Tuesday, March 17, 2009

hi buddies ! HAPPY NEW WEEK! YEEPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE






hmmmm ow was ur weekend? i hope fun.......... of course for those that went to rock their night at the AY Show, i heard it was fun, though did not attend. may be will catch the glimpse some other time. my weekend was good, i was at home watching series. i just finished smallville. of course i know you've watched it , but it just caught my attention recently and i really enjoyed it. ahhhh, it gave me sleepless night.
anyway i decided to post my today's fashion.

Going Asia! V-Gorgeous





By Oyindamola Lawal
WITH long smashing braids, Omowunmi Oluwaseyi Osiyemi stepped into her friend’s office in a white shirt and pants. The lady is the brain behind V-Gorgeous.She seems to stand out in the crowd in her Asian designs.
According to her, “ if you look at the Asians, you will get some kind of sassy feeling. It gives you that really lady look. If you wear their sari for example, you cannot just sit down anyhow, even if you are a tomboy. It is not a gown, it is not a dress, it is not a jeans, it is not a normal Yoruba iro ati buba; the wrapper is done in a way that it gives you some pleats in the front that waves. It gives you that really fantastic and gorgeous look. I just feel it is the best to wear to red carpet because it puts you in a class of its own.”
She adds, “there is nobody that will see you in a sari without appreciating your elegance. Some people say they can’t wear it, but I do tell them that by the time you wear it and you step out on a red carpet, people will definitely ask you where you get your outfit from.”
Of course, designing a foreign cloth in Nigeria may not be an easy task, but how has V-gorgeous being handling the challenges. She discloses, “well, the challenge actually comes form the manufacturing because it’s difficult getting a very good labour to do the sequence here, in Nigeria as its done there. Once. I choose my material and make a design, I sent them to India; so, an order takes two weeks be ready and sometimes, there maybe some delays; these are the challenges. I am even thinking of bringing them to Nigeria, so, we could make as much as we want within a time frame.”
Before going into designing, event planning and hall decoration, the Olabisi Onabanjo University accounting graduate had worked in oil and gas, and also a telecom outfit. But found out that her interest was on her passion.
Speaking on how she ventured into event planning, Osiyemi says, “in 2005, Mobil Nigeria sent me to the US on training, and as the programme was extended for sometime and I said to myself, I can’t just sit down in America, so, I picked up a course in Event Planning.”
How has she been able to manage her careers? She answers, “ to me, they are interwoven, because what makes the event is the fashion and the people. If they say okay I am having an event and nobody comes or people dress anyhow, it doesn’t give event that classic look. I am doing my event planning on one side and my fashion on the other, so, what I do is to dress people up to go for the event I plan.”
Osiyemi says she gets inspiration from her clients. “I normally ask them how they want to look in a coming event and what they would wear? Their responses motivates me to give them what they want and I am happy and fulfilled for it.”
V-gorgeous source her fabrics from all over the world, including Asia, India, London, Nigeria to mention a few

beachy look




BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL
BEACH fashion can be tight, short and very form – fitting. Just because you are going to the beach does not mean that you have to dress shabby. Style is fashion.
The bikini is the quintessential piece of fashion accessory that can be found in almost every woman’s wardrobe
A stylish bikini will enhance your looks and appeal and guarantee you make heads turn at the beach! The best way to do that is to choose a bikini that is not only trendy but also suits your figure.
Swimsuits
Beach fashion is all about the swimwear — it’s the building block of the rest of your summer look, so, it’s important to find pieces that work well for you.
Shorts
Shorts are a beach essential. Giving coverage and shielding you from post water chill, they look as great on the beach as they do everywhere else.
Cover-Ups
They keep you warm out of the water and also keep the sun and wind off you. These are great options for girls who are a little shy to sit on the beach in just their swimwear.
Dresses
A beach dress is essential! All of choices will look just as good off the beach and are made in fabrics, which are easy to care for.
Fun and Floaty
Feminine floaty keeps one cool with the breeze flowing through them but will also keep the sun off. They have simple casual beachy feel to them.
Totally Terry 

