AMVCA Fashion: Are the Outfits Only Presentable in Photoshoots, Not on the Red Carpet? 

The AMVCA has been a trending topic of conversation in the fashion scene since the award ceremony on Saturday, the 9th of May. The looks curated and posted for the film awards have received praise both locally and internationally, but the burning question on the minds of fashion enthusiasts and social media commentators is, “Are these outfits presentable on the red carpet?”

Are the AMVCA Outfits Presentable on the Red Carpet? 

For years now, unlike other red carpet events, the fashion displayed at the AMVCA has been shown through well-curated photoshoots, and while many have praised Nigerian designers for their creativity and artistry, there are questions about how realistic the creations presented as fashion look during the AMVCA.

While there have been cases where we have seen these looks on the red carpet, the general view is that the looks shown in photoshoots are edited to convey a different feel that cannot easily be captured in red-carpet photos.

Although some of the more subdued looks are equally presentable on the AMVCA red carpet, the more extravagant ones are more artistic works than red-carpet fashion. 

AMVCA Outfits As Artistic Creations 

A common theme is easily noticeable in the looks shared on social media during the AMVCA. These looks are a form of artistic expression and creativity for the designers. While fashion is indeed art, fashion commentators have likened the award ceremony to the Met Gala, noting how international designers can create artistic expression with clothes that look realistic on the red carpet. Which makes us wonder, what is missing in the Nigerian fashion scene? 

The major contribution from fashion designers is that the AMVCA, unlike the Met Gala, is not a fashion show, nor is it dedicated to funding the fashion industry. While these designers have ideas and try to bring them to life, the lack of funding and cultural pressures make it difficult to fully put in the much-needed work to create wearable art.

The Solution To Making AMVCA Outfits More Presentable For The Red Carpet

Although there is no specific solution to ensure more red-carpet-wearable looks are created, one of the major issues with the outfits being created is their impracticality. Nigerian fashion needs to focus on creating artistic pieces that do not lean too heavily into costume art but instead fuse art and fashion. The problem is not that the looks are not good or presentable on the red carpet; the problem is that they are not realistic enough for the award ceremony they are created for, which means they end up being more of a bother for the celebrities wearing them on the red carpet than the artistic genius they should be. 

What do we think? 

The fashion designers in Nigeria are talented and have the potential to create unique pieces that become the talk of both local and international fashion communities. However, it is important that these outfits look as well-tailored as they do in red-carpet photoshoots, and to achieve that, the outfits have to be designed for wearability, not for content.

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