Many came to get gawked at. How else will I describe the intention of someone, a guy for instance who breezed into the venue in crudely cut waist coat, a torn shirt, sliced-by-the-sides trousers and sneakers?

I really need to improve my poker face game. Each time I saw an outrageous outfit I couldn’t stop my cheeks from bulging with laughter. Although some were quite creative, like a lady wearing a recycled disposable cups dress, others were just blatantly ridiculous. I caught quite a number wearing winter boots. In Nigeria, knee length winter boots.

The crop of people at the event was an interesting mix; from the bloggers to the designers to the fashion enthusiasts. It was a really great place for networking and gawking at sights (like the long, long legs of the models. They looked like swans in the ankle socks, crotch shorts and flimsy tops).

Saw some really creative designs too like this paper dress.

During the master classes on the first day, we were given GTBank branded gift bags. Funny thing was I was expecting a T-shirt when I saw a transparent pack in the bag. So I was surprised when I got home and met a raincoat.

“Why will they give a raincoat when the rains have gone away?” I asked in annoyance, flipping the bag.

But it turned out that it’s an accurate foresight on the part of GTBank. Rain did fall on the second day (and beat the annoyance out of me too. I ended up looking like a wet sack of potatoes, not funny at all).

This points to the fact that the planners paid extreme attention to details, down to the weather forecast. Or is it just coincidence? Everything was seamless. And that annoying phenomenon called African Time was not in the least present.

Added to this is the positioning of the picture boards showcasing the bank’s logo and colours. Almost every picture taken there by attendees has either the colour, the logo or the event design in the background.

However, the major aspect most of the regular attendees were all about is that attendance was free. Many were expecting that they won’t be allowed into classes or the runway show because they didn’t/couldn’t register but they were. For them, that’s a huge point.

Why will GTBank do this? What’s the relationship between a bank and a fashion show? Simply put, it’s marketing. What the bank is doing is placing itself in the subconscious of as many as possible, inducing a bias towards the bank when it comes to banking options. The amount of positive exposure it has got and is still getting from the event will not be possible through advertisement. The bank has shown a side of it that connects with many in its target market and this, is a brilliant marketing strategy.

Patiently waiting for next years GTBank Fashion Weekend. Hopefully, I won’t be asked if I’ve caught a fish, sorry, a man when I get back home.