Terry cloth or towelling just makes a whole lot of sense when it comes to beach fashion! Not only does it look super cute, it will dry you off after you have finished swimming.
Funky Flip Flops
No beach outfit would be complete without the essential flip flops. Flops are available in all kinds of materials and styles today. There are leather ones, which look great for beach wear, as well as for casual wear like women's sundresses or a polo shirt and Bermuda short combination for men. There are some designs, which have bamboo soles, suede straps, velvet straps, and rubber soles, which have massaging footpads. There are even some styles made with denim or hemp.
Kaftans (or Caftans)
It has emerged as the hippiest and hottest cover-up of the season.
Today’s kaftans (or caftans) can be slim-fitting, figure-hugging and trendy. Now to be found in a variety of lengths, they have chic embellishments, drawstrings, cinched waists, kimono sleeves, and can be found in almost every cut and shape you can imagine. From see-through chiffons to floaty cottons, no longer the diaphanous tents of the past, you can add shape and definition by choosing a style that accentuates your figure rather than drowns it.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Kate Moss Goes curvy


The model who pioneered "heroin chic" and has always been a mere sliver of a person made headlines last month when she posed for New York magazine and showed off a new curvier body. Immediately, she was forced to dispel rumors that she was pregnant.

"I'm a woman now," she told the magazine. "I've never worn a bra in my life. Ever! It's so awful, even my friends are phoning me up and saying 'are you pregnant?' And I'm like, 'no! I just put on a couple of pounds, and they went in the right place.' Isn't that weird?"

Weird as it may be, the timing is apparently good for Moss, 35, who is about to expand her successful clothing line TopShop to include lingerie and who coincidentally started wearing a bra herself.

The timing could also be good for an industry that's long been criticized for using stick-thin figures on the runways and in magazines.

Vola: farming difficulties

by Panos.org.uk
Vola: 'What besets our land here is that lack of forest. We just have wide open land that…holds back the rains.'
Vola moved to Faux Cap as a young woman. She is a widow with nine children. She despairs at the difficulties of farming alone. "Men with cattle, and ploughs and a large field, we don't have. We are left to suffer and wander."

She sees the strong winds as farming's biggest enemy, blaming them on the lack of forest cover, which also "holds back the rains." She describes the farmers' helplessness in the face of drought: "…if the rains come we'll put in sweet potatoes, but if there's no rain then we'll just sit around."

Vola has many different strategies to provide for her family. She sends her children out to herd or weed for others or to sell fish. At other times "when the need appears I'll take one of my chickens to market and sell it, for kerosene."

Whilst the chickens provide an important safety net, they are susceptible to disease. She lost 20 chickens last year and has only just now managed to find two chickens and a rooster to provide eggs to sell to pay for essentials. This, and her family's reliance on the leaves of prickly pears for one of their daily meals, shows how close Vola is to the very edge of survival.

I'm a resident here; I was [born] in Bekily and I stayed there until I was a young woman. Now when my father returned to his homeland here, he brought me along and he arranged my marriage here at that time. So I've been here ever since with my husband. We plant crops and harvest, and have delivered 10 children, of which one died. Then my husband died, leaving me alone to raise those nine children. The girls were born first and the boys are not old enough to support themselves.

Now since my husband left me this dry land, there has been nothing successful in our agriculture. This sorghum association came along and we had a harvest in 2007. Our field is quite small as we had to sell most of our land at the funeral of my husband, so we only farm a small plot to support my children.

"We are left to suffer"

I harvested 40 kapoake (standard cup for measuring grain) of which I sold 10 kapoake to buy myself a chicken…and my children and I ate the remaining 30 kapoake. Now, it isn't for me a widow to plant with a view to harvesting. Men with cattle, and ploughs and a large field, we don't have. We are left to suffer and wander. All my children are now off looking for water at this time of drought, they're far off.

If the rains successfully come, then I can't manage [the farming] by myself and I hire help from someone who has a plough. So I say to them: "Here is what I can offer you to plough my field."

What I plant in [my field] is manioc, sweet potatoes, corn, sorghum, antake (type of bean), vañemba (type of bean), white watermelon. I plant all those in the plot but I plant the sorghum at the edge as nothing can be planted with that except antake.

I received 3 kapoake [of sorghum seed] from the association in the beginning. I planted it in a long stretch: half of it died but half of it succeeded in giving that harvest of 40 kapoake. With that sorghum I did plant some corn, and harvested a little. It was eaten [rather than sold] as it wasn't much.

There isn't any work outside that of the spade, but when need appears I'll take one of my chickens to market and sell it, for kerosene if it's a good year. But at this time I just sit around.

