This year Guaranty Trust Bank Lagos
Fashion and Design Week (GTBank LFDW) launched Lagos Fashion and Design
Week Fashion Focus (LFDW Fashion Focus), a year-long initiative aimed at
developing the Nigerian fashion industry.
In partnership with, Frallain Inc and
Istituto Marangoni, LFDW Fashion Focus will offer fashion designers
opportunities to be participants at targeted workshops and networking
sessions between 2014 and 2015. They will also have a chance to exhibit
their collection in front of a select audience at Guaranty Trust Bank
Lagos Fashion and Design Week October, 2014.
15 participants; Michael Shumaker, Olivia
& Sylvia Enekwe, Mimi Habibah, Franklyn Uchechukwu, Titi Belo,
Jumoke Ademilua, Temitayo Nathan, Oluwatobi Akintoye, Abimbola Oye,
Oyindamola Omolale, Adeju Thompson, Babatunde Oyeyemi, Omowunmi
Owonifari, Lamipo Somoye and Ugonna Ibe were selected out of over One
Hundred competitive applications by the LFDW Fashion Focus judges;
Wadami Amolegbe (LFDW Fashion Focus, Creative Director), Kehinde
Okunoren ( Designer, Okunoren Twins), Dimeji Alara (Genevieve Magazine
Editor) and Oluwabunmi Alake (Project Co-ordinator, British Council)
As part of phase One activation, Fashion
Focus hosted a comprehensive 3-Day workshop for the 15 designers in
partnership with various institutions and prestigious industry leaders
from Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Facilitators included Mrs. A.B
Lemon (HOD, Industrial Design department, Yaba College of
Technology), Mrs. Adejuyitan (Head of Fashion Section, Yaba College of
Technology), Mr. Adeyemo (Screen Printing, Yaba College of
Technology), Mr. Benjamin Akano, (Chief Lecturer, Department of
Industrial Design, Yaba College of Technology), Nike Awoyinka ( Head of
International Development ,Ravensborne, UK), Elena Corchero (Lost
Values, UK), Iain and Andrew Foxall (Foxall Studios, UK).
Wadami Amolegbe, Creative Director LFDW Fashion Focus stated ‘Fashion
Focus is aimed at developing the Nigerian fashion ecosystem by
nurturing the very best of talent through intensive workshops and
classes delivered of international standards. This will ensure that our
designers can compete in fashion industries locally and globally.’
Temitayo Ilesanmi Nathan, CEO of fashion brand T.I Nathan and one of the 15 finalists stated
‘I enjoyed every part of this experience. I learnt the ethics of
fashion trade and how we could work with hands to make fabrics and
accessories. I also learnt how we could to mix wearable technology with
fashion, how to tackle retail spaces with technology and basically boost
customer service with technology. I also learned the importance of
branding and brand identity. It was an awesome experience generally’’.
Lagos Fashion and Design Week is title sponsored by Guaranty Trust Bank plc.
Other sponsors include Style House, British Council, Maybelline Nigeria and Fayrouz Nigeria.
Media Partners – Haute Fashion Africa, Genevieve Magazine, Wings Magazine, Ono Bello, Style Vitae, Spice TV and The Style HQ.
Meet the Top 15 Finalists:
Temitayo Nathan
My name is Temitayo Ilesanmi Nathan. I’m a student at the University
of Lagos where I’m currently taking a course in Cell Biology &
Genetics and I’m also the Creative Director behind the label T.I Nathan.
My approach to life and design is minimalist in interpretation. I have 3
collections to my credit but the first part of my 2014 collective
themed SOLACE has been my defining moment as a designer.
Michael Shumaker
Michael Shumaker (born Michael Olomoro Shumaker, 18th December 1993)
is a Nigerian fashion designer and illustrator based in Nigeria. He is
the head designer and creative director for the luxury fashion house
Michael Shumaker. He attended the university of Lagos, Lagos state Nigeria, where he
studied Adult education and community development in the department of
Adult Education and community development (2010/2012), whence which he
started his fashion label ” Michael Shumaker”, he is also a self thought
fashion illustrator and artist.
Gozel Green
The twin sisters, Sylvia and Olivia Enekwe are the fresh brains
behind the budding Label, Gozel Green, established in the year 2010.
Growing up in the eastern part of Nigeria, Enugu, they found nature at
door steps; the hills, the wonderful alluring weather, the cultural and
diverse people, the spectacular red earthen, beige, burgundy colours of
the sand, the healthy trees. Their art-loving parents, a Fashion
Institute of Technology New York Alumni mother and a theatre arts giant
father tremendously inspired them.
