There’s nothing quite like the unity of African spirit — a rhythm, a joy, and a defiance that has the power to move people, literally and figuratively. In a time when global culture can feel fragmented, dance and nightlife has become one of the most powerful tools of connection. Enter VOGUE BOYS: a party, a movement, and a cultural force born out of Lagos, with a mission to bring people together through immersive and Afro-centric experiential events.
Founded by creative brothers Ebuka and Chisom Nwobu, who are also the minds behind the media house Ladder, Lex & Booker, VOGUE BOYS was sparked spontaneously and now exists at the intersection of ancestral spirit and global nightlife. With their signature events bridging continents, most recently with a takeover in Paris, they’re channeling the essence of Nigerian celebratory culture into spaces that have long been overdue for its presence. In this conversation with CEC, Ebuka shares his take on authenticity, the power of movement, and why the world can’t stop shaking their nyash to African beats.
Imagery courtesy of VOGUE BOYS
CEC: Tell us a bit about yourselves, the founders and creators behind Vogue Boys. Why did you start this initiative and movement?
Ebuka: Vogue Boys started out as something of a happy accident. I [Ebuka Nwobu] and my brother, Chisom Nwobu are multi-hyphenate creatives who run a film and media production company called LADDER, LEX & BOOKER out of Lagos, Nigeria. In January 2020 we decided to throw an all expense paid new year beach party to celebrate the creatives and clients that had worked with us in 2019. The party jumped so hard everyone kept asking “when is the next party”. This made us realize that the events sector needed us badly and we’ve been feeding the streets since. Another happy accident, the name ‘Vogue Boys’ stuck after someone said it while congratulating us for producing a fashion film in 2019. The ‘Vogue Boys’ brand then became the vehicle through which we explored more wayward creative opportunities.
CEC: You call your signature event series “Dirty, Sexy Rave” — how else would you define the feeling of or describe a Vogue Boys night?
Ebuka: We actually have two signature event series. One is a day to nighttime outdoor waterpark festival experience called SUMMER COOKOUT and the second is a nighttime indoor warehouse rave experience called DIRTY, SEXY RAVE. Both of these and every other event we host are similar in the sense that they’re designed to be unforgettable. The unique feeling people recall from a Vogue Boys party is the freedom to dance and express yourself without fear of judgment or harassment in an environment where every single element is designed to reimagine a contemporary Nigerian party by evoking themes and elements from ancient Nigerian culture.
CEC: From Lagos to Milan to Paris Fashion Week, what does it mean to you to export Nigerian party energy to cities that are likely not familiar with this coveted African culture and experience?
Ebuka: It means that we’re living out our purpose and doing our bit to put Africa on the world map of youth culture. Standing on that stage at the Triennale Milano and watching this huge crowd of Italians matching my energy, shaking their nyash [ass] to Rema’s ‘Booty Bounce’ and stomping their feet to DJ YK Mule’s ‘Oble’ reaffirmed that our brand of African lifestyle, culture and experience has just as much of a global appeal as our music and arts. We’re now even more committed to going harder to the point where we can command the kind of numbers our siblings in music are pulling in arenas around the world with our culture as the headliner.
Imagery courtesy of VOGUE BOYS
CEC: The masquerade dancer is part performance, part ancestral presence. Where do tradition and nightlife meet for you?
Ebuka: For me tradition and nightlife are one and the same because parties and celebrations are a core part of who we are as Nigerians. In Nigeria, every milestone is marked by some sort of party or celebration. As civilization has evolved and the locations of our various celebrations have changed, the spirit still remains the same. This is the idea behind incorporating the masquerade dancers in our raves. In my traditional Igbo culture, masquerades are representations of spirits that can be found in every major festival. For me they perfectly embody the spirit of our identity and our propensity for spectacular performance.
CEC: What goes into building a unique experience for mounds of people who come from diverse backgrounds and different parts of the world?
Ebuka: The most important thing is to trust your sauce/source. I have found that authenticity always wins. Only someone who’s tapped in and at peace with their identity can create a unique experience. Our goal has always been to design authentically African experiences and execute them to global standards, when we do this successfully nobody can resist us.
CEC: There’s an element of defiance in how you center Africa without compromise — please share more with us about this defiant energy and has global recognition changed your mission, or just made it clearer?
Ebuka: There’s something about Nigerians, we think we’re the best in the world and nobody can convince us otherwise. How we look, how we dress, how we talk, how we dance? What’s not to love about us? I think this is where the apparent defiance comes from, I just love who I am too much to be anyone else. Anything else would be a downgrade and we don’t do that over here.
The more global recognition we get, the more obvious it is that what we have is truly valuable and the more determined we are to find more efficient ways to tell our stories and represent our culture on the world stage.
If you’re looking to immerse yourself in the VOGUE BOYS experience, their ‘DIRTY, SEXY RAVE’ (DSR) series returns to the Nigerian cities of Lagos and Port-Harcourt this August, 2025. Then, DSR will return to Lagos monthly until December when they’ll climax with a 5 000 capacity festival edition coinciding with ‘Detty December’ festivities in Lagos – a final, euphoric reminder of the power of African unity.
Stay up to date with events and announcements via their channels below.
Connect with VOGUE BOYS on Instagram
Watch VOGUE BOYS on YouTube
For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za