I don't have cattle nor do I have sheep or goats, for I have had none of those since my husband died, and I haven't been able to raise myself up due to those drought years. So the little I've acquired, I've put into chickens.

I now have one rooster and two laying hens; one hen I received from that sorghum in the last cool season, and I'm about to have her lay now. Before, I had many chickens, but that koropoke disease struck in October and I lost 20.

But in the wake of that disease, and my disappointment at the loss of so many chickens, I didn't buy another chicken until that sorghum harvest, when 10 kapoake went towards the purchase of that hen. So with that hen and with another, and with that rooster, I will have eggs towards the support of myself and my young ones, to buy soap, and medicines in case of disease.

Wind: "the reason we have no farming"

Certainly insects come with the planting, but it's these winds that keep us from farming. But if we're favoured with rainfall, and not many insects infesting the plants, then our crop succeeds. For sure, the bugs will be there anyway but they can't destroy a crop if the rains are good; but this wind! It's the reason we have no farming.

At this time, I don't know how to talk about [the lack of rain], but sit and wait on God alone. In the field we don't do much but weed and keep it up in case it rains, then if it does we'll try to buy some kapoake of seed to plant…if the rains come we'll put in sweet potatoes, but if there's no rain then we'll just sit around.

In the meantime as there is no harvest, we eat the leaves of the prickly pear cactus at noon, and in the evening we eat manioc that is bought at the market; that's what we take to sleep.

We purchase at the Monday market, AR 2,000 worth, enough to take us through to the following Monday. At noon we rely on the prickly pear leaves or the red prickly pear [which is a weed]. The prickly pear also has fruit but that's not yet in season, but the leaves are not seasonal.

My children "hire themselves out"

Who helps me financially? Some of my children go away to work, and occasionally they'll have work and will remember me and send AR 5,000 or AR 4,000; that is what I use to buy food. The others [who are] still at home will hire themselves out to farmers for weeding or they herd animals and that might provide AR 1,000 or AR 500. And that we'll also use for food on Monday, to buy medicine for the sick, and I'll put a little away. I keep a pittance put away in the house.

One of my daughters goes down for fish on a calm day with little wind, and she fries it. Often in fishing, one will come back with nothing; another will catch 10 and fry those up to purchase grain. That's what we do with our fish.

Fruits of the sea

I say that the sea doesn't produce any more because once, when a canoe went out and someone paddled out to fish, he brought back many fish. Now a single canoe carrying three fishermen may come back with 30 fish for all three men; at times only the fishing line is seen in the net…

In the past [seaweed collection] happened in the first part of the year until the cool months, if the sea was calm, not stormy, or high, and the collectors not late – for at times we'd collect for a week and no one would show up to buy it.

We married [seaweed collection] with our farming: we weeded our fields by morning, and went to sea towards noon, then we returned home in the afternoon. My livelihood has reduced since the ceasing of that seaweed collection: I rely solely on agriculture now and the hope of a good year.

"We can't harvest much"

The way I feel about it is that since 1986 we've had [a] continuously poor climate. We get some [crops] but we can't harvest much, and haven't done well since 1986. Among those years there were some that were very severe, including the past four years – except the winter of 2007 in which we had that harvest of sorghum with that little bit of corn.

Early in 2007 we didn't have any success with our seeds and had no harvest from our fields, but later in the year we were able to get that poor harvest of corn and that sorghum.

Food for work

In former drought years the government helped us, and we also built roads in those poor years – to be paid in food – or planted lalanda (dune vine) and sisal on the dunes [to stabilise them]. Both men and women built that [main] road.

Children were not included in the road-building work… but one child of mine was admitted to plant lalanda on that dune at Faux Cap. That is how we received food, but there has been no work since… These years we just sit it out.

Lack of forests and fuelwood

Truly what besets our land here is that lack of forest. We just have wide open land that brings the strong winds, and holds back the rains. And so at times we're trying to light green wood because we don't have a forest to gather fuel for our cooking, but at best just those low shrubs.

We still cook with the toko mitsitsy (wood conserving stove). Those that still have one in their houses still use it, and those of us who don't have one any more just use the traditional [one]. I'd like to repair my toko mitsitsy as it saves on firewood for me.

