British-Nigerian designer Kanyinsola Onalaja has taken a bold stance at this year’s Lagos Fashion Week, saying she fully embraces the “clashes and chaos” of her heritage in her Spring/Summer 2026 collection. The show took place on October 29 2025 during the 15th edition of Lagos Fashion Week and featured bold textures, vibrant colours and traditional Yoruba fabrics reimagined in three-dimensional silhouettes. 

Onalaja, who is of both Edo and Yoruba descent, told reporters that for years she tried to conform to what she believed Western fashion wanted. “To be honest, I stopped trying to fit into a particular box of what I think the West wants,” she said. “I think I’m just representing myself as how I know and what I’ve grown up around which is the colour, sometimes the clashes, the contrast and fusing all of that together.” 

The designer’s runway brought together models in shimmering adire-inspired fabrics, bold beading and combinations of traditional face-scar design motifs as part of the visual narrative. Her inclusive sizing from extra small to 4XL also featured prominently, reflecting her intention to break norms around representation and body diversity. 

For Onalaja, the “chaos” she references is not simply visual disorder. It is a visual language that embraces cultural layers, contrasting textures, vibrant heritage and modern structure. She said: “I’m bringing myself and my heritage with the chaos and the beautiful and everything together. I’m not shying away from that anymore.” 

This presentation comes amid rising global interest in African design and a growing recognition of Lagos Fashion Week as a key creative platform. Onalaja’s show stood out not only for its aesthetic but also for its message: authenticity over assimilation. While many designers align their collections to global trends, Onalaja says she chooses to bring her roots front and centre, trusting that the international appreciation will follow organically.

Her approach is resonating: celebrities including Jennifer Hudson and Chloe Bailey have previously worn Onalaja pieces, proving that unique African-rooted design can cross continents without losing identity. 

As the fashion world shifts, Onalaja’s statement appears clear: fashion rooted in heritage, contrast and creative conflict can be just as powerful if not more so than following mainstream trends.