THEWILL DOWNTOWN November 13, 2022 EDITION

EVOLUTION of THE Ohi’Mai ATAFO’

Interestingly, while editing this issue, I stumbled upon a post by a designer on Instagram in which she complained about someone copying her work. As it happens, it’s one of the many things I discussed with our cover personality this week, Ohimai Atafo.

Copying designs isn’t new to our culture; growing up, we used to go to tailors who had so many beautiful catalogues to choose lovely designs they skillfully made for us. And even now, we continue to do the same, but this time with local designers.

I don’t know how easy it will be to end this, as Atafo calls it, ‘thievery.’

In Ohimai Atafo’s opinion, it’s not necessarily just the designers that are to blame, but the clients as well. In the case of the designer, they should be able to say “NO” to a client who brings an outfit by another designer for them to copy. He then mentioned how a fellow designer outrightly copied his design, and Atafo confronted him. This designer apologised, promising not to oblige clients anymore. That was all face value because he copied another one of Atafo’s designs two weeks later. For Atafo, there is not much more you can do about it. He believes that “the person who wants to buy from you will buy from you.” It seems they have come to accept this as their fate such that while designing his new collection, he and his team laughed about the ridiculousness of it all, saying, “Let’s watch them as they copy.” And this is almost the same way the designer whose post I came across feels. In her words, “Onah, it’s ridiculous, but I try not to get upset about things I can’t control. All I do is keep creating. It’s wild on these streets.”

The big question is: What’s the way forward?

Until next week, enjoy your read.

AUSTYN OGANNAH PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Editor: Onah Nwachukwu @onahluciaa Editor-at-Large: Chalya Shagaya Writer: Kehindé Fagbule Graphic Design: Olaniyan John ‘Blake’ Social Media: Oladimeji Balogun

Guest Art Director: Sunny Hughes ‘ SunZA’

Dorcas Akintoye

Dorcas Akintoye is a dedicated writer with more than 2 years prolific experience in writing articles ranging from food, entertainment, fashion and beauty.  She has a National Diploma in Mass Communication from Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin. She loves writing, listening to music and playing scrabble. She is a highly-skilled, enthusiastic, selfmotivated professional writer.

Valerie Lawson

Nigerian born, Valerie Lawson is a 20-year Oil & Gas Industry veteran, currently a Products & Technology Leader with Baker Hughes an Energy Technology Company, headquartered in Houston, Texas.

In 2002, she began her career in the United Kingdom as a Process Engineer in the Engineering Procurement & Construction segment of the Oil & Gas Industry. She has since worked with such companies as TechnipFMC, KBR and Worley Parsons. She also spent over four years with TOTAL E&P playing a pivotal role within its largest Deep-Water Field Development project.

Valerie has a Chemical Engineering (BEng) Degree from the University of Bradford, U.K, a MSc. From University College London (UCL) & London Business School (LBS) and expecting a Global Executive MBA from IESE Business School, Spain.

She’s passionate about, health, knowledge, cycling and traveling –and has lived, worked, and conducted business in over 15 countries across several continents.

She currently lives in Houston, Texas, USA.

TOP PICKS FROM LAGOS FASHION WEEK 2022

BY DORCAS AKINTOYE

Lagos Fashion Week might have ended a week ago, but we are still raving about some designs. Among some of the ones that stood out for us at DOWNTOWN are Geometric patterns. A couple of designers opted for the trend, so it's safe to say we will see a lot of this trend in the coming season.

Layering was a favourite this year as we spotted quite a few designers have their models stroll down the runway in layered styles of their designs.

Another trend that was popular on the runway this season is wearable art.

Many designers incorporated artwork in the form of paintings, weaves, raffia and other artwork into their designs, bringing an otherwise simple outfit to life. Also noticeable in some designs were exaggerated tassels and fringes.

Some designers went the ethereal route with sheer fabric; we dare say it was the most popular this year.

IMAD EDUSO

EJIRO AMOS TAFIRI

Elie Kwame

EMMY KASBIT

MUNKUS UGO MONYE

SIMONE & ELISE

ODDBOD & THE CITY

ODUN OGUNBIYI

THE ART OF Networking

The event was titled ‘Enhance Our Environment’, a gardening class and brunch.

They had me at gardening class because any regular reader knows I am determined to earn my plant mum badge by the end of this year. We made our way to RF Gardens in Ikoyi, which has had a bit of a revamp since I last went there and just as an aside, the food there is spanking gorgeous. My whiskey sour, ram suya, and yam chips are still being fondly reminisced about as I write.

It was an intimate affair, and being a woman that loves to see other Queens KINGING it, everything about the ladies gathered sang to me.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. is an international organisation founded at Howard University (I feel silly adding Washington, DC because I feel you have to live under a rock not to know about this iconic Black university) in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organisation established by African American collegeeducated women. They have graduate and undergraduate chapters located in 12 countries—Alpha Alpha Omega Omega is the Nigeria chapter, the third in Africa.

I love everything about what this organisation stands for, and their Sorority sisters worldwide network reads like the encyclopaedia explanation for trail-blazing Black women. There is no doubt this is an organisation you would be proud to be a member of, and the cherry on top is their mandate for environmental philanthropy.

