Alluring style icons @ Beach centre

BEAUTY, fashion and fun were celebrated in the heart of Atlantic Beach Centre, Victoria Island, on April 17, when Allure Magazine staged its 2011 awards party to celebrate former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Omowunmi Akinnifesi, and Mai Atafo, an upcoming fashion designer, who were this year’s recipients of Allure Style Icons awards.
  The event attracted industry leaders, celebrities and fans of the publication including Chief Erelu Abiola Dosumu; Rita Amuka; ex-beauty queen, Nike Oshinowo-Soleye; Queen Ahneva Ahneva; Patrick Doyle; Celine Be Ssede and Alex Kothoor.
  Akinnifesi and Atafo polled the highest votes from readers and judges to emerge the icons.
  The search for the 2011 icons began in January with 20 celebrities listed. Readers were requested to vote their choice on a scale of 1 to 50. Four celebrity judges contacted by Allure magazine were asked to make up the balance 50 per cent.
  Elimination was done on weekly basis. Celebrities with the lowest number of votes were dropped. At the time voting closed in March, Omowunmi and Atafo had recorded the highest number of votes.
  Allure Style Icon Search was instituted in 2009 with Dorothy Atake emerging first winner, while Kate Henshaw-Nuttal and Celine Loader were runners up. In 2010, the search was expanded to include men. Pastor Paul Adefarasin became the first male icon while Ms Grace Egbagbe became the second recipient of the award.
  Highlights of the evening of fun were a performance by DJ Sax and a fashion show by Cephas Jewellers in collaboration with Hollies Creation.

Empowering youths for national rebirth

BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL
IT was, indeed, a memorable occasion for the fresh Nigerian graduates that participated in the just concluded four-week programme of Samsung Real Dreams that is designed to make Nigerian graduates employable in the labour market.
   Tagged Celebrating Impact, the event, which was organised by Afterschool Graduate Development Centre (AGDC), is geared towards building global talent locally, and raising a new generation of leaders to build the nation’s economy.
  Apart from upping participants’ skills, the programme whose content is structured after management trainee curriculums also serves as a platform of national rebirth, social change and to awaken the entrepreneurial abilities of the Nigerian youth.
    The graduating ceremony, held at the MUSON Centre, Lagos, attracted a host of corporate executives.
 

Kinabuti in Elite Night

BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL
FASHIONISTAS, designers and stakeholders in the fashion industry were recently guests of Kinabuti Lab, a not-for-profit organisation that is using various artistic and empowerment programmes to engage Nigerians in productive activities.
  On April 30, Kinabuti will hold a fund-raising ceremony for some of its programmes.
   Tagged Elite Fashion Night, the event holds at Reeds Bar Lounge and Restaurant, Ikoyi, Lagos.
  The outfit had organised a fashion show in Port Harcourt, River State, to empower young Nigerians in the suburb communities.
  Caterina Bortolussi, the organiser, said, “the event would be glamorous with models from the ghettos of Bundu, Marine Base and Igbikisikalama in Port Harcourt strutting the runway.”
    She added: “In Our Ghetto, models are put together in collaboration with Grey Goose Vodka, Storm 360˚, Smooth 98 Fm, and FAB magazine.”
    According to her, “Kinabuti is more than just a label. It is about celebrating, inspiring and empowering women through personal and innovative designs that enhance their natural beauty. It also uses fashion as a vehicle to promote creativity among the youths as well as provide them with the tools needed to develop individual labels.”
   The outfit has celebrity fans, which include Rita Dominic, Genevieve Nnaji and Eku

Feting for FELA

IN partnership with Martini/Greygoose, Broken Shackles Limited, the production company for FELA! In Lagos hosted a cocktail reception to welcome the cast and crew of the musical group in Lagos.
   The event, which held on Sunday, April 17 at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, featured celebrities across different segments of the society, members of Lagos State Tourism Board, the media, fashionistas, designers and showbiz personalities.
     Aside from feting and mingling, Yinka Davies thrilled guests with her sensual voice.
     The event, which was also spiced up with high-class fashion show, saw designers Kiki Kamanu, Kem Kem Studio, Vonne Couture, Iamisigo, Orange Culture, Gozi and Zebra showcase their creative Fela-inspired pieces.

