VENUSTA Fashion Show Plans Soil & Symbol Edition at LUTH July 25

By Adedapo Adesanya

The VENUSTA Fashion Show has announced its 2026 edition themed Soil & Symbol, with the cultural runway experience to hold on July 25, 2026, at the New Great Hall of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos.

The campus edition is being staged in collaboration with the College of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences Students’ Association (COMPSSA), marking a strategic expansion of the platform into academic spaces while remaining open to designers, fashion enthusiasts, and cultural stakeholders across Nigeria and the African continent.

According to the organisers, the theme Soil & Symbol interrogates identity, origin, and African heritage. Designers are expected to interpret culture through fabric, texture, symbolism, and storytelling, fusing tradition with contemporary aesthetics in ways that foreground African roots and narratives.

Speaking on the collaboration, VENUSTA founder, Mr Michael Okolie, popularly known as ICHIE PANDA, described the LUTH edition as a strategic move.

He stated that the partnership with COMPSSA is focused on talent exploration, talent exposition, and talent monetisation, noting that campuses are filled with untapped creative potential waiting for the right platform.

According to him, VENUSTA is intentionally building a bridge between academia and the creative industry, ensuring that students who design, model, style, shoot, produce, or manage brands have access to visibility, structure, and economic opportunity.

“This is bigger than a runway,” he added. “It’s about creating a system where talent is discovered, developed, and turned into value.”

In addition to the runway showcase, VENUSTA 2026 will officially unveil a new competition feature, The Search for the FACE OF VENUSTA, a competition designed to engage younger audiences and identify bold personalities who embody culture, confidence, and modern African style. The initiative aims to expand the brand’s reach, scout and train aspiring models and build a vibrant youth drive community.

With a growing youth demographic and a highly engaged campus audience, the LUTH edition presents strong collaboration opportunities for brands seeking authentic access to younger consumers. From fashion and beauty to tech, lifestyle, finance, and media, VENUSTA offers partners cultural relevance, direct engagement, and organic brand storytelling within an influential student ecosystem.

VENUSTA Fashion Show continues to position itself as a forward-thinking platform celebrating African beauty, creativity, and innovation.

For media, sponsorship, or partnership inquiries: Contact ICHIE PANDA 0817879009 0r visit the Instagram page.