Wednesday, September 30, 2009

The Nigerian Designers

BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL
SINCE 2005, they have hit the limelight through here. Deola Sagoe, Dakova, Adabayo Jones, Ade Bakare, Fred Eboka, Wale Adeyemi, Gureje, Yemi Osunkoya and Duro Olowu, among others. Over the years, they have proven that LIFE is all about creativity in their wearable and comforting pieces.


LDA
Lanre Da Silva-Ajayi is the pretty face behind LDA. She stormed the scene with her Victorian style. Since she arrived, she has shown that she is one of the most creative designers around. Only recently, she won the City People Fashion and Style Award.



TIFFANY AMBER
Drawing mostly from the European feminine physique and vibrancy of the Africa woman, Tiffany Amber has been able to redefine royalty fashion. Folake Coker-Folarin, the brain behind Tiffany Amber, has over the years, brought elegance to her style.
Recently, her designs were showcased at the Vlisco Fashion Show, Thisday Fashion Show, Arise Africa and others. She will also be showcasing Spring 2010 collections on Friday, September 11, 2009 at New York Fashion show (The Arise African Fashion Collection Show).



MOMO
A graduate of Richmond American International University, UK, Fati Asibelua, the lady behind Momo, is another person that is making Nigeria proud in the fashion world.
Momo has been seen on some of the world’s most renowned models including Alek Wek, Liya Kebede and Oluchi and has built a reputation as one of Africa’s most sought after brands.
Armed with a Master’s degree in fashion from the Institue Marangoni, London, specialising in Fashion Styling, Momo creates enduring designs with African fabrics.
She was one of the designers featured at This Day Africa Rising Music Festival held at the Kennedy Centre, Washington DC, late last year.


TAE
Bisola Edun, the brain behind Tae, is not resting on her oars. Since the label was launched a few years ago, she has showcased her designs at Saint Moritz Style Selection; and the Red, Bold and Jazzy show, among others.

L-SHANDI
L-Shandi has been carved out from a Nigerian street slang ‘Lepa Shandi’; a term used to describe women of slim frame. Lara Akinsanya, the proprietor, is one of the promoters of African fabrics such as lace and aso-oke. L-Shandi designs mixes western designs with traditional African fabrics in a way that gives you the freedom to personalise your look.

JEZREEL
Abiola Egbeyemi is one of the few designers, who have made great strides in the international scene through steadfastness and determination.
Jezreel infuses contemporary designs into the traditional African fabrics thereby making a statement that lifts her above the crowd.
She showcased her collection at City People Ankara Fashion Show 09, and Young African Fashion Weekend 09 among others.



EMMY COLLINS
Emmy Collins is an avant-garde designer, who is rapidly gaining a reputation for making garments that cut a real dash in the fashion industry.
With clothes characterized by sharp, funky tailoring and a fresh, startling approach to colour; Emmy is beginning to establish himself as one of London’s most flamboyant designers in recent times.
He has been slated to showcase his Spring Summer collection during the New York Fashion week.

emmy collins' design

emmy collins' designs

emmy collins' designs


HOUSE OF J’OLA
House of J'ola is one of the fastest growing designer labels in West Africa. It offers a range of ready-to-wear clothes outside eveningwears for men and women.
Okorodudu, the honcho, also owes a model agency by the same name in Nigeria and as well runs Isis Models in Johannesburg with models from South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Congo and several other African countries.

Redefining Icons


BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL
Your outfit sure can either make or mar you. Inspired by haute couture detailing celebrities and fashionistas are stepping out in glamorous and enchanting outfits to make statements. Young, sexy and lovely outfits are giving a completely new lesson in fashion.
At the Amigo Hair/House of J’ola Fashion Show, celebrities graced the event in stunning outfits with trendy accessories to go.
One time runner up of Nokia face of Africa and designer, Ishioma Onyebo, will always be listed as one of best-dressed celebrities. Her embellished satin LBD with straps at the back and her classy yellow dress with a beautiful red shoe to match drew much attraction.