Yeka’s Nigerian Idol

FOLOWERS of the Nigerian Idol were serenaded to the best of excitement, fun, glamour and entertainment truly worthy of a finale, as the13-week long music TV reality show came to an end.
  Held at Dreams Studio on Bamako Road, Ojodu, Lagos, the event saw Yeka Onka becoming the first Nigerian music Idol sponsored by Etisalat. Onka beat Naomi Mac to the first position after she poled the highest number of votes.
  Onka carted away a cash prize of N7.5 million and a Sony BMG recording contract worth N5 million. She also won a Galaxy Tab and a Blackberry phone from Etisalat, a car and a trip to South Africa besides, a number of other mouthwatering gifts.
  The show began with Anis and Misi welcoming everybody. Thereafter, Anis introduced the three judges — Jeffrey Daniel, Yinka Davies and Audu Maikori. This was followed by introduction of the top 13 participants.
  They came on stage, with the Top 11 appearing first, while the top finalists Yeka and Naomi came behind to a deafening ovation.
  Thereafter, the 13 of them performed a song titled; I have a feeling, by the group, Black Eyed Peas.
  It was a performance laced with energetic dance moves and they got a huge applause from the audience.
  Anis came back to introduce the R & B crooner, Banky W. He thrilled the audience with a rendition of one of his songs, Strong thing. The first and only West African Idol, Timi Dakolo, also performed his song, Heaven please.
  Onka, reveling on her victory, said, she had tough time qualifying from the regional auditions, as the competition was very keen, but she was determined to be heard, as she went from her base in Aba to Enugu and Calabar where she was rejected and finally Lagos where she was selected.
  She said her emergence as winner of Nigerian Idol was even harder, as the show had a lot of highly-talented and intelligent people, who made the show not only interesting, but also tough.
  According to Steven Evans, Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat, the sponsorship of Nigerian Idol is a show of the company’s commitment to providing support for the youth in realising their potentials.
  He said, “every individual should be given the needed support to realise his or her potential. As you may well be aware, a lot of youths participated in the show with the opportunity to showcase their talents. And we have no doubt that many of those who participated even though were not even lucky to be among those shortlisted for the Idol house experience, but have taken learning that will last them a lifetime.”
   He added, “we believe the youth occupy a special place in the life of any society that crave for genuine development. This category of people is endowed with enormous talents, as evidence in the Nigerian Idol, which provided our youth with the opportunity to display the abundant talents inherent in them.”
  “The reality show had provided TV viewers with enormous entertainment, which kept us glued to our TV sets in the duration it was aired across the country.”

Corona, ADGC Upgrade Teachers

By Oyindamola Lawal
    Recently, academics gathered at Ikoyi office of Corona School, as Corona School Trust Council (CSTC) launched its Graduate Trainee Program, CORONA i-TEACH.
  The program, which aims is to assess bright young graduate each year, irrespective f their initial academic discipline, is implemented by Afterschool Graduate Development Centre (ADGC) Employability and Enterprise LTD/GTE.
  According to the Executive Director Corona, Olufunto Igun, “ we decided to partner with AGDC because we believe ADGC share the Corona vision. It is reputed for its expertise on youth employability, advocacy, educational development and its proven ability to recruit and train work ready youth for a large pool.”
  She adds, “ Our mission is to eviler world class education. The program ill involve a six month wide spectrum core teacher and personal development training program, which will utilize various of training methodologies useful for adult learning and engagement.

A partying for the have-nots

BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL

 FRIENDS, celebrities, fashionistas, Radio DJs and on-the-air personalities gathered at the Reeds Restaurant and Bar last week, to celebrate with Caterina Bortolussi, a Nigeria-based Italian designer and founder of Kinabuti, a-not-for-profit charity organisation that mentors and equips indigent youths.

   Aside from mingling, the Elite Fashion Party was also used to raise fund for Kinabuti.

   Recently, the organisation trained and equipped 21 indigent young women selected from communities across Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, in different careers such as make-up, modeling, hair dressing and others that would make them fend for themselves and contribute meaningfully to the society.

   Present at the event were MTV Award winner and rapper, Sasha, Duncan Mighty, DJ Neptune, Anu Aloba, Radio presenter, Hauwa Mukan, Storm 360's Obi Asika, Elizabeth Elohor Aisien, Owen Aisen, Wunika Mukan and Project Manager Miss, Nigeria Pageant.

  Others include Fab Magazine Publisher, Babajide Akin Familusi, STV Presenter Vixen, Ezinne Chinkata, Fashion Editor, WOW Magazine; Beat FM's Olisa Adibua, Ex-Beauty Queen, Omowunmi Akinufesi, designer, Kiki Kimanu and Yoanna Pepper Okwesa FAB Magazine fashion editor.

  Sasha thrilled the audience with her songs.  

Miss Global Nigeria 2011. Forms now out!

For more info, call - 08075481965...

