Fola Francis Makes Fashion History By Being The First Transgender Model To Appear In Lagos Fashion Week.
Fora Francis, a model and fashion designer, glances at her phone and smiles broadly.
She smiles even bigger when I ask what’s going on. “The messages keep pouring in,” Frances said of her Instagram and the tributes she received for making her runway debut at her fashion week in Lagos the day before. increase. “It’s really exciting!”
At the end of October, designers from all over Africa turned heads at Lagos Fashion Week, which Vogue ranks as Africa’s biggest fashion event. Frances was the first transgender to walk the catwalk and was also the model for Cute Her Sun and Fruche. There are no trans rights in Nigeria, and residents and governments alike frequently discriminate against them.
Her debut was a tense one. Making history is not easy. Before she hit the runway, she reportedly told herself while dancing backstage. Your efforts are making your ideas come true. She worked hard to get here so she didn’t screw it up.
She claims she felt uneasy when she saw so many people waiting outside for her first performance. Francis says:
“You know? I said to myself, you have to take this seriously. They need to know you’re here and you’re serious about your business.”
After all, Francis was serious. Luckily I was late so I attended to see it. Thankfully, the cute saint’s event started two hours later than he planned.
African contemporary fashion brand Cute-Saint is genderless. African-inspired textures and fabrics inscribed with words like Omo Eko were part of the 2022 collection (Child of Lagos). Few people in the Federal Palace Hotel audience noticed Francis taking a walk.
Disclosure and Fatoumata Diawara’s “Duha (Mali Mali)” was blaring as Francis walked down the runway. She wore transparent high heels, a ponytail in her hair, a flowing red robe with rich red lipstick on her lips, and her eyes were covered in shades of yellow. . As Francis appeared on the runway, understandably, the crowd cheered with enthusiasm.
I walked calmly, keeping a straight face and concentrating on the road in front of me. She modeled her one and only Cute-Saint costume. When the performance ended, there was more applause. Many in the audience congratulated Francis on his debut, with some calling it monumental.
Femi, Creative Director of Cute-Saint, said by phone: “As a company that encourages diversity, it was interesting because it reflected our own ideals. We believe that nothing will change.
I asked Femi if she was concerned about the negative impact of Francis’ participation. Before taking action, he claims, “I was well informed about the possible consequences of my actions.” “But as long as the ideals don’t change, I think we’ll be fine. People who share our ideals are drawn to it. It’s impossible to completely satisfy the market.”
A few hours after Cute-Saint’s, I saw footage of the Fruché show with Francis, as I had missed some. Clothing is ready to wear and exposed. Furchet is known for designing clothing for modern women. Once again, the crowd applauds as Francis walks in. This time she’s dressed in all white, her face is brooding, and her hair is perfectly styled.
There’s a loud rendition of Beyoncé’s “Alien Superstar,” and Frances replies, “This is my favorite,” pointing to her walk. As a Beyoncé lover, I think it’s perfect for this song.
Hymns are sung and people are heard intently observing Francis. Again, many people in the crowd did not notice her walking.
“We are a progressive company and have great relationships with most individuals who buy from us, so there is no fear,” says Fruché founder Frank Agno. If this happens, they weren’t on our side, so please get rid of them.
It was easy for Agno to choose Fora, he continues. She’s a young, independent woman, so when she reached out to her and I had no issues with it, I was thrilled to have her.
Content provided: extra magazine & NFH
