them from anywhere. Press-pass applications are still open on the site; 2026 model casting has closed.
Frequently asked questions
When is GTCO Fashion Weekend 2026?
Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November 2026, in Lagos. GTCO's runway page has four designers showing on the Saturday and Kim Shui on the Sunday.
Is GTCO Fashion Weekend free?
GTCO calls the weekend a free business platform: exhibitors' stalls are free and masterclass registration is billed as free. Registration details for visitors in 2026 aren't published yet, so check the official site.
Where is GTCO Fashion Weekend held?
The 2026 venue is not yet on the official site. The 2024 and 2025 editions were held on Water Corporation Drive in Oniru, Victoria Island (at the GTCentre in 2025, BusinessDay reported).
Which designers are showing at GTCO Fashion Weekend 2026?
So far Tongoro Studio, Fia Factory, Ibrahim Fernandez, Washington Roberts and Kim Shui, with more runway slots still to be announced.
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