PRETTY screen diva, Joy Elumelu, is no doubt another stylish personality for the day, as showcased by her empire gown.
At the event, Elumelu majestically stepped out in her empire floral gown with stunning black and red shoe. According to her,” my style is simple but stunning.”
The US-based rap artiste and cosmetologist, Felyne, thrilled with her rock star look, which gave her the edge to define a stage name in her outfit. She made a bold statement in her ash cat-suit outfit.
Who says modesty cannot stand you out in the crowd? Musician and TV personality, Aju was able to prove it right. She is no doubt a style celebrity; even in her long skirt, black camisole, classy green jacket and a glass shoe, she towers above the crowd.
The brain behind NNSM, House of J’ola and Isis model also stepped out in her design, looking glamorously in her gypsy gown, made with different ankara fabrics.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Gureje… and the summer blues



BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL
THIS summer, Gureje lines explodes in warm colours that’ll mark you out in the crowd. The label owner, Jimi Gureje, has, over the years, transformed the local adire to unique and sensual wears with alluring blend.
Gureje, who recently showcased his summer collection at Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Centre, New York, has something for every body type — slim, tall and short.
In Gureje’s designs, there’s a superb show of artistry, which makes wears evoke timeless and beautiful aura that are the essence of modern fashion.
His classy and glamorous summer collections are detailed and fascinating; coming in different designs, styles, fabrics, colours and length.
You can reach for the stars this summer with his long linen A-line dresses. They are not only smart and simple, but stand out a lady in the crowd. They are also good for corporate, formal and casual outings.
He creatively uses trimmings to design the outfit. Also in his summer collections are blue halter-neck dress, tunics, jacket, shirt, drapy tops, dress and pants, among others. He played with colours such as black, red, purple, yellow, beige and blue.
Gureje was in the 1990s a striving designer in downtown Mushin in Lagos. Today, with perseverance abd dogged commitment to his art, he dresses celebrities in and around New York and Hollywood. From his base in Brooklyn and runs workshops on designs around the world.

Take Agbada and jeans, and give me others




Opurozor Donald Chuka, (a.k.a L J ) is presently storming the mainstream of music industry with his RnB fussion. Born on May 10, 1980, to the family of Eze Don Opurozor (The Opia of Umuopia) in Akokwa, Ideato North, of Imo State; the multi-talented artiste has a bachelor’s in Fine and Applied Arts from the Imo State Univeristy.
After making waves as a graphic artist, he decided to follow his passion — music, where he infused reggae, rock, pop and hip-hop. He started his music with a 3-man group called J-squad, which spitted before the release of their album; and since then he has solo. He spoke to OYINDAMOLA LAWAL on his fashion and music.

Inspiration
I get my inspiration from God and from people.
Style of music
R and B hip-hop. It’s a fusion of R and B, Hip-hop, rock and reggae.
Definition of fashion
Fashion is your unique style. It is the way of life that has to do with the trend.
What he would not be caught wearing
Agbada and tight jeans

Favourite colour
I love red a lot.
Role model
D’banj.
If you were given a chance to change something in Nigeria, what would it be?
I will love to change the music industry; create an avenue where people’s song will have an impact on the society.
Projection into the future
To be one of the most successful musicians of my generation, through hard work, ethics and professionalism. I also look forward to winning a grammy.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Bayo Ohu, The Guardian’s reporter, murdered

By Kamal Tayo Oropo

IT was another gruesome murder in Nigeria on sunday 20th septmber, 2008. The Guardian’s Assistant News Editor and an ace political reporter, Bayo Ohu, was shot dead in his apartment in Egbeda, a Lagos suburb.

Ohu was just getting set to attend Church service after seeing off his wife, Ochuko, and sister-in-law, to the early morning service when the gunmen came knocking on his door at about 6.52 a.m.

According to eye-witnesses, the five or six men came in a white Toyota Camry saloon car, wearing white flowing gowns with matching skull caps. They made no attempt to enter any other apartment in the four-flat house. Ohu heard a knock on his door and as he opened the front door to ask who was knocking, the gunmen hit him with a volley of bullets. His blood made a huge splash all over the door. He staggered back into the house screaming for help, but his assailants followed him inside and rained more bullets into him.

Curiously, the assailants made away with only his laptop and mobile phone handset.

The landlady, who was just opening her shop that morning, was the first to come in contact with the assailants. She was ordered to lie face down by a man she identified as the leader of the gang. He warned her in Yoruba language to stay in that position if she didn’t want any harm to come to her. She narrated in Yoruba: “The man went ahead to show me a big gun hidden under his flowing gown and I started pleading with him that he should please have mercy on me, that I had no money and was just a poor trader who sells soft drinks. He just told me not to worry, that nothing would happen to me if I stayed face down on the ground. From my shop, he started shouting orders to others.” Soon after she was deafened by the gunshots.

The Guardian confirmed that no less than a dozen rounds of ammunition were fired. The police recovered most of the expended bullets.

One bullet went through the right side of Ohu’s chest and exited through the left side, tearing through the arm. Two of Ohu’s children, who were yet to go to church, had gone to fetch water from another house in the neighbourhood, ran into the assailants and were immediately chased into hiding. Those watching the gory scene from adjoining buildings said that the assailants, after completing their task, still had enough time to wash their hands and feet while two of their colleagues fired shots into the air to scare all in the neighbourhood.

