"The Future Awards . . ." 2008!

We are honored and delighted to affiliate our brand as media sponsor for a very important award show, "The Future . .." Awards Nigeria 2008! We begin pre-coverage of the event with short interviews/profiles of some of the nominees by next week and into 2008!

Organized by the Redstrat Public Relations Firm, the event which will be held on January 13th, 2008 in Lagos, Nigeria promises to be exciting, inspiring and fun! " The Future . . ." is a celebration of youth and achievement – it honors young Nigerian achievers between the ages of 18 and 31 with awards in 15 categories.

"The aim of “The Future...” is [t]o inspire young Nigerians by showing them others as young as themselves who have managed to conquer the ‘difficult’ Nigerian environment. " says the organizers. It is [also] to show Nigerians proof [through the nominees, who are presented as role models] that there is concrete hope, for the nation in its young people."

'The nominees for 2008 have been selected! Below are some pictures from the recent "Nominees Party" held in honor of 120 outstanding talented young Nigerians who made the cut. Check them out and also be sure to check out the list of nominees.

Ty Bello, Photographer/Makeup Artist/Artist nominated in the Artist & Young Person of the Year Categories.

Nominee accepting his certificate of award

D'Banj checking out his certificate, nominated in Artist & Musician of the Year Categories
Denrele Edun nominated in the On-Air Personality of the Year category

THE LONGLIST

Professional of the Year: Ike Ochonogor – FedEx; Temitope Ogunfayo – Procter & Gamble; Adebayo Omole – Matrix Solicitors; Boye Olawoye - Investment Banking; GroupLola Talabi – Cadbury Nigeria; Bode Makanjuola – Caverton Group; Omowale David Ashiru - Accenture; Noble Igwe – Virgin Nigeria.

Artist of the Year: Karo Akpokiere; Jide Alakija; TY Bello; Ogunnubi Babadeji; Chukwuma Ngene; Seyi Taylor; Adolphus Opara; Abraham Oghobase.

Music Producer of the Year: Alex Yangs; Don Jazzy; Mosa; ID Cabassa; Jeremiah Gyang; Wole Oni; Jokaynie; Mr. Daz.

Screen Programme Producer of the Year: Mak Kusare – AveHill;Michael Oyeyiola - Soundcity; Lamide Opere – Nigezie; Seke Somolu – Wetin Dey; Effiong Eton - Silverbird; Soji Ogunnaike – Real Time; Joke Jaiyesimi – Hip TV; Nasir Muazu – BBC.

Musician of the Year: Obiwon; Olu Maintain; Konga; Ashionye; Psquare; Dbanj;

De Indispensables; Faze.

Best Use of Technology: Adejuwon Saheed; Femi Odewunmi; Ayorinde Olalekan; Mubarak Mohammed Abdulahi; Icebox Studios; Olufemi Akande; Odufuye Bamidele; Seun Medunoye.

Best Use of Advocacy: Emmanuel Etim; Toyosi Akerele; Temidayo Israel; Olatorera Majekodunmi; Adeola Akinremi; UNITeS; Oyebisi O. Babatunde; Amina Alli.

Entrepreneur of the Year: Abiodun Ajibola - CGMIE Consulting; Tosin Dekalu – Lady Cobbler; Funke Awobokun – Cocktails In & Out; Funke Bucknor – Zaphaire Events; Gbenga Ashiru – Nebula Media; Bukola Adubi – Miccom Resorts; Chika Nwobi – Mtech; Mosunmola Umoru – Honeysuckles PTL.

On-Air Personality of the Year: Adaure Achumba; Keke Adenuga; Nike Coker; Lamide Akintobi; Denrele Edun; Mike Magic; Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi; Ebuka Obi-Uchendu.

Journalist of the Year: George Elijah Otumu – The Week; Ayeni Adekunle – Thisday; Azuh Amatus – The Sun; Abdulkareem Baba-Aminu – Daily Trust; Adedeji Ademigbuji – National Standard; Nonye Iwuagwu – The Punch; Samson Adeoye – The Guardian; Julie Odia - Simply Woman.

