On November 2, Deeds brought Lagos Fashion Week to a close with FADE, an RSVP-only night that doubled as the unveiling of our new FACES cover. We’ve closed seasons in every major capital this year, kicking off NYFW with Michael Rainey Jr. 's cover reveal, calling last orders in London, and shutting down Paris twice with Gunna, and Davido just to name a few. But when the doors opened at 7:00 p.m. in Lagos, the energy shifted. This wasn’t another stop on the tour. This was homecoming. The brief was simple: celebrate the model community, and do it our way.
RSVP-only meant something that night. The energy from the door was electric, that specific kind of Lagos anticipation where you know something's about to go down. The fashion community showed up, showed out, and reminded everyone exactly who owns this moment. After taking Deed's signature energy to London & Paris, after shutting down New York, bringing it home to Lagos meant something different. This was the blueprint returning to its source.
Inside, DJ Calixx was already setting the tone behind the decks. The space itself was intimate by design, red and pink lighting washed over the Deeds signage. This was a curated space where every corner felt intentional, where the crowd could move between conversation and dance floor without ever losing the thread of celebration.
Martell understood the assignment and transformed the bar into an experience. Bartenders crafting cocktails with precision while the crowd moved between conversation and dance floor without ever losing the thread of celebration. Their support validated what Lagos has been building. Fashion week isn't just about the runway shows. It's about the ecosystem, the photographers, the makeup artists, the models, the creatives who turn Lagos into a cultural capital every season. FADE celebrated that ecosystem, gave it room to breathe and dance and be messy and joyful without having to perform for anyone's approval.
The Faces cover unveiling added weight to the moment. Joy Akhigbe, the new face of confidence, represents something bigger than a single campaign. She's part of this generation of Nigerian models who refuse to be undervalued, who understand their power, who move through this industry with intention. Her feature dropping the same night as FADE proves that the infrastructure is changing, and like Deeds is creating space for these stories to be told properly.
Models moved through the space with that specific confidence that comes from being among peers. The fashion was its own conversation, from sleek black ensembles to bold patterned pieces, from halter necks to oversized silhouettes. Everyone understood the assignment: show up, show out, but make it look effortless.
This wasn't your standard fashion week afterparty with industry people doing the requisite two hour appearance before heading to the next thing. FADE was different. When Teni the Entertainer pulled up, the entire room shifted. Then Ladipoe. Then Fireboy DML. Then Fave. Then Taves, Minz, Ajebutter22, Boj, Lady Donli, Ifeanyi Nwanyi. Adenike Adeleke was there. The energy kept building, each arrival adding another layer to the atmosphere.
But here's what made FADE matter: this wasn't about celebrity sightings or clout chasing moments for the grid. This was the model community's night. The faces that walked Lagos Fashion Week, the creatives who held down casting calls at 6AM, the stylists who safety-pinned a look together backstage, they were all there, and they were celebrating each other. The models weren't background. They were the story.
By midnight, the dance floor was packed with people genuinely lost in the moment. Hands in the air, drinks raised, that universal body language of relief and celebration. Calixx kept reading the room perfectly, dropping tracks that had the entire venue moving in sync. The Joy Akhigbe Faces cover stood on display, a physical reminder of why everyone was really there. This wasn't just about the party. This was about the work, the grind, the six-hour shoots under the Lagos sun that led to moments like this.
Fave's energy was infectious. These were community moments, the kind where everyone knows the words, everyone feels the connection. The line between performer and audience dissolved completely. That's what happens when the model community celebrates itself, the hierarchy flattens, the joy becomes collective.
What happened at FADE proves what we've been building all year. From Paris Fashion Week where, to London’s Last Call, to New York, we've been showing the world that Nigerian youth culture isn't asking for a seat at the table. We're building our own tables, in every fashion capital that matters.
FADE was different because it was home. And it hit different. Because this is where the model community lives, works, grinds through casting calls and six-hour shoots under the Lagos sun. This was their night, in their city, celebrated the way they deserved.
As the night stretched past 2AM, as people finally started trickling toward the exit with hoarse voices and tired feet, the consensus was unanimous: this is what closing parties should feel like. Not exhausted obligation, but genuine celebration. Not the end of something, but a feeling that Lagos fashion is just getting started.
The marathon continues, but we're not just running, we're setting the pace globally, and bringing it all back home.