I don't know why they're not building [those stoves any more]. Back when we were trained to build the toko mitsitsy, every one of us had one…but suddenly one would crack and it wouldn't get repaired.

Potable water

The water we fetch is not distant... We don't need to purchase water for we can draw it freely from a bassin (rainwater catchment and storage system) about 3km from here. And there is [also] a bassin there to water the cattle, and a rock slab at which we women can do our laundry. That's at Ejijike. Only those who are incapacitated are not able to make that distance and [they have to] purchase water at AR 100 per pail.

If the rain comes regularly, we have that rock pool from which to fetch water; or we fetch water from the bassin of friends, and that bassin becomes our source when the hot season is over. Also the church sells water at AR 50 per pail and we fetch it from there until that's finished and [then] we return to fetching it from Ejijike.

Church assistance: "it's all come to an end"

There are two places here with churches: there's the Protestant one and there's the Catholic. The Fathers, as Easter or Christmas approached, they would open a sack of second hand clothes and the Sisters used to weigh infants and provide oil, ground corn and rice each month. All of that has stopped now…it's all come to an end. There is a school run by the Fathers and the students are fed at that school.

"Learning in the schoolroom is good"

When the children reach T4 (4th grade) they must go to Faux Cap to continue at the EPP (elementary school) there. One [of my children] is in 1st grade with the Fathers and the other having reached T4 with the Sisters here transferred to Faux Cap. Now he has passed out of that into T5 (5th grade).

How I can compare schooling these days to before? Now the government provides all the materials, including notebooks, book bags, and all the tools they need in the classroom. But before, it was the parents who supplied all those things: the bag, the notebooks, the pens and erasers, and all those tools.

But now it's the government which supplies those things; life might be hard, but learning in the schoolroom is good.

Funerals

If that person who dies is a Christian, then we do an all-night wake, and we all make an effort to attend: to strengthen each other, to help each other until the body is laid to rest… Let's say she dies at 3am, then the bell is tolled and we assemble in the morning…a statement will be made by a relative of the deceased…so we roast the coffee and we do the night wake, and if he's well off he'll butcher a steer, or a goat to serve at the wake…

All the relatives are convened to do the burial of that deceased one, and they'll kill another steer to have a big meal together and all the groups of women and men work together on that. When all that is out of the way we take the body to the burial ground and bury it. That completed, a spokesman for the family will proclaim that the task is accomplished regarding our relative, and at the Christian burial the church and its servants and elders will give a blessing.

Now at the traditional (non-Christian) burial service, the wealthy will have men firing shotguns into the air and dancing the tsinjake (a traditional dance) with fervour. That calls people, and then all the relatives are summoned: the sons and daughters-in-law. All the in-laws bring an offering: a steer which they butcher, and clothes are offered as well as money. When they have the burial they will kill another steer at the burial site.

Having buried that body we return to the village and an elder relative will make a speech thanking all for attending the funeral and accomplishing the burial of their brother. Then another havoria (funeral gathering) will be held and the house of the deceased is torn down amid great to-do. There's a great bustling gathering with guns blasting, and then the horns of all those butchered animals will be taken out to the grave – maybe five or six pairs. Those are placed on the grave.

Inheritance and tradition

In regard to the destruction of the [deceased's] house…the sons…will appoint a day in the month ahead, which they will proclaim to the crowds… The reason for destroying the house is tradition, for the house of the followers of traditional religion cannot be bequeathed to another: some are broken down, others are burned, or they'll drag it to the edge of the village and burn it there.

It only relates to the house, but any kettles, spades, axes, pillows, cattle, can all be inherited – it's only the house that can't be inherited. But for a Christian, the house is not destroyed: if he had a wife with children they will continue to use the house. But if the woman did not have any children then she is taken back to where she was brought from, and the relatives of the man inherit the house. That's what the Christian practice is.

Looking back, looking forwards

I didn't really have much [that was] particularly joyful in that year of 2007, but I did have a harvest of that small planting I did. But what upsets me is this weather we're having – it's only making us suffer, and all my agriculture is dead, which leaves me in dire straits.

The thoughts of my mind are that, if I were as others, I might get into petty trade and purchase some small things to sell, as agriculture seems to be of no value. So that's what I've been thinking about in my heart… I would purchase some goods to sell – that's what is in my heart, but I don't have the means to do that.

