At the recent exhibition of Emmy Collins, the iconic fashion designer, pooled notable guests like the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, the managing director of Prime Chinese MD, Princewill Utchay, real estate mogul Ifedi John-Okoye Francis Mbadiwe, as well as the brand’s ambassador, Ikem Ume-Ezoke, to view his latest collection at his Lagos branch.

Known as an anti-trend brand, the collection featured bespoke outfits for men and women inspired by 60s fashion.

“So all my inspiration comes from the ‘60s. Every collection is inspired by the 60s. So I’m exploring the ‘60s.”

Collins’s fascination with the ‘60s fashion can be traced to the boldness and carefree attitude of fashion enthusiasts of that era.

“People from the ‘60s really cared about fashion. People wanted to dress up, whether they were going to church or visiting people, they wanted to dress up. People were bold with colours and experimentation. There weren’t as many limitations as we had in the 2000s.  They weren’t  afraid of people questioning their sexuality, people were just free to express themselves.”

Popularly known by his London outfit, Emmy Collins London, the creative director is looking to make his Lagos brand a dominant force in the fashion world. The brand initially started in Lagos, but Collins had to close shop to focus on his London outfit. It wasn’t until 2023 that he reopened the Lagos showroom, and he has no plan to shut it again.

Most of the attire on display was manufactured locally, although the fabrics were sourced from the United Kingdom.

According to him, “The physical location of the showroom or city of production makes zero difference to the quality of the garments. The garments will retain the same quality even if they were manufactured in the remotest village in Nigeria because we apply the same level of quality control to pieces manufactured either in London or anywhere in Nigeria.”

He also revealed that a complete womenswear range will be launched in September alongside a runway show.