To think of old people and fashion in the same breath was an uncommon scene in the fashion screenplay, until Nigerian creative Malik Afgebua, presented an alternative reality which featured the coolest elderly people the world has ever seen. Through his virtual fashion show for seniors, Malik Afegbua ignited a change in the world’s perspective about old people and fashion. In our article, we take a closer look at the virtual fashion show for seniors and what it represents for the African creative and cultural industries. 

The Artist behind the Show: Malik Afegbua

Malik Afegbua is a Nigerian creative artist and the CEO of Slick City Media. He is a business school graduate who pivoted into a creative career. His work includes producing films, documentaries, commercials and virtual reality exhibitions. The artist has also embraced the emerging artificial intelligence (AI), which he tapped into to produce the currently trending Fashion Show for Seniors virtual fashion show. 

The Fashion Show for Seniors

Fashion Show for Seniors was held in January this year. It featured melanin toned, AI generated senior models, inspired by African seniors. Without taking a deeper look, one could easily mistake the AI models for real people-that’s how well tech was employed to create the groundbreaking show. From classic outfits, beach wear and futuristic outfits with a Wakanda vibe, the elderly fashionistas rocked beautiful Afrocentric designs, also created by Malik. An interesting feature of the models was their faces.  They represented your everyday African seniors, complete with wrinkles, and dark skin tones which made them look very real. Contrary to the view of old people we have, these guys exuded finesse, class and most importantly their expressions reflected joy, and being so full of life. In this fashion show, Malik successfully married art, fashion and technology to produce a top-tier fashion show, all in a virtual reality. 

For Africans, it was an iconic moment in which an African creative broke the internet with news of excellence and disruptive innovation. Within minutes of streaming the fashion show, it had gone viral, gaining thousands of likes in such a short period of time. Thanks to his breakout event, ‘Fashion Show for Seniors’, Malik’s Instagram following grew from only 3,000 followers to over 44,000 followers. This was such a surprising and overwhelming experience for him as he had never imagined he would get such amazing feedback. His show caught the attention of Oscar Winning costume designer, Ruth Carter, who commented on it saying “Who created this? Dope.” 

Owing to the artists’ legendary and out-of-the box use of AI, he also found himself being courted by media houses from all around the world.

More than the visuals being so eye-candy, the show did a spectacular job in dispelling the notion that old people’s desire to look good disappeared with age. It challenged the world to see the benefits of making fashion more inclusive. It was also a significant contribution to building a positive narrative around Africa, which is usually identified with headlines of poverty and distress. A much deeper layer to the fashion show is the inspiration behind it. Fashion Show for Seniors was inspired by Malik’s personal experience drawn from the time he almost lost his mother to a life-threatening stroke. Being someone who is very close to his mother, this experience challenged him to celebrate the elderly and make the most of the time that is there, by focusing on the brighter moments of old age. Without a doubt, his work reflected the authenticity of his inspiration and triggered an emotional wave of warm reception among multitudes of people who also resonated with his sentiments.

Key Takeaways from The Fashion Show for Seniors

The Fashion Show for Seniors was once again a testament of the capacity and talent of Africa’s capacity, despite operating in difficult environments. Through the use of technology Malik was able to produce a fashion show that brought the global world to a stand-still. Attempting to do the fashion show in real life would have taken much more time, higher carbon footprint, and higher costs. Using AI however, Malik allowed the world to experience the beauty and innovation from Africa in a much more accessible and inclusive way.

The show also demonstrated the power of tapping into the uniqueness of Africa. Incorporating the indigenous and cultural aspects of the continent does not take away anything from accessing global markets. If anything, the show actually proved that they add more value to Africa’s creative work. It was the connection of the AI generated models to their African roots, culture and African sense of style made the show stand out even more. 

Through the show, we were able to understand the importance of developing other parts of the value fashion chain. Outside fashion design, there are other aspects such as creative direction, technology, storytelling which are also key in developing and promoting Africa’s fashion industry.

As Fashionomics Africa, we celebrate the incredible work of creatives such as these, which advance the work of the fashion industry. We make an effort to provide opportunities for learning, showcasing and developing markets for Africa’s fashion entrepreneurs. For more information on these resources, feel free to go through the various sections on our website.