This interview has been specially edited for the web and cut down by more than half. Some re-ordering has taken place: square brackets indicate 'inserted' text for clarification; round brackets are translations / interpretations; and dots indicate cuts in the text. The primary aim has been to remain true to the spirit of the interview, while losing questions, repetition, and confusing or overlapping sections.

Liberia leads on gender and climate change

by Patrick K. Wrokpoh
Liberia: A woman carrying a bucket of water on her head in a small village. Liberia is trying to ensure that women are given an equal voice in the fight against climate change / Mikkel Ostergaard - Panos Picture

In much of the developing world it is women who work the farms and grow the food. So why does the world not recognise how they are especially affected by our changing climate? Patrick Wrokpoh reports from Monrovia, Liberia's capital city, on the country's efforts to make gender count in the climate change debate.

On the outskirts of Monrovia, the Liberian capital, in the town of Jah Tondo, I recently saw for myself the real impact of climate change in a tropical developing country.

Jah Tondo is in the lower Western Cluster region of Liberia. Many of the local farms which have always produced rice, the nation’s staple food, have been abandoned because the searing heat has simply destroyed the fertility of the land.

Gender equality to tackle climate change

When delegates meet at United Nations climate change summits, they try to pursue their common target: how to tackle the warming climate confronting them all.

Some delegates join forces to press towards their common cause. Others try to draw the world’s attention to key issues that, whilst important, are sometimes overlooked.

Liberia is one nation seeking to show the world that it needs to make gender equality central to tackling climate change.

Liberia has direct experience of climate change, not only on its farms but along its coast, where beach erosion has washed away houses and displaced hundreds of people. The country is convinced that to further progress in combating the changing climate requires people to pay close attention to the plight of women and children.

Bringing gender into the mainstream

Benjamin Karmorh was a member of the Liberian delegation to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change's 2008 summit in the Polish city of Poznan. He also leads on climate change at Liberia's Environmental Protection Agency.

Karmorh says there is one compelling reason to bring gender issues into the mainstream. "There must be a framework put into place to address women's and children's needs" he says, "Because we believe they feel the worst impacts of climate change."

He said Liberia had raised its concern at Poznan and had received overwhelming support from most of the delegates. He added that Liberia would continue pushing the issue, with the next stepping being to ensure its concerns are transformed into a text for negotiation.

Karmorh continued, "Whenever there are climate change impacts, for example flooding, it hampers women’s ability to farm. And, as you may know, in most African settings women are good farmers, and if they cannot farm their children are affected and there will be no food for their families."

Seasons change for Liberia's farms

Back on Liberia's farms, his words find a worrying echo. Mrs. Agnes Kortimai is executive director of Zorzor District Women's Care, a group working with rural Liberian women involved in agriculture, especially in the interior of Northern Liberia.

She says climate change worries them: "We are concerned because over the years we have seen how it has affected us.

"In the past we farmed in keeping with a familiar seasonal pattern. But things have changed. When we think we should be planting, harvesting or resting, in fact it’s the opposite, because of the climate."

Krubo Seanneh farms in Liberia’s breadbasket county of Lofa in the north of the country, near the border with Guinea. Normally, she says, they clear their farmland in November and December so they can spend January, February and March planting and then prepare for the harvest.

"But we are not keeping to this schedule any longer because the weather changes so much. When this happens, we do not grow enough food, meaning shortages, especially between June and July. And then the food prices increase because of the scarcity," she added.

A women's colloquium

As part of its efforts, Karmorh said, Liberia's Environmental Protection Agency is embarking on an awareness campaign to bring gender to the forefront in the climate debate.

"Our efforts are now gaining momentum and we are planning, with the government of Finland, to use an upcoming women's colloquium to be held in Monrovia to draw the world's attention to this issue."

Karmorh said the colloquium was due to be attended by world leaders including Tarja Halonen, the President of Finland, and the US First Lady Mrs. Michelle Obama, the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton as well as other prominent women from across Africa and the world.

"We intend to highlight the important role women play, especially in caring for crops, planting trees and ensuring they grow to maturity, and making reforestation happen", he said.

