...NOT IN THISDAY STYLE? THEN YOU’RE NOT IN STYLE SUNDAY, March 18, 2012
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PAGE pure S of STYLE SOUTHERN SUDANESE super model ALek wek showcasing the collection of Folake coker’s TIFFANY AMBER
, s t h Lig s, a r e Cam
! n o i h s Fa
eek w ashion f ine z a g a m r u o m a the arise l g e h t • z t i l g e h t • ah j s w ra o h s avin g the ith w W E I V R E T N I E V I S U L C X E PLUS:
CLOTHING: DESIGNERS CLUB, PHOTO: TY BELLO, MAKE-UP: TAYO AJANI
The muchanticipated, talkedabout fashion extravaganza Arise Magazine Fashion Week is finally over!! But boy oh boy...what an extravaganza it was! Even if I must say so, it was certainly the biggest fashion event in the whole of the African continent and also most globally covered I might add. Living up to expectations and then some, the designers and their works were nothing short of sensational. From futuristic ensembles, to breath-taking luxurious evening dresses, to avant-garde wearable art, even the most notorious fashion skeptic could not but be moved by the amazing collections. In addition to the glitz of the shows, every evening, guests were treated to a cocktail party hosted by Belvedare Vodka and GTB sponsored the breath-taking white tent, which provided all guests ample view of each outfit modeled no matter where they were seated because of the design of the catwalk. But as with all good things, the end must surely come. I want to seize this opportunity to thank my wonderful team who gave their all to provide the materials needed for this edition and also the international and local crew, models and designers who all collectively made the Arise Magazine Fashion Weekend a befitting success!
COVER
We have decided to do a bumper edition for the recent Arise Magazine Fashion Week extravaganza. For those who came, they will forever have the event etched in their memory and for those who did not, this 48-page pull-out would make a wonderful souvenir. We hope you enjoy viewing the pictures as much as we enjoyed watching them live, because the entire show was nothing but phenomenal. RUTH OSIME
EDITOR STYLE CORRESPONDENT
FUNKE BABS-KUFEJI
STYLE CORRESPONDENT
KONYE NWABOGOR
GRAPHICS/PRODUCTION ALEXANDER OVIAZEE GRAPHICS/PRODUCTION CHARLES KAMMA ART DIRECTOR
OCHI OGBUAKU II
HEAD, PRINTING PROD.
OBI AZURU
CONTRIBUTORS
INTERNS
RUKAYAT MOMODU
EMMANUEL AKPURU
MOJI DANIEL- ALLEN
CHARLES ETA
DEJI ROTINWA
TOSIN OGUNDADEGBE
EDIRIN OKUMAGBA
YOMI ADEDOYIN
SAFINA MOHAMMED FOLARIN ODUBEKO
BOLAJI YUSUF GOLDIE IYAMU GORIOLA GRILLO
PHOTOGRAPHY BENNETT RAGLIN REZE BONNA KUNLE OGUNFUYI
PRODUCTION CREW MODELS: BETH MODEL MANAGEMENT, OFFICIAL MAKEUP SPONSOR: HOUSE OF TARA, MAKEUP ARTISTS: RHEMA AKABUOGU, BOLANLE FEYITA, LOLA MAJA OKOJEVOH, BIMPE ONAKOYA, HAIR: JONNY SAPONG, RENEE, STEFANO AND HAIR LIMITED NAILS: KUDI COSMETICS
LIGHTS, CAMERA, FASHION!
T
ST Y LE
TEAM
o say the just-concluded Arise Magazine Fashion Week was an outstanding success would be stating the obvious. Between 6th-11th of March 2012, the city of Lagos was held spellbound as the glamorous world of fashion descended on the venue, the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island. Participating designers, models, backstage crew all brought their A-game and delivered what is arguably the biggest fashion event in Africa. The first day of the second annual fashion week was light, giving guests and participants ample time and take in the buzz and excitement to come. After everyone had worked assiduously, crew members, designers and models, preparing for the official lift-off, they let their hair down and unwound at the Belvadere Vodka lounge cocktail party later in the evening. This was held to officially declare open the fashion week. There was wine and cocktails aplenty as guests mingled and networked. The subsequent days picked up speed with a grand red carpet reception laid out for guests reminiscent of Oscar and Grammy Award nights. No stone was left unturned as guests were received like celebrities. The business of the week, the fashion, was just as high octane as it exploded on the runway in different cuts, shapes, colours and forms. From dramatic floor-length dresses to dreamy, light-as-air ensembles to futuristic artsy numbers to avant-garde designs, participating designers, over the stretch of the week did not fail in leaving everyone pleasantly bedazzled further giving credence to the fact that Africa is going places in fashion. The show was made all the more exciting with the presence of international models such as Alek Wek, Oluchi, Georgie Bahdel, Dudley O’ Shaughnessy. Home grown models equally stepped up to the plate giving the walk of their lives every time they hit the runway. Musical performances by Davido, Naeto C, W4, Efya, and Ms. Saeon also added to the top-notch entertainment the show delivered. The week ended in grand style with the Arise Magazine Fashion Week Awards with accolades being handed out to deserving models and designers whose hard work shone through and stood them out from their peers. Five lucky designers were also picked from the lot to represent the continent at the Arise Magazine Fashion Show to be held at New York Fashion Week later in the year.
