The organizers of Felabration 2025 have announced the opening of entries for this year’s Dress Fela Fashion Competition. Fashion designers, tailors, couturiers, and lovers of African fashion are encouraged to register and showcase their creativity.
Registration opens on June 1 and will close on July 15. The competition forms part of the activities leading up to Felabration 2025, which will hold from October 13 to 19 at the iconic New Afrika Shrine in Lagos.
Now in its 25th year, Felabration 2025 is themed “SHAKARA”, a tribute to Fela Kuti’s 1972 album of the same name. The fashion contest challenges participants to reimagine Fela’s unique Afrocentric style in bold, modern, and eye-catching designs.
“This is an opportunity for young and established designers to bring Fela’s fashion legacy to life in fresh and exciting ways,” said the organisers.
Felabration is an annual music and arts festival that celebrates the life, music, and activism of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the Afrobeat pioneer and human rights icon. The event features live music performances, art exhibitions, street carnivals, debates, and discussions on social issues.
The festival was founded in 1998 by Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti, Fela’s daughter, and has since grown into a major cultural and tourist event in Nigeria, attracting visitors from across the country and abroad.
Fela was known not only for his powerful music and activism but also for his bold fashion sense—often seen in colourful traditional attire, flowing robes, and his signature style that mixed rebellion with African pride.
The Dress Fela Fashion Competition aims to honour that legacy through creative expression in clothing and design. Interested participants are advised to register early and prepare to showcase their talent in what promises to be a vibrant and competitive event.
More details on how to enter can be found on Felabration’s official platforms.
