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Friday, November 28, 2008

West Africa's Next Top Model Auditions

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West Africa’s Next Top Model WANTM] is now auditioning!
YOU beautiful brilliant one can now audition to be in the running to become West Africa's Next Top Model!

WANTM: This is the official show, co-signed by CBS, the licensor for America’s Next Top Model and all its international formats. Careful if you see anything to the contrary posing to be WANTM. We would hate to see you waste time, lose money or worse be taken advantage of.
SHOW FORMAT
: 1 Hr show, weekly elimination. Total 13 weeks season.
HOST:
Supermodel Oluchi.

WHO CAN AUDITION?
1) You must be of West African origin AND 2) You should be between the ages of 18 and 25 AND 3) You should be available to travel and reside in Lagos, Nigeria and other destinations on the continent of Africa and the world between the 1st of March and 1st of June, 2009.

WHAT IS UP FOR GRABS? An i
nternational Modeling contract plus international
WHERE CAN YOU AUDITION?
Country and State/City: Monrovia, Liberia Date: 30th November, 2008 Location: P A Ribhouse - Airfield Sinkor (on the road to Matadi Estate).
Country and State/City:
Freetown, Sierra Leone: Date: 2nd December, 2008 Location:Old School Complex, Hill Station Freetown.
Country and State/City:
Dakar, Senegal Date: 5th December, 2008 Location: British Council.
Country and State/City:
Accra, Ghana Date: 6th December, 2008 Location: Novotel Hotel Accra, Ghana.
Country and States/Cities:
Abuja, Port Harcourt, Lagos (Nigeria) Date: January (tbd)Location (tbd)
TIME: Scouting begins at 8am prompt at all scouting locations.
For more information, contact info@wafntm.com or visit http://www.wafntm.com/.
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Ladybrille Launches African Street Style!

L-R: Ladybrille's Moji Akinyemi, the Fabulous Bola Odegbami and Lola Akin

As we prepare to close out 2008 and usher in 2009, we are so grateful for your e-mails, your loyalty, constructive criticisms and would like to get to know you and your fashion sense even better by introducing Ladybrille's African Street Style!

This is ALL about YOU. Share your sexy African inspired street style with us. You've got accessories or shoes you picked up in Africa during your travels? A sexy African inspired vintage top, sexy denim with some African fabric detailing? A 50s/60s African inspired dress? Whatever the case, we want to hear from and shine the spotlight on YOU!

Here's how it works:
  1. Describe your style in the images you send
  2. Have your images sized at 400 x 600 pixels
  3. Tell us your name
  4. Tell us what you do.
  5. Tell us your fashion philosophy.
Viola! That's it.This is open to everyone [guys, ladies and children--think wewe clothing]. Send all the above information to ladybrillewoman (at) gmail.com. Once we receive it we will try to have it published on a weekly basis starting in December. Please note Ladybrille reserves editorial rights as to what we will publish.

We are excited and hope you are as excited as we are with our new Ladybrille African Street Style Launch!
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South Africa's Nyasha Zimucha Crowned Miss Africa USA 2008

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Congrats to South Africa's Nyasha Zimucha who was crowned Miss Africa USA 2008 at the recently completed 4th Annual Miss Africa USA Pageant show. Zimucha beat out sixteen other contestants to win the coveted crown. Since her win, this beauty queen has been quite busy! Her first stop? At Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons' annual Diamond Empowerment Fund [D.E.F.]2008 event in New York.

Russell's D.E.F. supports educational initiatives that develop and empower economically disadvantaged persons in African nations where diamonds are a natural resource. Zimucha plans to work closely with the African Women's Development Foundation [AWDF] to implement and execute the objectives of her platform, to fight Xenophobia in South Africa, by creating an anti-xenophobia clothing line of which proceeds from sales will be used towards her cause.

Nyasha Zimucha meets with Russell Simmons at the Diamond Empowerment Fund [D.E.F.]

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L-R: LL Cool J, Nicola Breytenbach, Miss Africa USA, & Russell Simmons
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Top 5 Finalists: L-R: Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa, Liberia & Uganda
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Ladybrille African Fashion News #53

PhotobucketSupermodel Oluchiis on fire this year.
She will be host of West Africa's Next Top Model which debuts Spring 2009 . In addition, her modeling agency, O Model Africa, has teamed up with the "Face of Africa" the model search that put Oluchi on the map, to award a $50,000 model contract to the winner of this year's search. The icing on the cake is, she closes out the year in the world's fashion bible, Vogue, with an eight page spread featuring her and her adorable munchkin, Ugo. Whew! What a very busy "gyal." Check her story and more of this week's news related to or about Africa's Fashion Industry and personalities.

