The BoF 500 is a prestigious list that recognises the people shaping the global fashion industry curated by The Business of Fashion. This year two Nigerians Iretidayo Zaccheaus and Stephen Tayo, have been inducted into the prestigious BoF 500 class of 2024. This recognition solidifies their positions as key players shaping the future of fashion worldwide.
Iretidayo “Ireti” Zaccheaus is the designer, founder and chief executive of Street Souk, one of the largest streetwear conventions in Africa and “African Diaspora” streetwear communities, established in 2018 in Lagos, Nigeria. Street Souk serves as a platform to celebrate and elevate the essence of African streetwear with an annual convention. The convention has grown since its inception and in 2023, she toured the event, bringing Street Souk exhibitors to other cities on the continent like Accra, Ghana and Cape Town, South Africa and further afield to London, Los Angeles and Dubai highlighting and showcasing the distinctive style and essence of Nigerian streetwear globally. She has collaborated with brands such as Nike, Off-White and Fear of God, as well as musicians like Davido and Tiwa Savage.
Stephen Tayo a Nigerian photographer celebrated for his powerful storytelling through images and uses personal style as a conduit for explorations of heritage, culture and self-expression . His works have been commissioned by several international editions of Vogue as well as Dazed, Interview and the New York Times among other publications. His work has been featured in institutions such as London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, Lagos’s Arthouse Foundation, and Amsterdam’s Framer Framed. In 2018, he co-directed Skepta and Wizkid‘s music video for ‘Energy.’ and also worked on a collaboration with Nike. Inspired in part by West African studio portraiture of the 1950s and 60s including legendary names like Seydou Keïta and Malick Sidibé, he finds beauty in both niche subcultures and the commonplace while granting his sitters autonomy to perform and pose as they feel comfortable — a process that instils his work with an intimacy and authenticity.
Their induction into the BoF 500 not only highlights their individual achievements but also serves as a testament to the growing influence of Nigerian creatives in shaping the global fashion landscape.