Great news for the Nigerian fashion industry! Omoyemi Akerele of StyleHouse Files Lagos is a finalist for the Tommy Hilfiger Social Innovation Challenge!

Akerele, who is one of the biggest forces in the fashion industry in Nigeria, and arguably on the continent, has been dubbed one of the fashion catalysts globally and is #BOF500 honoree 6 years in a row, has been picked out of what we can imagine is several hundreds of applicants to participate in the final stage of the challenge.

According to a press statement on their website:
The TOMMY HILFIGER Social Innovation Challenge is a global initiative that aims to support entrepreneurial start-up and scale-up stage businesses that are developing solutions that have a positive social impact on the fashion value chain. Winners will receive a year-long mentorship with Tommy Hilfiger’s internal experts globally, in addition to winning a grant of up to €100,000 as well as a place on the INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Program (ISEP)
“Our brand has a strong history of mentoring and supporting talented individuals who have the drive to turn bold ideas into a reality,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “The future success of our industry depends on proactively discovering and nurturing innovative projects that can create real social change. The TOMMY HILFIGER Social Innovation Challenge is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on incredible ideas that could change the lives of people through a more positive and inclusive fashion landscape.”
About the Final Challenge
Seven finalists will be invited to develop their project plans with the support of a team of dedicated Tommy Hilfiger subject-matter experts during a one week “Sprint” at the Tommy Innovation Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. They will pitch their finalised concept at the global TOMMY HILFIGER Social Innovation Challenge event in early 2019, where a panel will select three winners who will be awarded between €50,000 and €100,000 to support their ventures.
@omoyemiakerele

And whilst its all been a little hush hush – with no formal announcement from parent company PVH Corp or Tommy Hilfiger – we spotted this confirmation on Omoyemi’s Instagram story.

We are really rooting for her to win.