  1. M-Net FACE OF AFRICA 2008 finale on SAT 29 NOV at 20:00CAT
  2. keeping the culture
  3. Inspire Me: The Congelese Sape
  4. Clothes calls: What the artists say about style
  5. Uganda: Country in Face of Africa Top Ten
  6. Fashion is an art, wear it right!
  7. Afro/Naija News Catchup --Catch the Oluchi Story here
  8. Naspers Downsizing to Increase revenue Percentages
  9. US Africans in the spotlight
  10. The Ostrich Feather Crisis
  11. Stylist Felipe has a passion for fashion
  12. New EU regulations not good for SA apparel exports
  13. Talented local designers to catch shine at Miss SA pageant
  14. My love affair with fashion

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Ladybrille Brilliant Posts of the Week

alek wek by D=generallyoutrageous=D

Enjoy this week's brilliant posts from our Web Snob partners who are some of today's top online publihers/bloggers.



  1. A Few Goody GumDrops asks who needs a Mink Coat when you can have a Mink Bag!
  2. Stiletto Jungle knows just what to get that tech-obsessed girly-girl on your gift list.
  3. Allie is Wired has a preview of the Britney Spears Rolling Stone interview & video shoot.
  4. Debutante Clothing gives great tips on how to decorate with vintage and thrift store finds.
  5. Fashion Pulse takes a look at the latest cheap-chic designer collaboration, Norma Kamali for Wal-Mart!
  6. Slow Fashion v/s Fast Fashion: What do you prefer? All about this discussion in Quinta Trends.
  7. Shopping and Info loves the black leather jacket worn by Kristen Stewart from Twilight.
  8. The Beauty Stop test drives a long-wearing lip color that really doesn't budge.


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Thursday, November 27, 2008

OY Dore's Nylah's Catering + An African Inspired Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving is just an amazing holiday and definitely a favorite here at Ladybrille. How do Africans in the USA spend their thanksgiving? What kinds of African flavoring and meals do they bring to the dinner table? We asked twenty-seven [27] year old Orighoye Dore, aka OY, who is the founder of Nylah's Catering servicing DC/Maryland and Virginia.

Beyond running Nylah's Catering service and lending her hand to charitable causes such as Link a Child, OY is enrolled in the Culinary Management degree program at the Art Institutes in Washington DC. OY gave us her take on thanksgiving and she spills more about herself and passion for food to Ladybrille’s Moji Akinyemi.Enjoy and to our USA readers, have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
LADYBRILLE.com: What drives you?
OY
:My strong passion for good food; and as long I have my Pepsi soda, I am good to go and well motivated to cook all kinds of dishes round the clock.

LADYBRILLE.com: What does Thanksgiving mean to you?
OY:
It means being thankful for everything and most especially for people that surround you with positive re-enforcement, making sure that they are always there to pick you up when you are falling. It means being thankful for family and life and for talents that reach immeasurable heights.

LADYBRILLE.com: Tell us your African Inspired Thanksgiving. How do you do your Turkey?
OY:
Thanksgiving at my place is always a binge fest! This year we are having two roasted ducks with a blood orange sauce, a roasted chicken, green beans slow cooked with smoked turkey in a tomato sauce, scalloped potatoes, of course jollof rice [per popular demand], sesame shrimp, pan seared tilapia and fried plantains. My turkey is always roasted after being seasoned for days and a spicy pan dripped gravy to go with it [I always have two options for my guests who don't like spice]. I always like to incorporate both my heritage. So my side dishes are always Nigerian: Jollof rice or fried rice or American which would be duchess potatoes or orzo tossed with fresh seasonal vegetables.

LADYBRILLE.com: [laughs] What mouth watering appetizers are you having for thanksgiving?
OY:
This year my family and I have decided to go simple on the dessert due to the amount of food that will be on the table. We are making a simple orange bread pudding served warm with whipped cream.

LADYBRILLE.com: What other dishes would you typically have on the table that a typical American family would not?
OY:
As an Itsekiri girl, incorporating the typical breakfast which is Epuru [Pepper soup with assorted meat], yam, plantains, starch and palm oil is always customary [typical American families would not have these on their thanksgiving dinner tables]. Talk about food coma!

LADYBRILLE.com: How would you describe your personality?
OY:
Friendly, outgoing, social and I believe in giving for a good cause.

LADYBRILLE.com: Where and how did it all start?
OY:
I signed an eight year contract with the US Air Force and was stationed in Wyoming for about three years. With a limited to almost non-existent social life in Wyoming, I became drawn to television and especially to 'The Food Network.' During my off days, I would watch 'The Food Network' learning new dishes and techniques in preparing them. During my down time, I would practice all that I had absorbed from the [shows] and even add my own twist to it where needed. I would also periodically invite friends over for dinner.