Top event planner Gbemi Oyekan holds seminar

By Oyindamola Lawal
The brain behind one of the latest sensations in the event industry, CISS, (Classic Integrated Services and Slippers), Gbemi Oyekan is a goal setter.
She has made a huge mark for herself and had decided to make an impact on people, which is why she is staging a detailed event planning seminaron Saturday, March 14th and Sunday, 15th 09 at the Protea Hotel, GRA, Ikeja.
The event tagged National Event Planning Seminar is aimed to train 100 people to become professional event planners for social and corporate events such as press conferences, seminars, AGMs, bridal showers, baby showers and other parties. 


Oyekan added, “due to hectic work schedule of corporate people they hardly have time to plan their parties and they give out the jobs of organizing their functions to people, and we found out that a lot of people are going into event planning just for the fun of it without adequate or no training at all. For this seminar, our target audience is corporate affairs departments. We want them to handle their own events in a professional way. 

They can train their staff to harness the skill to organize their AGMs and other social events of the company. This seminar is really for organizations looking to enhance their staff skills in planning or coordinating corporate events, individuals aiming to establish an event planning business, students with the aim of planning campus events with great, unique themes and ideas, and generally anyone who is planning on starting a profitable business in the event planning industry.” 


Apart form the fact that the organization set to reveal the nitty-gritty details and secrets of running a successful event management to all participants of the training, 
Oyekan added that participants would receive a detailed book on event and wedding planning, an event directory and other materials to assist them on the job. 
“For instance, in cases of a wedding, if you don’t use the right vendor, it messes up your day, so all the details of how to choose the right vendors in Nigeria are there through an event directory, just like the NITEL directory of those days.” She disclosed
She added that the event is in conjunction with Ibidun Ighodalo of Elizabeth R and Funke Obruthe of Zapphire Events, two of the biggest names in event planning in the country. 
“They are going to talk on event search, theme, marketing to get an event, how to manage your cash flow and the nitty-gritty of making a success out of the business. These two women are young, upwardly mobile and they know about the sectors in the industry. Our vision is to reveal the inner tricks of planning a successful event and letting you know the right vendors to all Nigeria. We noticed that when most Nigerians abroad want to have a show or a marriage, they don’t how to go about it. So these items will be sold in the UK, America and South Africa.”

 She said.
The graduate of Computer Science and Mathematics from the Lagos State University has always had the passion of being her own boss right from secondary school. While in the university, Oyekan established a modeling agency before taking some course in event management. 
 She said, “I started coordinating and supplying of models for shows and after graduation, I traveled to UK to pursue a course in Event planning. The resource people we are using are really like mentors because they are not charging us a dime. They just want to give back to the society their wealth of experience, to people who want to use event management as a career. All credit as regards this show goes to them because the training is on a weekend and they must have sacrificed their time to do this charitable venture”.

for more info
call 08034032732
the fee is N50, 000

Prince Charles voted best dressed man


Esquire names Prince Charles best dressed
Eclipses Barack Obama, Roger Federer
Charles admired for his tailored suits
HE is lampooned by the UK press for his hats and kilts but fashion bible Esquire has named Prince Charles as the world's best dressed man.

The 60-year-old Prince of Wales eclipsed smart dressers Barack Obama, tennis champ Roger Federer and the sichdasha robe-wearing Kuwaiti royal Sheikh Majed al-Sabah to take this year’s title.

Aside from the sometimes comic head gear the British heir to the throne is forced to wear when visiting tribal chiefs or Commonwealth nations, Prince Charles was admired for his suits from Saville Row tailors Gieves and Hawkes.

Esquire concluded his favoured double breasted suits showed he was a man of style, impeccably dressed befitting his position as heir apparent.

“He is perfectly turned out in a double-breasted suit,” magazine judges stated.

“Admirably, the Prince keeps his wardrobe in appropriate style: we're told he has a room laid out like a tailor's shop.”

Charles was also admired for his accessories usually including a pocket handkerchief, silk tie and shoes by John Lobb, where they cost more than $6000 a pair.

The royal's sartorial elegance pushed comic Ronnie Corbett - described as “always immaculately turned out” - into second while “stylish” British actor Bill Nighy came third. Mr Obama came fourth in the list.

Both Prime Minister Gordon Brown and London mayor Boris Johnson were criticised for their poor clothing choices.

“Gordon Brown turned up in the Iraqi desert wearing black lace-ups and Boris Johnson wears odd socks, has jacket pockets like second-hand bookshops, and hair the result of an encounter with a ghost in a wind tunnel,” judges reported.