Best Use of Goodwill: TELD; Generation 4 Change; Do Sumthing Positive; Utopia; AIPA- Against Illiteracy Poverty and AIDS; Shade Ladipo; Omowunmi Agagu; Ngozi Ekeh

Entrepreneur of the Year (Beauty & Style): Omoyemi Akerele;Toni Payne; Okunoren Twins; Muyiwa Osindero; Banke Meshida; Linda Ikeji; Lisa Folawiyo; Bunmi Oyeniyi.

Actor of the Year: Genevieve Nnaji; Ini Edo; Funke Akindele; Ali Nuhu; Osita Iheme; Mike Ezuruonye; Oge Okoye; Nonso Diobi.

Magazine of the Year: RISE; Juice; Bubbles; Applause; Dynamix; Acada; Tripz; Blast.
Young Person of the Year: Mikel Obi; TY Bello; Oluchi Orlandi; D’banj; Chika Nwobi; Toni Payne; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; Mubara Muhammed Abdulai.

Read More

"African Inspired" or Just Plain Stealing?

This 2007, we saw a global circulation of African fashions starting from Africa's runways and extending to runways globally. Indeed, in our trend analysis of African fashions, we covered numerous Western and African designers cutting and shaping African prints into Western silhouettes; others incorporating African jewelries, scarves, head gears [gele] and much more in their collection. One of the designers we featured was Designer Mathew Williamson.

In a story we have been monitoring closely, the Ethiopian government has accused Williamson for what they deem the intellectual property violation of the traditional Ethiopian dress worn by their women. Click here to read the story.

Ethiopia, indeed, has been aggressively protecting itself against Western Intellectual Property infringers. See Ethiopia v Starbucks. Nevertheless, as to the issue of fashion, there are some key questions that the Ethiopian government's allegations and investigations raise: First, I would be really curious to see the exact origins of Ethiopia's traditional dress. One of the things I have been surprised to discover with the launch of this blogazine is that while we talk about African prints/fabrics/designs, some of these prints/designs originated from Europe and the Europeans continue to be suppliers of their prints/designs to Africa; even though the average African wearing the European prints/designs would swear it was African. It is GREAT to see an African government trying to protect the intellectual property of its citizens.

Nevertheless, just like Western designers have done the whole "African Inspired" theme for a while now, African designers have also done the "Western inspired" theme. In fact, the big revolution in Africa's fashion industry is taking African prints and copying the cuts, shape, style and silhouette of Western wear to create local and "international" appeal. Further, some African designers, from South Africa to Nigeria, for example, do not even bother with African prints. They use the silks, silk charmeuse, polyester, rayons, satin, jerseys e.t.c. and create the same exact Western silhouettes, embroideries/design style that has been on the runways of the West for aeons. Isn't that stealing of "Western inspired" designs? I think this is the bigger question. In the USA, historically, fashion designs have never enjoyed copyright protections. While you can protect your art work i.e. labels, logos, prints and the embroidery, when it comes to copying of the cut, shape, style or silhouette, "too bad so sad," but no protection. Several rationales support congress's reluctance to grant copyright to designs.

Who owns the original designs of the Ethiopian dresses in question? Does the action of the Ethiopian government expose African designers to liability? Will regulating "African Inspired" designs stifle creativity?

First, there is the argument that clothing is mainly functional. Most of us do not walk around with wearable art dresses. They are generally impractical. We wear functional clothes even as we stay stylish. See Barnhart v. Economy Cover, 594 F. Supp. 364 [1984] [There the Court essentially held that the Plaintiff who sued the defendant over the copying of her four human torso mannequins could not enjoy copyright protection because the mannequins were utilitarian in function, had no creative element and as such could not be copyrighted].Second, copyright protection for designs stifles creatitvity.If a designer has to worry all the time that their designs might be seen as copying another designer and bring law suits, then there is no incentive to want to create. Third, there is a concern that monopolies would be created in the apparel industry.