Nike Oshinowo-Soleye on Ovation cover...... trendy photo shoot

Nike Osinowo-Soleye in Ituen Basi

Nike Osinowo-Soleye wears a piece from Duchess, Awolowo Rd, Oluwadamilola
wears MOMO

Ituen Basi Ankara Cape and trousers, Christian Louboutin shoes..

Miss Nigeria, Damilola Agbajor

Nigeria's Golden Girl of Fashion - Nike Osinowo-Soleye wears own Lanvin dress
 and Christian Louboutin shoes

Dress by Ituen Basi..

Outfit by Ituen Basi, Bracelet- Bijoux @Duchess, Ring Mrs Soleye's own, Shoes
by Jimmy Choo, neckpiece stylists own
Drums loaned from Diamonds Private School, Ikoyi

I love the detail on this fabulous Ituen Basi dress..

she was styled by Bola of Seriouslydoughnuts blog..... pics by Bola

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"How Joseph and I met, decided to get married and have a baby" - Adaeze Igwe Yobo

"We met at an event in Abuja and it might have been love at first sight, though I had not noticed it. I did not know that it was something that would go far. I never thought I'd be married when I did. I was not then into the boyfriend thing. I was still discovering myself. But in the course of our phone chats, it was as if we had known each other for a long time. He left Nigeria and came back and overstayed this time and we were together. About a month after that, he started talking about marriage. He said he was serious and that he really loved me. I was already in love with him, so I thought about it and realized I had nothing to lose.



I told if he was serious, he needed to come see my mum. Two weeks after the discussion, he came to see my mum.
Joseph and I both immediately agreed on having a baby. Because we thought about it that what would our baby together look like, and also maybe if I got pregnant, everyone would know that we were serious about getting married.

He left for the UK and I was always going to the hospital every other time to find out if I was pregnant. Eventually I called him to tell him the good news, and on hearing the news, he told me he was getting me the next flight to Liverpool. Then we started planning for the wedding...but agreed to do a small wedding because there was no time to plan a big one. We had the wedding and a little ceremony and Joe left immediately the next day for the nation's cup.

Being a wife and mother at my age (21) was a bit difficult at first, especially for my husband. But fortunately he had so much patience and I have gotten loads of advise on how to go about it all, and when I put them to practice, they work. At the rate at which we are going and by God's grace, it's going to be much much better than how beautiful it is now.

from Encomium magazine

Genevieve Nnaji wears Jewel By Lisa designs

Genevieve recently sat down with CNN’s African Voices in a Jewel By Lisa Spring 2011 “Lady” dress. She tells CNN that she’s proud of her country- proudly Nigerian. CNN African Voices focus on the Nigerian-born actress, her acting career, being compared to Hollywood’s Julia Roberts, supporting Nigerian fashion designers, and much more before her London premiere of her new film, Mirror Boy. She also talked about her family. She revealed that she’s a middle child with two older brothers and a younger sister. She was also wearing Jewel by Lisa at the New African Woman Magazine photo shoot
  courtesy: fg2bh.wordpress.com

Allure Female Fashion Icon 2011, Omowunmi Akinnifesi

 Omowunmi Akinnifesi emerged Vanguard Allure Female Fashion Icon 2011. I am happy for her....... stylish babe keep it up

Zed-Eye goes bigger, designs for Genevieve Nnaji & Shingai Shoniwa

A London-based fashion label, Zed-Eye is presently the hottest fashion brand. The Fashion outfit designed by Nigerian designer Ngozi Pere-Okorotie is rocking the fashion scene, from gracing  the pages of New African Woman Magazine to a recent CNN appearance.   Independent African fashion boutique, Agnes & Lola, carried Zed-Eye’s new Spring/Summer 2011 womenswear apparel fresh from the Tribal Romance Revisited Volume 2 Collection.  However, one of its trendy and splendid designs was worn by Shingai Shoniwa of the Noisettes in her August 2010 appearance for Pride magazine.
  Pride Magazine’s talented stylist Shevelle Rhule styled the Zimbabwean singer/songwriter in a Zed Eye Spring/Summer 2011 wrap dress with fur/ankara collar for the popular UK publication!
  In addition to that, 2010 Encomium most Stylish Female Celebrity (in 30s category) and a veteran actor, Genevieve Nnaji appeared on the latest cover of New African Woman magazine in blue panel Zed Eye Fall 2011 dress. This dress made its debut at London Fashion Week. Genevieve, as previously reported, is a huge supporter of Zed-Eye. Shout-out to Yenih’s World for the magazine cover!