Esquire editor Jeremy Langmead said: "It's the men who dress like grown-ups who really caught the judge's eyes this year; as well as those who have developed their own distinctive style and stuck with it.

“I love the fact that we have such a diverse list: from artists to royals, to one of the Two Ronnies.”

Federer was described as easily the best dressed player on the circuit providing “old-fashioned Wimbledon elegance” while actor Adrien Brody dressed “in a manner that suggests he enjoys clothes”.
courtesy - ww.news.com.au

Thursday, March 5, 2009

For Jezreel , Versatility is theme ‘09




BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL
FOR many fashion designers, the road to the top comes by chance, but to a talented few, steadfastness and focus have been the tonic.
The United Kingdom-based Abiola Egbeyemi is one of the few designers, who have made great strides in the international fashion scene through steadfastness and determination.
For the proprietress of Jezreel Designs, her journey into the fashion industry came as a surprise. She says, “my foray into the industry is one that has taken many, including myself, by surprise. Growing up as the only girl in a family of four children; I was a real Tomboy. I spent many hours playing football and climbing trees like a boy. Most of the time, I wore my brothers’ clothes with my mum trying her best to make me dress as a girl. About four years ago, I fell in love with ankara and aso-oke and started thinking of versatile ways they can be worn. The idea for the accessories grew from there until I made my first item in my living room floor in 2007.”
The lady, who holds a degree in Law and Economics from the University of Hertfordshire and MSc in International Business Economics from City University, infuses contemporary designs into the traditional African fabrics thereby making a statement that lifts her above the crowd.
She says, “as a Christian, I am also inspired daily by my walk with God.”

APART from making unique outfits, Jezreel is also known for classy African and trendy accessories. She adds, “having made the first bag, and seeing how it was received by those who saw it, I started thinking of ways to make it into a viable business with a difference. I wanted to combine my love for our traditional fabrics with my passion for my country and culture while trying to give back to the society; with that idea I started Jezreel Designs. I wanted to show the rest of the world the richness of African fabrics as well as our craftsmanship. I wanted to combine these with great designs that can be worn at any occasion.”
She is not only a proud Nigerian, she also showcases this in her products, especially African gifts.
“Often times, we as a people are very quick to dismiss products made locally as inferior to those made abroad. I want people to see the quality of the products in terms of components and workmanship and say, ‘Wow! Was this really made in Nigeria?’ I also hope to help the craftsmen that work with me to realize that the only difference between products made in Nigeria and those in Europe and the rest of the world is purely the name on the label,” she says.
No detail is overlooked in Egbeyemi’s designs. She discloses, “each Jezreel Designs item is hand crafted by the very best craftsmen, we can find right here in Nigeria. We are fusing the ‘everyday’ fabric of ankara with leather to create pieces that are both beautiful and timeless. All our items are also produced in limited numbers, not more than 10 per design per fabric, to satisfy our clients.”
Egbeyemi sources all her fabrics and components including zips, button among others in Nigeria, most especially Lagos Island, Oshodi or Mushin. She says, “for me, that is probably the most exciting time in the development of a new collection as it allows me to meet and make friends with so many wonderful people.”
On what kind of fabrics she uses, the lady behind Jezreel says, “currently, we use only ankara and leather for the ready- to-wear items. Aso-Oke, being individualised and currently only used for bespoke items. However, as I get to know more about other cultures in Nigeria, we will start introducing different traditional fabrics with each new collection.”
Over the years, she has been able to combine beauty and fashion designing, “Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder. In as much as this sounds cliché, I really do believe it to be true. I believe you don’t have to look or dress in a certain way to be considered beautiful because beauty comes from within,” she states.
For the designer, “fashion is whatever makes you feel good and represents your true self.

ON her 2009 Collection, she explains, “we will be going for strong and attractive colours, which will complement any woman’s wardrobe while still making a statement. The theme for 2009 is versatility; so, we will be producing clutch bags, which can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion as well as totes and shoppers for the everyday woman. Our belts can be worn on casual jeans, smart trousers or dresses; the point is for you to, create your own style. For me the importance will be given, as always, to the quality of the materials used in making the accessories; bags and belts need to be comfortable and practical but should also be made with high quality leather.”
The name Jezreel, Egbeyemi states, came to me by the inspiration of God from the book of Hosea 1 vs.11, which means God’s plants. The idea of the accessories label comes from the traditional handmade fabrics in Africa, whose concept is from God.
She adds, “the uniqueness of Jezreel Designs comes from the fact that it is pure and simply an African business, using African fabrics and craftsmen, creating pieces that can be worn by everyone the world over.”
For Egbeyemi, her role model is her mum. “ She has a ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get’ philosophy which basically means, how do you know unless you try?”
In the nearest future, Egbeyemi projects, “Nigeria, and Africa as a whole, will begin to takes its rightful place on the world stage.”