After my friends visited for dinner, tons of compliments poured in on how much they enjoyed my food and they would advice I should make a business out of it. I continued with hosting mini-house parties to cooking for my family’s holiday parties to preparing prepackaged meals for friends and colleagues, to even grilling my neighbors steak for a holiday party. With all the overwhelmingly positive feedback and support from friends and family, I gained more than enough confidence and decided it was time to take my cooking skills up a notch and to the next level. In a nutshell, that is where it all started and how I founded Nylah’s Catering.

LADYBRILLE.com: What type of food/dishes do you cook?
OY:
Authentic Fusion, African and Contemporary Cuisine… I believe in blending heritage with different cuisines which is another reason I decided to enroll in culinary school to broaden my horizon and learn the new ways to incorporate the different kinds of herbs and spices in my dishes.

LADYBRILLE.com: What type of catering services do you provide?
OY:
Event planning covering weddings were I handle the catering as well as the staff for the day; and preferably I like to handle the décor as it helps to create a theme for the menu of the day. I also cater to other various events ranging from intimate dinner for two to weddings to reunions and everything in between.

LADYBRILLE.com: What was the first event you catered?
OY:
The Nigerian Soccer League where I provided pre-packed meals for sale. I have since then catered for the Fourth of July Convention, Nigerian Entertainment Award, Naija Fest, Passport to Africa, Liberian Embassy Convention in Washington DC to name a few.

LADYBRILLE.com: Give us the range of audiences you have catered for?
OY:
Anywhere from two to three hundred [2-300].

LADYBRILLE.com: What is next for Nylah‘s Catering?
OY:
I plan on opening my restaurant [in Nigeria] next year.
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Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Sign Petition to End the Persecution of Africa's So Called "Child Witches"


While lots of videos have been circulating on the web regarding this issue, we felt it important to give you a brief synopsis of the social context, the legal problem, current solutions and how you can help be a part of the solution.

THE SOCIAL CONTEXT/PROBLEM: In some parts of Africa and within certain rural areas of countries such as Kenya, Angola, DRC Congo, and Nigeria, children as young as infants and under 18 years are identified as witches. These children are said to be allegedly responsible for destruction, disease and death in their families and communities. Usually, the identification is made by so called spiritual leaders of extreme religious sects.

Once identified or stamped as 'witches,' a sense of urgency emerges within the community as both leaders and members of the community seek to quickly ostracize or heal the child. Ostracization usually takes place in the form of abandoning the child whether in a shelter, on the road or in the middle of nowhere. So called healing takes place in the form of torture [beating, maiming, burning etc.], praying and having the child drink dangerous concotions. Needless to say, these acts of torture usually result in serious and great bodily injury and at times death of alleged 'child witches.'

For example, in the video clip above which shines the spot light on Nigeria, West Africa and specifically Akwa Ibom State, a so called 'child witch' had a 3 inch nail hammered into her head which rendered her mentally handicapped. In another instance, a spiritual leader in allegedly trying to drive the witch from a child gave the child the leader's blood mixed with alcohol and mercury to drink. God forbid that leader is HIV +. He has just effectively passed the virus to the child

THE LEGAL PROBLEM: Nigeria, the heart of Africa, with over 140 million citizens serves as the place we want to begin making a difference. Within Nigeria, at issue is the Nigeria's Child Rights Act. Currently, law makers are arguing over its provisions, reach and adoption. The Act provides for the following, among many: a definition of a child to be below 18, makes the "Best Interests of the Child" the #1 priority, provides for freedom from discrimination on the grounds of age, sex, ethinic group, religion, disability, prohibits against any form of abuse whether physical, verbal or psychological and prohibits against Child labor.

The synopsis of Nigeria's CRA can be found here.
. In 2003, the Act passed in Nigeria's National Assembly. However, its execution and adoption has been an issue. While it appears the Act is adopted on a federal level, states somehow can choose to either adopt or not adopt the act. Further, they can do so with modifications to fit the cultural norms of each respective state.

The State of Akwa-Ibom's Governor,Godswill Akpabio, ultimately signed the CRA into law, after a march by so called 'child witches' to the Governor's office located at the city of Uyo, Akwa-Ibom. The problem, however, still remains the enforcement of the provisions in the act. Further, while the CRA provides a "Justice" clause, the focal point of the clause is the restructuring of the Juvenile justice laws concerning the Nigerian child. As in, if a child is accused of a crime, the CRA would come into play on whether that child should be prosecuted through the Child Justice System and if so, the due process afforded that child i.e. the right of the child has the right to a lawyer, a hearing, an opportunity to present evidence, call witnesses and cross examine witnesses who testify against the child.

