A Fashion Show built on Cultural Resilience
The modern fashion show goes beyond just garments on a runway.
It’s about storytelling, atmosphere, timing and raw energy.
The 2025 Africa Week UK Fashion Show took over the heart of London to showcase the continent’s most formidable creative talents. Brought on board by Tatenda Mutsvairo from Ashley Gladman Events, Carby & Co. was tasked with delivering technical support and production for the event.
It was a powerful expression of African culture, identity, and contemporary design. Behind the scenes, the production had to work just as hard as the collections.
The Vision
Working alongside the organisers and recognising the breadth of talent involved, we knew we had to create a show that didn’t simply display the models and designs, but exalted them.
The showcase featured a powerhouse line-up, including the artistic elegance of The Lady Maker, the vibrant storytelling of Orange Culture, and the avant-garde brilliance of designers like Christie Brown and Tokyo James, top exhibitors like David Wej with their signature razor-cut jacquard suits, the bold contemporary streetwear of Black Fine & Fly, and Y’wāra, who championed sustainable artistry.
Among the impressive mix of industry leaders in the room was Queen Ronke Ademiluyi-Ogunwusi, founder of Africa Fashion Week London and the Adire Oodua Textile Hub, whose work continues to create global opportunities for African works. Also present was Donna McGowan, the British Council Country Director in Nigeria, key members from the community advisory group for Black on the Square, and Ghanaian regal chiefs who brought a deeply majestic traditional presence to the front rows. Special guests like SMADE, the prominent UK-Nigerian promoter, took to the stage, while Dayo “DJ Dlite” drove the soundtrack for the runway & VIP gala.
Supported by major partners including African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Standard Chartered, and attended by distinguished guests from across business and diverse communities, expectations were understandably high.
The Production Reality
One thing we’ve learnt over the years is that fashion shows rarely arrive with a perfectly packaged brief. Africa Week UK was no different.
The end goal was clear from day one as the organisers knew the feeling they wanted to create, the calibre of designers they were bringing together, and the importance of the occasion. What wasn’t always clear was how all of that would practically work inside the venue.
With timelines moving quickly, we didn’t have the luxury of multiple site visits. Through a series of planning calls with the organisers, wider event partners, and then direct coordination with the Woolwich Works venue team, we used floor plans and measurements to work through layouts, draping positions, runway placement, guest flow, and backstage requirements to finalise the production approach.
To ensure the extensive fabric components were done beautifully, we brought Event Decor Hire on board to collaborate with us on the draping installations.
Some details shifted as conversations developed, while others became clear once everyone was in the same room discussing the required detailing.
The One-Hour Room Turnaround
Prior to the fashion show, the room was being used in a completely different format. Once that programme finished, our crew was left with a strict one-hour window to transform the space.
Knowing that timing was of the essence, we deployed a four-man crew to roll out the orange carpet runway, install the staging & lighting, and hang the backdrop draping.
To keep things in order backstage, we also put up a layout partition behind the main drapes to cleanly separate the male and female model changing areas, while setting up the perimeter uplighting. True to our style, we brilliantly recreated the space, ready for the show just in time.
Beyond the Fabric
Beyond the dazzling collections and the glamour of the runway, was a team at the core, bringing each component together, to the right standard.
At Carby & Co., we see production as the silent partner to great creative work. When it’s done well, it supports and beautifully composes the overall event.
Africa Week UK 2025 was a brilliant example of that balance; where culture, fashion, design, and production came together flawlessly.
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