Life on international runway beckons





BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL

CONTENT developing company, Idea Media, is set to organise a modeling reality TV show tagged Making of the Next Nigeria’s Super Model.
The show is modelled after similar projects that produced the likes of Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi; former Miss World, Agbani Darego; Best Model of the World, Bunmi Ademokoya; 2008 Britain’s Top Model of Colour, Ibukunoluwapo Jegede and Warebi Martha, on the runway.
The show, with the aim of exposing Nigerian models to the world, it would be aired on both local and international TV stations such as Silverbird, Ben TV and DSTV, among others.
According to the CEO Idea Media, Lanre Towolawi, “ the company came up with the reality based talent search, which is not the average reality show, where you just see the glamour. It’s going to be different; it’s going to cover day-to-day life of models and what they go through during auditions.”
He said, “contestants are not going to live in a house; we will have10 cameras for them, which will video them in their different houses and locations. This is going to be a hustle.”

TOWOLAWI, who used to work with BBC London, further said: “There will be no elimination, but on the day of the grand finale, the winner will emerge based on his or her performance and task. Moreso, we will have judges from UK and Nigeria. The reason we’re making it international is because modeling is not actually a career, so, we are partnering with D1 international modeling agency.”
Speaking on who is qualified to enter the contest, he said, “It’s an open audition. It’s open to everybody. Some agencies are looking for plus size models while some are for glamour fashion models, and host of others. The forms will be on sale at Intercontinental Bank.”
He added, “the winner will get N1 million, a car and a modeling contract; first runner-up gets N500, 000, a trip to Dubai and a modeling contract while second runner up will have N200, 000 and a modeling contract.”

Life on international runway beckons

BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL
CONTENT developing company, Idea Media, is set to organise a modeling reality TV show tagged Making of the Next Nigeria’s Super Model.
The show is modelled after similar projects that produced the likes of Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi; former Miss World, Agbani Darego; Best Model of the World, Bunmi Ademokoya; 2008 Britain’s Top Model of Colour, Ibukunoluwapo Jegede and Warebi Martha, on the runway.
The show, with the aim of exposing Nigerian models to the world, it would be aired on both local and international TV stations such as Silverbird, Ben TV and DSTV, among others.
According to the CEO Idea Media, Lanre Towolawi, “ the company came up with the reality based talent search, which is not the average reality show, where you just see the glamour. It’s going to be different; it’s going to cover day-to-day life of models and what they go through during auditions.”
He said, “contestants are not going to live in a house; we will have10 cameras for them, which will video them in their different houses and locations. This is going to be a hustle.”

TOWOLAWI, who used to work with BBC London, further said: “There will be no elimination, but on the day of the grand finale, the winner will emerge based on his or her performance and task. Moreso, we will have judges from UK and Nigeria. The reason we’re making it international is because modeling is not actually a career, so, we are partnering with D1 international modeling agency.”
Speaking on who is qualified to enter the contest, he said, “It’s an open audition. It’s open to everybody. Some agencies are looking for plus size models while some are for glamour fashion models, and host of others. The forms will be on sale at Intercontinental Bank.”
He added, “the winner will get N1 million, a car and a modeling contract; first runner-up gets N500, 000, a trip to Dubai and a modeling contract while second runner up will have N200, 000 and a modeling contract.”

MILAN FASHION WEEK PRESENT ANGELA MISSONI'S AUTUMN/WINTER 2009-2010 COLLECTION



Angela Missoni, an heiress of a house with one of the most distinctive signatures in fashion, has done much to continue her parents’ work which is both a blessing and a challenge for her.
Of course, she is great in creating knitwear items, but it can be a bit complicated to start something new and unusual for the brand.

For fall Missoni decided to stay true to the label’s knitwear traditions and produced plenty of fabulous pieces. The line was made in a “cool and slightly hip-hop” mood.
COURTESY- MILLION LOOK