WHAT THE CRA LACKS:The CRA appears to be silent on the issue of persons who perpetrate crimes on children. What happens to the spiritual leader, members of the community, parents, siblings etc. that violate the CRA statutes and/or cause injuries to children, especially those deemed 'child witches?" The unanswered questions and lack of implementation and prosecution of violators of these inhumane acts against so called 'child witches' is probably why these violent acts continue. There is simply no deterrence to perpetrators of these violent and inhumane acts against children. The CRA also lacks a provision to educate its community on issues relating to child abuse, child labor etc.

Necessarily, statutes or laws that seek to protect African children: those we see across our screens in the West, and for some of us living in Africa, on the streets [hawking goods] when they should be in school, serving, literally,as slaves in the house of elites that use them as house boys and girls, prostituting themselves to make ends meet etc. must have prosecuting and definitely education clauses in the language of such statutes. The mind frame needs to shift and law makers on both federal and state level MUST stay committed [to protecting our children] and allocating funds to deal with what amounts to a genocide of Africa's future, our children.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: While there are several petitions floating around, it the one we link below apepars to really target and put the pressure on Governor Akpabio. It is from the Akwa-Ibom community in the West and is not limited to Akwa-Ibomites. It has the essential elements of actions that the Governor must sit up and do so at least one of the major perpetrators of crimes against so called 'Child Witches' in Akwa-Ibom is brought to justice. To be a part of the solution, SIGN PETITION HERE. Share the link and encourage others to sign!
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Founder of Bella Naija, Nigerian Focused Fashion Publication, Loses Anonymity

If you are a follower of Nigerian fashions, then you are probably aware of the site Bella Naija, a site that has inspired many including Ladybrille.

In addition, you are probably aware that the founder of Bella Naija from the onset of her blog, which began publishing July 2006, kept her image and face anonymous. Since launching a revamped Bellanaija.com site in mid October 2008, the founder of Bella Naija is now ready to take on the world as she reveals her face and story in the December 2008 issue of True Love Magazine, West Africa.

Full name: Uche Eze
Nickname: Bella Naija
Age: 24 year
Current Location: Nigeria, West Africa
Pictures courtesy of Linda Ikeji

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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

ADIH Launches Fashion City Project in Morocco and Creates 8,000 jobs

Marrakesh: Abu-Dhabi Investment House (ADIH) Abu-Dhabi Investment House (ADIH) inaugurated in Morocco last week its first phase of a $7 billion (Dh25.69 billion) project to build fashion cities in several parts of Asia and Africa.

The launch of the $400 million Porta Moda Marrakesh project in the current international circumstances goes to show that ADIHADIH's investments and plans are not affected by the global financial crisis, company executives stressed.

"First of all," Rashad Janahi, board member and managing director of ADIHADIH said, "we don't have any relation with the [international] banks that have declared bankruptcy."

Also, "the markets that we are choosing are successful ones [economically]," he told a press conference, referring to the great potential of some developing countries, including Morocco, where the economy is expected to grow up to 6 per cent next year.

The north African countries have "proven to be attractive for investments" he added."We are looking forward to more investment in these countries," Janahi said. Read more.
Story by Gulf News.

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Sunday, November 23, 2008

MTV Africa Music Awards [MAMA] More Pictures & Winners

We are glad we at least got one prediction right. Yay! Not only did Nigeria's D'Banj win "Artist of the Year," he also won "Best Male." Congrats!

Other winners included Alicia Keys--Best R & B, Nigeria's 9ice--Best Hip-Hop Artist, Nigeria's P-Square--Best Group, South Africa's Jozi--Best live Performer and South Africa's Seether--Best Alternative Group. The event paid tribute to MAMA Africa, Miriam Makeba, who just passed. Ghana's Samini, who was also up for an award in Best Live Performer category, made it clear he was unhappy with South Africa's Jozi as the winner. According to him, live performer means exactly that "live," which he implied the group did not meet the criteria. MTV made its selection of winners through fans who texted the network all day to choose their ultimate stars.
Fans were also treated to duo performances by their favorite artists. For example, South Africa's HHP and Nigeria's Asa performed while South Africa's Casette, Kenya's Jua Cali, Nigeria's Ikechukwu and Naeto C collaborated to bring down the house. Special congrats to 9ice as he was up against America's Lil Wayne and The Game yet he won Best Hip-hop. That's one step closer to bringing home the grammys as he promises in his song, "Street Credibility."The show will air on November 29th, 2008 on MTV channels across the globe. For our prior 2008 MTV Africa Music Awards [MAMA] winners and pictures, click here.
All photos by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
The Coveted Award

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Ms. Kelly Rowland handling it as she announces an award winner
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Ms. Alicia Keys who could not make it thanking her fans for the award
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Mr. Abolore Akande aka 9ice receives his award
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South Africa's Jozi on the Red Carpet

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