Fashion enthusiasts in Rivers State are getting excited as the annual Port Harcourt Fashion Week (PHFW) is billed to hold on November 12 and 13, 2025, at the EUI Centre, Port Harcourt.
The convener, Boma Grace Ogidigben, who has always been passionate about fashion and empowering Africans to excel in the field, described the event as a “platform for emerging designers to launch collections and access buyers and media.”
She said, “Today, PHFW has become a convergence point for designers, buyers, media and young creatives. Our last edition brought together over 50 designers, 30 marketplace vendors and more than 3,000 attendees over four days.
“Beyond the shows, the event has catalysed collaborations, retail orders and meaningful media attention, helping turn creative activity into real business opportunities and positioning Port Harcourt as an active node in Nigeria’s fashion ecosystem.”
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The PHFW 2025, like previous editions, will focus on actualizing its mission and vision of showcasing and growing the creative and fashion economy of Rivers State and Nigeria by providing accessible platforms for designers, entrepreneurs and creative businesses; creating livelihoods and promoting sustainable, inclusive industry practices that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and becoming West Africa’s leading fashion platform that bridges talent to markets, fosters sustainable production and amplifies the cultural creativity of Port Harcourt on regional and global stages.
“Culturally, the event has helped reclaim and celebrate local aesthetics, encouraging designers to source local fabrics and tell Rivers State’s stories.
“That visibility also builds civic pride and attracts national media attention, helping shift perceptions about Port Harcourt from a single-industry city to a growing creative capital,” she said, adding, “Ultimately, we see Port Harcourt as a place where creative excellence meets commercial infrastructure, a city that can tell its own fashion story nationally and abroad. With continued collaboration from designers, sponsors, government and media partners, that future is within reach.”
The major programmes and activities of PHFW 2025 are: runway showcases, including the Future Designer Showcase, Established Designer Showdowns and special initiatives such as Walk for Hope; exhibition marketplace for fashion brands, textile producers, beauty and accessory makers to sell, network and connect with buyers; capacity-building workshops, masterclasses and mentorship programmes on business skills, sustainable production, digital marketing and access to finance; partnership/collaborations with institutions among others.
The PHFW has been supported in the past by eminent sponsors like the British Council, NLNG, Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Tecno Mobile, Lush Hair, MAC Africa, Vlisco, Lacasera, and multiple indigenous brands and cultural partners.