Nevertheless, recently, there has been a BIG push by America's fashion industry for Copyright legislation on designs. In fact, the bill, The Design Piracy Prohibition Act is pending in the Senate and if passed, would amend the Copyright Act of 1976 and extend protection to the appearance of a design for three years. The issue of copyright infringement on designs some have argued comes down to the haves and have nots. I tend to think this reasoning is indeed solid. In the USA, for example, minority communities and specifically African Americans have complained, for a while now, that so called "brand name fashion designers" invade their communities through their representatives/researchers, steal their designs and replicate the exact same thing on America's runways. For these persons and designers within those communities, their crime is that they lack the resources to execute their visions and market it to the world. Therefore, it upsets them when the big named designers copy their designs and then turn around and try to stop them from "so called" copyright infringement.

The battle of the haves and have nots? The argument by these fashionistas and designers in the Black communities across America mirrors that of African designers and indeed Ethiopia's government. For aeons Africa's designers have complained that Western designers descend on Africa, steal their designs and the next season, it is on the runway as so called "African inspired." Indeed some Western designers even copy African silhouettes not just only using the prints. It remains to be seen what happens from here on but we will continue to keep a close eye on the debate and the Design Piracy Prohibition Act that we believe will significantly affect Africa's fashion industry, especially as high end brands like Louis Vuitton pursue very aggressively counterfeiting of their designs.

Read More

Ladybrille African Fashion News, #31

1. Stuttering along to greatness (COLUMN)
2. Our Ezra gets a big New York break with Spike Lee
3. Clothing Launched for Ghana 2008 African Cup of Nations
4. Iman's accessory line reflects hectic schedule
5. princess haya grants patronage to al fares equine trade fair
6. Cut to suit an edge
7. Edun's Rogan Gregory to design for Target

Have a brilliant day!

Read More

1st Lady of Hip-Hop Launches Long Awaited Album

Anthonia Yetunde Alabi, also known as "Sasha" launches her long awaited album on December 20th, 2007. Dubbed the "First Lady of Hip-Hop," on Nigeria's music scene, the law student/fashion designer/rapper burst on the music scene in 2002 when she signed to Nigeria's Trybe Records. In August of of 2002, she released her first single "Work it." By 2003, she dropped another hit single "Emi Le Gan" [ I am really tough]. In 2004, she was nominated as one of the 'Promising Females' in Africa at the Prestigious Kora Awards ceremony. Nevertheless, inspite of her emergence and highly receptive welcome from fans within and outside Africa, an album seemed hard pressed for the renaissance woman to deliver. Needless to say, this gave her fans and critics lots to talk about.

On December 20th, 2007, Sasha will finally answer both her critics and fans with the official launch of her debut album aptly titled "First Lady" under the Storm Records label. The album includes hit songs like "Adara" a song that in essence tells the story of her experience in the music industry and why it took so long to launch her album. While Sasha's style has been compared to her American counterparts Eve and Missy Elliot, she has a sound that is authentically hers. Indeed unlike her American counterparts, her lyrical content is much stronger. For example, she smoothly and seamlessly transitions from very light fun content to delve into socio-political/economic issues that affect women including addressing issues like domestic violence.

If you are NOT in Nigeria but would like to own a copy of Sasha's album, the album will go digital by January 2008. If you happen to be in Nigeria and would like to be a part of the Sasha launch event, you can catch her as follows:
Autograph Signing for Fans: takes place On December 20th, from 3-6pm.
Location: Nu Metro Media Stores, Silverbird Galleria., Victoria Island, Lagos,
Cost: FREE. Free T-shirts and posters will also be gven out to the first 50 to arrive.

The “First Lady” Album launch: also takes place on December 20th, 10:00pm at Bacchus and Six Degrees North with a Red Carpet reception at 9:00pm. Location: Awolowo Rd Ikoyi, Lagos. The event will be covered by MTV, Africa.

ADARA [It will be well/Things will get better]

Read More