Africa Is Emerging As A New Source Of Inspiration For Global Fashion, According To Lexy Mojo-eyes.

Lexy Mojo-Eyes, an African fashion ambassador, is the president and chief executive officer of Legendary Gold, the organization that promoted Nigerian designers internationally prior to the year 2000.
He discussed his experience as a Nigerian game changer in the fashion industry in an interview with Sunday Sun.
Why are you keeping quiet about what you started in the Nigerian fashion scene since you are regarded as the dean of fashion shows in that country?

Yes, I played a significant role in developing Nigerian fashion. I gave the entire Nigerian fashion sector a new direction by encouraging them to use locally produced fabrics, accessories, and patterns in their manufacturing process.
I also encouraged Nigerians to start dressing locally, which has altered the country’s textile, apparel, and fashion industries to this day.

Since 2000, we have been bringing Nigerian designers to the catwalks of Paris, Milan, London, New York, Tokyo, Sydney, etc. after reorienting the local industry.
My focus shifted to extending my mission beyond simply Nigeria to the entirety of Africa after being appointed as the lone African to the Board of Governors of the World Fashion Organization in 2008.
I was also transferred by my assignment to several WFO offices worldwide.
Is this a sign that Legendary Gold has abandoned its first passion, fashion, in favor of other ventures?

In no way.
It is a way of life for Legendary Gold Limited.
Since 2010, we have expanded our business outside of Nigeria to include all of Africa.
This was particularly true when, in 2013, we inaugurated the Africa Fashion Reception (AFR) in Paris.

Our objective with AFR is to extend our services throughout Africa. We wanted to spread the success story of the fashion, textile, and apparel sector in Nigeria and the entirety of its value chain throughout all of Africa. And the African Union and UNESCO are working with us to put this into action.

What is the real purpose of the Africa Fashion Reception?
Africa Fashion Reception’s main objective is to increase the power of fashion as a tool for combating poverty in Africa by generating wealth through the empowerment of women and youths in the various fashion professions through training, capacity-building programs, workshops, and the establishment of micro, small/medium scale businesses, supporting the African Union Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Two AFR events are planned per year. They are the African and world versions, which the African Union and UNESCO, respectively, in Paris, are hosting in Addis Abeba.

An all-African endeavor is the Africa Fashion Reception (AFR).
Every year, under the proud theme “Africa is the New Inspiration of Global Fashion,” the AFR brings together top dignitaries from all over Africa, including ministers, ambassadors, media, textile and apparel manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, buyers, fashion designers, models, and other industry professionals. So, instead of switching to other businesses during the past 15 years, we have simply increased our activities while reducing them in Nigeria.

What significance will your new initiative, “Africa Celebrates,” have for Africa, please?
Our newest pan-African event is called Africa Celebrates. It was launched in 2021 with participation from 18 African nations.
While more nations are participating this year than there were last, 32 African nations did so last year.
Africa celebrates its business, technology, culture, and heritage.
“Achieving African Integration through Art, Culture, Heritage & Business Leveraging on AFCFTA Implementation” is the subject of Africa Celebrates 2023. At the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Abeba, Africa Celebrates will take place in October of this year.

What has sustained you during your years as Lexy?
As long as God allows me life, I will be zealous and enthusiastic about positively empowering and inspiring the next generation of African adolescents with the ideas of pan-Africanism.

Content courtesy Sun News Online & NFH