A glimpse at some of the few good looks at the recently completed Nigerian Fashion Week [NFW]. If only there could be more of this consistently. . .
The Oshi at Nigerian Fashion Week
There is no doubt that fashion weeks are quite important in promoting the visibility and brand of a fashion designer. That is where fashion media and retail buyers, among others, converge to report, purchase and help facilitate the movement of fashion products, clothes and accessories, to the most important persons in the fashion chain--the consumers. Needless to say, fashion weeks within Africa are highly significant as it permits the creative minds within the continent to not only create a demand for their products within Africa but also in the European/USA fashion markets. That is why it is so disappointing when a fashion week in Africa is poorly executed both on the event production and designer end.
I speak of the recently completed Nigeria Fashion Week. With respected Nigerian fashion designer names such as Voyage, O Emporium, Deola Sagoe, Tiffany Amber, Jewel by Lisa, Nikki Khiran and for makeup "House of Tara" or Bobby Signature for hair, Nigeria ought to be at the forefront of leading Africa’s fashion industry!
Nigeria Fashion Week should be an excellent opportunity to showcase unmatched creativity, quality garments, emerging and established designers, quality fashion production, effective marketing and public relations, quality models and unmatched national media coverage and corporate sponsorships, at the very least. All of these appeared to be sorely lacking at the recently completed Nigeria Fashion Week held August 19th-22nd, 2007, at Shell Hall in the Muson Center, Lagos. The event produced by Legendary Gold Limited, from the observations of the pictures captured from the event, only gets a "is this the best Nigeria can do?" Some of Nigeria’s models are considered the most beautiful women in the world. They have strutted catwalks globally and inter-continentally-- think Oluchi Oweagba-Orlandi, Agbani Darego, Warebi Martha and Adebisi Sowemimo. Where are these models at the country's fashion week? Where are the sponsors? Media? The fragmentation of the industry is so obvious and the “you are on your own” attitude screams through the recent pictures from the event.
I refuse to believe, with all due respect, that Legendary Gold's Limited Nigeria Fashion Week is a representation of Nigeria's Fashion industry or fashion week in Nigeria. Value and strength is created when all work together rather than individual pursuits that highlight one and not everyone. Supermodels should be teaching non-supermodels how to walk. Nigeria’s seasoned and famed designers should not only be a part of other countries' fashion weeks but a part of Nigeria’s Fashion Weeks. They also should be willingly to train others on, at the very least, presentation.
Everyone benefits and the country looks good, especially if the stamp of "Nigeria" is placed next to the "fashion week." Nigeria’s Fashion Industry cannot continue to lag behind the South Africa, Ghana or Lesothos of the world. A country with over 140 million people and counting . . . this is frankly embarrassing. With that said, I turn to the Ladybrille fashion police who we avoided working too much because LFP was definitely on active duty, more than it bargained for, at the recently completed Nigeria Fashion Week. We couldn't cover all so log on to http://www.purefoto.com/ to see more pics.
Runway Nonsense and Ingredients is this seriously the best Nigeria can do?
What kind of a designer thought this was okay?
The clothes could work but what's with the hair and makeup? Common!
It would be helpful if the backdrop of Nigeria Fashion Week has a big visible sign so we know that it is Nigeria Fashion Week. Beyond that, seriously, is this a joke? How is Nigeria supposed to be taken seriously, especially in Europe & USA fashion markets?
The hair? Where are the seasoned hair stylists?
I don't know where to begin. I am lost. The dress could work but the puffy sleeves? Hello?
Forget the fact that there is no consistency on the runway in most of the exhibited looks seen on http://www.purefoto.com/. But, is this an attempt at TLC's Scrubs? The outfit and the hair, either way, worramess!
Very creative? NOT! Taking a wrapper and tying around this model is not haute couture or even ready to wear. I am seriously confused.
Why is he caged? Oops I meant chained. Is this is an attempt at a Nigerian DMX? Like "what [does] the designer who created this look really want" because he/she is effectively scaring me.
~review by Uduak Oduok
6 comments:
Seriously na wa oh.. the photographer isn't helping either..the lighting isn't helping either. chei Nigeria is sleeping on agold mine.
oh well...we shld expect to see this. I think it happens everywia...there's got to be some slacking off somewia...
You captioned this correctly "oshi".
This is arrant nonssense!. I didn't even hear of this event and my ears are to the ground because of my business in Lagos.
Apparently someone put that together in their backyards.
it's important to consider the creative process that goes into putting this kind of event together and not waste anybody's time.
Thanks for the info, now I know what to do and not do at my upcoming fashion show.
Ladybrille, you got it rigth, in the fashion industry( like any other industry in my dear Country) working together is like a curse that should be broken!
I was in lagos at the time, and did not hear of it untill it had happened...the only reason I heard was when someone was running the whole event down.
...those seasoned in the industry as you have listed should be ashamed at not being part of this ... but the question is DO THEY CARE???
Wow! I seriously hide my face in shame! I dont and never diss any designer because everyone is motivated differently, but attaching 'Nigeria' to a fashion show should have more pizzaz to it! Haba!
Why didnt they just call it Muson Fashion Week!
Dang!!!! Its about time designers work together abeg!!!
But could it be that the supposedly big designers probably felt too big to showcase at that event? Or did the organizers not advertise and promote it enough? You know logistics is any event planner's enemy!
I hope next year's is better! And I surely would love to be part of next year's!! Not fair! Some of us here in the Diaspora are trying to make the world see Nigerian Fashion in a positive good light, while those back home are dousing that light from within!
Hey, give them my number, I wanna be part of the Spring(February) Nigerian Fashion Week if they plan to have one!
More often than not a blogger sets the tone for te comments she/he receives to a post.
Sadly, this is the case with this post. All the comments may just as well have come from one person- you.
Ladybrille you set the tone already with your condescending remarks on the attempts of these designers.
You are Nigerian and you have been to a fashion show in Nigeria (Catwalk the World) in which you modeled, so you know that we can stage a good show here.
However many of the designers at the Nigerian fashion show are struggling students from Yaba Tech who probably beg their friends to model and do hair and make up.
You compare them to designers who have the world at their fingertips and corporate bodies sponsoring their shows. Designers who have buyers lining up to buy from them.
In Nigeria, the fashion industry is simply not that organised.
I bet you that if any of those dresses had belonged to a Donna Karan or DVF you would describe it with all the positive adjectives that you could muster!
You shouldn't write in such absolute disdain of your own. There were a number of those pieces that had promise and your post would have been far more objective if you had pointed those out.
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