HERE // How To Shop Like a Pro in Lagos, Nigeria

With West Africa’s love for fashion and Nigeria’s surplus of talented tailors and designers, it would be foolish to leave Lagos without some statement pieces to upgrade your wardrobe in tow. But whether it’s your first time in the city or your tenth, finding the right threads in the right places is always a challenge.  Here, I’ve broken down just where to go to find the perfect pieces in this bustling metropolis—and where to snag some local Lagotian designers on Instagram from anywhere in the world.

>> read the full article at HereMagazine.com

Okada Men for Highsnobiety

left to right: FRAMES BY Cutler + GROSS, Gucci

photos by Stephen Tayo / frames styled by Alexander-Julian

“nigeria's okada bikers could be the freshest people on earth”

— Highsnobiety

It might seem surprising, but some of Nigeria’s sharpest sartorial efforts can be found on the backs of the motorbikes zipping through the streets of Lagos. The bikes are known locally as keke or okada, a play on now-defunct Nigerian airline Okada Air due to their riders’ ability, albeit terrifyingly, to get you from point A to B. Riding the streets of Lagos all day can leave your eyes vulnerable to all kinds of dust and debris in a city of 21 million, and the bikers protect their peepers with pure steez.

As many Nigerians will testify: no matter the situation, style is never worth sacrificing. You’ll frequently find okada riders decked out in the most extravagant eyewear, from large embellished hot pink frames to gold-trimmed cat-eye lenses. If you’re going to hit the Lagos streets, it’s got to be done in style.

I teamed up with local photographer Stephen Tayo to capture the infamous okada bikers of Lagos in the most lavish eyewear of the season.

read the full story on Highsnobiety.com >>

LEFT TO RIGHT: SUNGLASSES BY OFF-WHITE x WARBY PARKER, CUTLER + GROSS

LEFT TO RIGHT: GUCCI FRAMES, ADAM SELMAN x LE SPECS SUNGLASSES

DOLCE & GABBANA EMBELLISHED SUNGLASSES

“With their lack of appropriate headgear and outrageous, sometimes comically overloaded cargo, the okada riders aren’t always popular with government and locals. They are usually depicted as rough and rowdy biker boys, but for okada riders, ferrying people and goods to and fro is a no-fuss way to make a living. ”

SUNGLASSES BY GUCCI

Left to Right: Vintage Dior Frames, Driver’s Own.

“Despite numerous attempts to remove okada from Nigeria’s roads, they have survived time and again, and their drivers are all the more fly for it.”

SUNGLASSES BY LE SPECS

HIGHSNOBIETY // The Lagos Fashion Week Menswear Edit

LFW:

The Highsnobiety Edit

After diligently deliberating on countless hours of amazing African fashion c/o Lagos Fashion Week, I’ve put together the Highsnobiety edit of the designers you need to know and the pieces you’ll want to get.

FULL ARTICLE

read the full article and review at Highsnobiety.com >>

Condé Nast Traveler IG Takeover - Lagos

PHOTO BY @BOLA

Condé Nast Traveler IG Takeover

I took over Condé Nast Traveler’s Instagram account (@cntraveler) to highlight my trip to Lagos, Nigeria. In the story I covered Lagos’ amazing food culture, where to find and buy the latest Nigerian designer pieces, the reigning Nigerian music scene, and all the other fun things to do in the bustling city.