Cinnamon & Pearl
As a child, it was watching her mom develop a clothing line for which
she created her own prints that sparked Ugonna’s interest in fashion.
Soon after, her artistic interests spread to sketching and painting
using acrylic and oil. Now mostly a portrait painter; she is currently
exploring the creativity in abstract painting. When she’s not entranced
by fabric shopping, Ugonna enjoys practicing her Yoga positions,
recreating healthy versions of dishes from her favorite food shows
(which is just about all of them!) and of course sharing a bottle of Red
with her best girls. Ugonna Ibe is very passionate about building a
sustainable African fashion company.
L’emiral
Oyindamola omolale born 4
th October 1987 is a Nigerian
fashion designer based in Nigeria. She is the head designer and creative
director of the fashion house L’EMIRAL. Over the years, she has
collaborated on a variety of fashion and art-related projects and has
showcased on different Runways both Locally and internationally, E.g.
Africa fashion week London 2012,(AFWL),Nigeria Television fashion
show(NTFS) etc, she was also featured in the October 2012 issue of
British vogue. Oyindamola is a graduate of computer engineering from the prestigious
University of Lagos, Lagos Nigeria. She started fashion at the tender
age of ten; she started by making purses with her mum and dad’s old
leather bags. She started her brand while in school but officially
launched L’EMIRAL 2011. She loves travelling and writing, Reading, and spending time with family.
Reni Smith
Bimbo Oye spent her early years growing up in Lagos. Her grandmother
was a seamstress thus giving her an early taste of the world of design
and fashion. Beginning her formal training at Instituto di Moda Burgo
where she got a diploma in fashion styling, she then entered the
exciting world of fashion by establishing the Reni Smith brand. Her design aesthetic is architectural in concept, flowing in nature, dimensional, practical and comfortable.
O’milua
As an art enthusiast, fashion came natural to me. My name is
Olajumoke Ademilua the creative director of the contemporary clothing
brand O ‘milua.
Titi Belo
Self-named fashion brand, Titi Belo is a budding fashion label, which
started in 2012. The creative mind behind the brand is Titilayo
Shotile-Belo. Titilayo is a graduate of Architecture from the
prestigious University of Lagos. Her undying love for fashion has contributed tremendously in
providing garments that makes today’s woman a modern icon of strength,
beauty who is also a versatile young woman that isn’t intimidated by
adventure and can switch between looks and trends whenever needed.
Miliadro
Creative Director of Miliadro, a UK based fashion house & Fashion Editor for The Northerner Magazine.
T16 World of Fashion
Oluwatobi Akintoye began her career as a tailor, but because of her
humble beginning, passion for fashion and drive to be successful, this
helped facilitate her rise through the ranks, first as a tailor and now
as a designer. In her sojourn into the beautiful world of fashion she
had the opportunity to be mentored by the likes of (Mai Atafo, Lanre Da
Silva. while learning to be a designer TOBI acknowledge education to be
very paramount and so studies GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING side -by-side in
the school of 1st choice university of Lagos. All this gave birth to the
brand T16 world of Fashion. She specializes in woman clothing. The
brand is an effortless, timeless and wearable Line that reflects the
kind of woman she is herself, which is strong, bold, fun, unique and
fearless. TOBI hopes to be an inspiration to the younger generation
behind her in the nearest future.
Rayo By L.Somoye
Armed with an Associates of Arts in Fashion Design and a Bachelors of
Science in Business Management from the Fashion Institute of Design and
Mechanizing, Los Angeles, Lamipo Somoye moved to back to her home town
Lagos, Nigeria in 2012. After years of soul searching and market
research Rayo by L. Somoye was born with high hopes of creating an
international brand that would have positive economical impact on her
country. In addition to working with her own brand, Lamipo Somoye
recently began working with The Della Lifestyle Brands, Alter Ego and
ADA by Alter Ego.
Mo’Fari
Mo’fari is an aspiring growing brand in the Nigerian fashion
industry, which was founded in June 2011. The brand completely
represents a modern woman sense of beauty who is sophisticated, sure of
herself and enjoys good quality of life with pieces that highlights a
woman’s silhouette. Mo’fari creations are so well crafted, exacting and
exquisite from the inside out.
Adeju Thompson
Babatunde Oyeyemi
& Frank Aghuno
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