THISDAY Style. Vol 17, No.6173 Sunday, March 18, 2012
A DA M A - PA R I S S E N E G A L / F R A N C E
AMEDE NIGERIA
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AMINE BENDRIOUICH COUTURE & BS GERMANY/MOROCCO
B E S TOW E L A N U K / G H A NA
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D U A B A S E R WA G H A N A
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FRANK OSODI FOR BUNOR CREAZIONI NIGERIA
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R o m e R o B R ya n U K / J A M A I CA
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m U S Ta Fa H a S S a n a L I tA n z A n I A
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I m a n e ay I S S I f r A n C e / CA M e r o o n
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L o z a m a L e o m B H o U s / C ot e d ’ I vo I r e )
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k av e k e K e n yA
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kezIa FReDeRIck UK/st lUCIA
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PHUnkaFRIqUe nIgerIA
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KASTLE DESIGn & TREASURE CHEST US/GHANA
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l au r e n c e a i r l i n e f r a n c e / c ot e d ’ i vo i r e
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GAVIN RAJAH FASHION WEEK LAGOS 2012
FA FASHION WEEK LAGOS 2012
T
he name Gavin Rajah has continued to make headlines and has over time become a force to reckon with in the world of fashion. A South African with Indian descent, Gavin is a trained Lawyer who left the legal profession to pursue his love for exotic pieces as a haute couturier.
His work is unashamedly opulent and he remains enamoured with luxurious fabrics and finishes. The Gavin Rajah-wearing woman is confident and assertive, exudes her femininity with astute grace. This brand has over time become synonymous with discerning style, a household name in South Africa and is also making waves internationally. He is a founding member of the Cape Town Fashion Week in 2000 Gavin Rajah has indeed made an impression in the fashion world. Style Correspondent Konye Chelsea Nwabogor spoke to the South African haute couturier about fashion, his luxury pieces and his experience at the Arise Magazine Fashion Week. Photography by Reze Bonna
Tell me a bit about yourself, you are a South African, with Indian descent. Tell us about it? My great, great, great grand parents came from India and settled in South Africa. I was born in South Africa and was partly raised up there too. My parents travelled a lot around the world but then came back to settle in South Africa. South Africa is my home base and also part of my work base. I’ve been to India and also done some work there but it’s never going to be my base. My studios are in Cape Town and Paris. You broke into fashion about 14 years ago and from then till date your rise in the fashion world has been quite impressive.Did you ever think you would get this far? No, actually I never thought so but then I think it’s because I knew what I wanted and I tried to stick to it without deviating. I was also very determined to be commercially successful at whatever I was doing. I didn’t want to be a half-struggling artist. Fashion sometimes can be
consuming and people tend to lose sight of the reality of things. I couldn’t afford to fail because I had a huge amount of responsibility on my shoulders. Everything I do is well calculated and thought of. One of the main reasons why we are successful is that even though the work is consistent, we have created a brand which is not just African based but also accessible to a larger consumer base. I have never thought of Gavin Rajah as a South African brand but as a global brand. I notice in your dresses you pay a lot of attention to detailing, how long does it take to make a Gavin Rajah piece? The dresses on the runway at Arise Magazine Fashion Week with rose embellishment and sequin detailing were all done by hand. We look at creating the fabric, making the dress and engineering the kind of detailing we want and finally the embroidery. Each dress takes roughly about 80 to 90 hours to create. My clothes aren’t bought by the daily consumer, it is for the woman who understands luxury and
My clothes aren’t bought by the daily consumer, it is for the woman who understands luxury and spends a lot of money to get it and so I am very meticulous about the finishing and the details.
THISDAY Style. Vol 17, No.6166 Sunday, March 11, 2012 FASHION WEEK LAGOS 2012
spends a lot of money to get it and so I am very meticulous about the finishing and the details. It is important for me to ensure the inside of the dress is just as perfect as the outside. Do you intend floating a low end line for low income earners who would love to have a feel of the Gavin Rajah brand? It is actually something I am working on right now and I’m looking at launching it next year. It has taken a long time to do it because we have to get the distribution and logistics done properly. Meanwhile we have a few ready-to-wear pieces and accessories available in selected high end luxury stores in several parts of the world but the couture pieces are only available in our studios in Cape Town and Paris. This is your first time showcasing in Nigeria, how has your experience being so far and what’s your take on arise magazine fashion week?
When I look at designers here and how beautiful their works are, I can see how resourceful they are. Showcasing at the Arise Magazine Fashion Week has been a breath of fresh air...
FASHION WEEK LAGOS 2012
Driving from the airport down to the hotel, I kept looking out the window and everything I saw made me go ‘WOW’, Nigerians are really tenacious and very determined people, despite all the odds they are all doing amazingly well. When I look at designers here and how beautiful their works are, I can see how resourceful they are. Showcasing at the Arise Magazine Fashion Week has been a breath of fresh air, It’s not every time you get to meet people in your continent and interact this closely with them at a fashion show. Everyone has been warm and very friendly. I have shown in Paris, London and a lot of other places all over the world but it just doesn’t compare to this. What are your thoughts on the African fashion scene and Nigeria in particular? People might think I m a bit outlandish by saying this but I think we have got to stop playing the African stereotype. For me it’s not important to use prints to make dresses, or any traditional fabric for that matter,
there’s a fine line between costume and fashion. If you look at India, the sari might be fashionable but it’s not in fashion. I think the quicker we learn about this transition the better for us. For a long time people have being doing it and it has not worked, people are not interested in buying it. If it were so successful, people all over the world would be raving about it. So take the beauty of the Nigerian tradition and create it into something different and fresh that the rest of the world is going to want. Your career as a world class designer takes you around the world, how do you cope with drawing the line between work and family? I never thought I’d be able to say this but honestly time is a real luxury for me at the moment. Every hour I have to myself is something I really treasure. Time management is one of the most important things in the industry and I try to manage it by surrounding myself with reliable and very efficient people.
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T e l fa r U s / L I b e r I A
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