One of the children told The Guardian that from her hiding place he heard one of the assailants shouting out jubilantly to his colleagues: “Olori buruku e ti ku (the fool is dead).”

But Bayo Ohu, a hefty six-footer, did not go down without a fight for life. One of his neighbours who rushed to his side after the assailants made their exit, noticed that his pulse was still strong and he was still breathing. Other neighbours were quickly mobilised to save his life. They rushed him to a nearby hospital, just three minutes drive from Ohu’s residence. At the hospital, the staff on duty insisted on a Police Report before any first aid could be administered on him. Noticing that he was losing much blood, the neighbours decided to head to the Ikeja General Hospital. Ohu, however, did not make it there as doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

“There is no doubt that this is a clear assassination job. I have been in the police force for a long time and the kind of expended bullet cartridges found at the scene of the crime is really a source of worry. These are high caliber bullets that are not normal when attacking harmless people. You only go with this kind of weapon where you expect resistance, where you are going with the intent of war. It’s not a regular thing”, a police source said yesterday.

He then added in a tone dripping with frustration: “There is no cartridge that has the same groove pattern. The groove pattern on each bullet is akin to finger-prints. So, if we were in a situation where police jobs are made easier with good investigative capacity, the bullets could be used in locating the guns and sources, but my friend you know how things are here.”

Speaking later with journalists, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Frank Mbah, said that the Force was looking at the case from the point of view of the gruesome circumstances, “we are leaving all options open in our investigations.” Mbah also said that with more evidence coming to the Force after the recovery of the vehicle used in the operation, things were beginning to point to a possible case of armed robbery. But he quickly added that all leads were being followed.

A shaken Editor and Deputy-Editor in Chief of The Guardian, Debo Adesina, who had rushed to the General Hospital to ensure Ohu’s prompt treatment, an effort which now turned out futile, told journalists that, “it is now left for the Police to do their job. I hope they would unravel this killing and let Nigerians know who did this as well as why?”

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Marvel Akpoyibo, said that the police had already commenced investigation into the death, added: “We have commenced investigations into the killing. We are investigating a case of murder and robbery. We sympathise with our friend, The Guardian for what happened, we shall investigate the death discretely.”

Shock and fear enveloped Ohu’s residence as neighbours gathered around discussing the killing yesterday. Bayo Ohu, according to neighbours, was a very quiet person. “You never would know whether he lived in this house or not. He was not the regular kind of person known to everyone. He went about his life quietly. In fact, his wife and kids are better known in this area than he was”, one of the neighbours told The Guardian.

One other neighbour watching the scene said: “The whole thing looked like a home video. We saw them, the way they made a U-turn with their car on a narrow road, the way they held their guns and shooting as if they were robbing a bank, was so shocking. We could not react immediately because we were shocked and we were scared. I just went blank. It was after they drove off that we could summon courage to check who their victim was.”

Oyeniji Street, and the surrounding Odukoya Estate, though with one or two nice looking buildings, is generally a lower middle-class neighbourhood. Ohu’s residence is an old-fashioned four-flat house, each flat with three bedrooms.

Meanwhile, Ohu’s body has been deposited at the mortuary of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. He left behind five children; the eldest being 16 years, while the youngest is nine months old, a housewife, who is a part-time student of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye and an aged father.

Ogunbayo Ohu was born on June 18, 1964. He started his education at the Local Authority Primary School, Iseyin, Oyo State, from where he proceeded to Progressive Grammar School, Ado-Awaye, also in Oyo State, where he finished in 1976. He had his tertiary education at The Polytechnic, Ibadan between 1988-1990.

Bayo Ohu joined The Guardian in 1991 and distinguished himself early as a reporter. He covered Katsina State as a State Correspondent and his performance recommended him for promotion to Assistant News Editor. His flair for reporting made him move from the desk back to the beat to cover politics which he did very well.

Yesterday, publisher of The Guardian, Dr. Alex Ibru, said he was saddened by the incident and hoped the police would do a thorough job of investigating this killing. He prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of Ohu and sent his condolences to his family.

Ohu’s was yet another in the list of journalists’ murder. Dele Giwa, Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, was killed through a parcel bomb on October 19, 1986 during the military regime of President Ibrahim Babangida.

More recently, Godwin Agbroko, the Editorial Board Chairman of ThisDay newspaper, was gunned down on Oshodi-Mile Two Expressway in 2006 on Christmas eve.

Yet, another mysterious death was that of Abayomi Ogundeji, also a member of the Editorial Board of ThisDay newspaper on August 17, 2008. He was shot in his vehicle on his way from work late in the evening.