On Friday 5th April, 2019, Lagos Fashion Week hosted Fashion Focus Fund Live, a business plan pitch presentation to determine the recipient of the Fashion Focus Fund.

This year, the Fashion Focus Fund Live presentations involved past Alumni of the programme and raised the stakes with a N10,000.000 (Ten Million Naira) grant for the 2017/18 Fashion Focus Finalists as well as Alumni.

The day started with a closed session with the 2017/18 Fashion Focus finalists who presented their business plan for the opportunity to be awarded a N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) grant chosen by a panel of judges consisting of: Omotade Odunowo (Managing Director, FETSWallet), Osayi Alilie Oruene (Chief Executive Director, Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation), Chukwuka Monye and Ify Monye (Managing Directors, Ciuci Consulting), Akin Oyebode(Special Adviser, Investment, Trade and Innovation, Ekiti State), Rukky Ladoja (Creative Director, Grey projects) and Doyin Okunrinboye (Sunlight Nigeria).

This was followed by presentations to a Live audience to access an additional N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) for two Fashion Focus Alumni (Female) to receive of N2,00,000.00 (Two Million Naira) each, a grant awarded by Sunlight as well as the Audience Favourite prize of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira), a grant awarded by FETSWallet. The Audience Favourite was decided by the audience in attendance who voted for their favourite business plan pitch.

Cynthia Abila (Cynthia Abila) emerged the winner of the Fashion Focus Fund 2019, a choice made by a select panel of judges in the closed presentation sessions. Cynthia will receive a cash grant of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira), aimed at supporting the development of her fashion business. In addition, she will be enrolled into a year long creative and business mentorship programme.

Faith Oluwajimi (Bloke) was first runner up in the presentation to judges, and our partners, FETSWallet decided to make an exception this year by creating a runner up prize, which means he will also be receiving a cash grant to support his fashion business.

Adenike Adegboye won the audience favourite prize of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira) with the most votes from the audience at the Fashion Focus Fund Live event that evening.

Fashion Focus Alumni Chechi Arinze and Titi Belo took home the Sunlight Prize of the evening - A N2,000,000 (Two Million Naira) prize to award two female designers from the Fashion Focus alumni network. An initiative of Sunlight Nigeria to support young female entrepreneurs on their journey to becoming more successful. Chechi Arinze and Titi Belo, the recipients of N2,000,000 (Two Million Naira) each were selected by Zaniab Abbas (Assistant Manager, Sunlight), Princess Nnaji (Senior Brand Manager, Home and Hygiene), Osata Evbuomwan (Senior Brand Manager, Lux and Dove, Africa) and Doyin Okunrinboye (Senior Brand Manager, Sunlight Masterbrand). Chechi Arinze and Titi Belo were selected because their work most aligns with part of what Sunlight stands for - Impact and Empowerment.

Fashion Focus Live is an initiative of Lagos Fashion Week and Style House Files, Supported by FETSWallet and Sunlight (Unilever).