19-Year-Old Nigerian Becomes Youngest Designer At The New York Fashion Week

19-Year-Old Nigerian Becomes Youngest Designer At the New York Fashion Week

Taofeek Abijako, a 19-year-old Nigerian designer, has made history by becoming the youngest ever designer to present a full collection at the New York Fashion Week.

The Nigerian designer made history at the 2018 international fashion runway event tagged ‘New York Fashion Week: Men’s this year’, which took place a few days ago.

Taofeek held a presentation for his brand Head of State+’s spring/summer 2019 collection, which paid homage to 70s afro-futurism styles and West African youth culture.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) revealed that his label “pays homage to his past by celebrating his West African culture through a contemporary perspective.

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19-year old Taofeek Abijako of @_headofstate brought colorful streetwear to the #NYFWM runway.

9:18 PM - Jul 11, 2018

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CFDA

✔@CFDA

At just 19 years old, @_headofstate designer Taofeek Abijako is the youngest designer showing at #NYFWM - and he's also one of the most outspoken. Learn more on why the emerging designer on http://CFDA.com ! https://cfda.com/news/nyfw-mens-eyes-on-taofeek-abijako-of-head-of-state …

10:22 PM - Jul 9, 2018

NYFW: Men’s Spotlight on Taofeek Abijako of Head of State+ | News | CFDA

At 19, Taofeek Abijako may be the youngest designer showing at New York Fashion Week: Men’s, but he’s certainly not afraid to speak his mind. The Nigerian-born designer is using his platform to...

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He described his collection ‘Genesis’ as a ‘minimalist streetwear approach with social and political commentary.’

In his words, the CFDA wrote, “My dad was a trained fashion designer while living in Nigeria and dealt mostly with local traditional garments.

“Growing up in an environment like that sparked my curiosity in design.”

When asked about his inspiration for his collection, he stated that it will portray “the vibrancy of West African youth culture in the ‘70s and Fela Kuti.

“The new collection is guaranteed to be groundbreaking in design and social impact,” he said.