By Isaiah Eka
Mae Edmonds, the Convener, Uyo Fashion Week, has urged stakeholders to support the growth of the creative industry in order to discover and develop talents.
Edmonds made the call at a press conference to commence the 2026 Uyo Fashion Week with the theme: “The Fusion: A Celebration of Creativity, Culture, Collaboration and Identity”
She said that expanding the frontiers of the creative industry would affect fashion, film, music, arts, design among others.
According to her, the move would create jobs, attract tourism, and promote economic diversification.
“We are spurring young talents to build their creativity and take it to a higher level. The creative industry affects everyone.
“The creative industry needs to be encouraged and supported. The industry needs needs attention. We need to expand and develop it.
“This nation has great talents, we need to invest in training, and provide policy support to harness the potentials in the industry,” she said.
Edmonds further said that no fewer than 150 designers had participated in the show since it began in 2022.
“Thousands of designs have been showcased on our runway. We conceived this idea to create a world-class platform to expose the huge creative talents in Akwa Ibom and beyond.
“Our runway has served as a springboard for emerging designers, models, stylists, photographers and other creative talents,” she said.
The coordinator identified Joel of GIMS Exclusive as a remarkable example of the show’s product.
“Joel is a young designer of about 25 years of age, he was discovered during our Arise Runway Show.
“Following his outstanding performance on our platform in 2025, Joel received invitations to both the New York and Brooklyn Fashion Weeks,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Uyo fashion week is expected to attract the presence of celebrities and renowned designers.
The organisers say that Akwa Ibom born models such as Ini Edo, Nse Ikpe Etim, Eve Esin, Motel, Ebenezer Eno, Maurice Sam, Fiokee and Lybra, among others will be in attendance. NAN