After a lively and informative panel discussion came the good part. What is shocking about what came next is that I hate socialising with people I don’t know. In the past, I successfully honed my avoidance of “outside” to the point where awkward conversations with strangers are no more.

Ihad the most enjoyable Sunday afternoon two weeks ago. It was a work situation, so I did not hold out much hope that it would be wholly pleasurable. My boss and I intended to make our obligatory attendance as short as possible. Five hours later, we headed home with full stomachs and that heady feeling of quality time well spent.

It all started with an invitation to speak at an event hosted by (checks notes to get this absolutely right):

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc Alpha Alpha Omega Omega Chapter

This girl was educated in the UK, so please excuse my ignorance.

The sorority is founded on a mission with five basic tenants that have remained unchanged since the sorority’s inception: • To cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, • to promote unity and friendship among college women, • to study and help alleviate problems concerning girls and women to improve their social statures, • to maintain a progressive interest in college life, • and to be of “Service to All Mankind”,

The problem with this stance is that networking is a skill one must develop because it will take your effectiveness in your job and as a member of society to the next level. Your attitude can’t be about “What can this person do for me” but “How can we help each other synergistically and take it further to how can we help others and our community at large.”

The cherry on top was that I was having these conversations with a bunch of dynamic women with a track record of getting things done.

SANS FRONTIERS

VALERIE B LAWSON

My Career Story(Part 2): NEVER DONE

don’t remember if that was the case, but boy – you loved to tell stories. Whenever you announced that you had a story to tell, we all sighed and held our breath because your stories were looooong!”

I want to share the story of how I created the variety and assortment of experiences I can report in my CV. You’ll be pleased to know I have a word count limit, so you won’t be stuck reading a never-ending chronology, and it will always be ‘To Be Continued.’

Not all experiences are resumeworthy, but it is important— to me— that I can share how and why I was able to move from one large corporation to another and why this may be the option for some of my readers.

out for a new job, I spent three years with that organisation. In that time, I had built alliances, and I began to understand my industry and what makes for a good engineer (technical savvy played a role, but not as big a role as you might think), but I also started to learn vital lessons.

Owning Everything

Iit with the world. After all, who really wants to know about ‘regular’ and ‘everyday’ stuff? Right? Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with riding the fame of a job well done and achievements such as national accolades etc. However, the point is that I was me long before any appointment, promotion, or awards. Before Serena and Venus ever started winning Grand Slams, they were playing just as great – so should we not allow and be allowed to celebrate the journey as much as we do the destination? I think we should.

The thought that crossed my mind when I started preparing this series was, ‘what exactly are you celebrating?’ – so my response to the voice in my head, as well as everyone else: I am celebrating my no-limits journey, the anything-can-happen-at-the-carnival life that I am forging – and the fact that the deeper I dig, the further I travel – the road continues to open up, there are no borders, la vie sans frontiers, there’s no end – because regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, family status, nationality – it is never ‘over’ and I am NEVER DONE.

Telling my story

Once I asked my dad if he thought my love for writing was evident as a kid, and he said, “I

For me, I make decisions to change roles by viewing the situation of the industry and my company’s situation— how many new projects did we have in the EPC world of Oil & Gas? And if we didn’t, who (other EPCs) won the jobs? In addition, which of the Customer companies were busy? In some cases, the new and shiny is better, and it is possible that while your current company’s situation is to ‘lie fallow’ – the grass is sometimes, for real, greener on the other side.

The truth is no matter how often we change, move countries, jobs and relationships, there is always some level of hesitation triggered by fear, fear of the new, the unknown, failure and sometimes success. The fear and foreboding we sometimes feel are sometimes with good reason because we watch the world around us. So and so moved to this department or this company or this country and had a bad experience, and naturally, we are sceptical. I have come to learn two things which I must be master of: My Fear and My Destiny. My first most dramatic change was leaving staff employment and moving into technical consulting, especially after my Head of Engineering in the previous role told me, ‘they won’t even touch you if you’re not chattered’ – I promise he meant well; he was just a little light on the tact and charm. Needless to say, I moved to France, enjoyed a role with that organisation and then got a second role with the same organisation in Nigeria. From that role, the client picked me to continue the same project for another four years. I don’t advocate ignoring advice, but it is important to understand your unique situation. None of the people who advised against moving or changing roles meant me harm. I am confident of that. However, they lacked a unique qualification: they were not me. The longest stay in an organisation is eight years, and it is with my current company. The first time I started to look

So now, 20 years in – and remember, I am not even close to being done, I continue to see myself as the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Decision Maker in my life. I know that there are many factors that we believe play into whether we get a role — and there are, but I find that sometimes we have focused so much on the parts that we have zero control over— and that has been to the detriment of honing the aspects that we control. I am not oblivious to how being let down affects my self-esteem or how I approach the next challenge. However, I maintain it is still mine to own, mine to learn from, and also mine to rise from. I also am not a denier of prejudice that we may face based on our gender, skin tone, the way our hair grows out of our scalps, the way we speak, what god we worship, or if, at all, we are religious.

All of this said: the world is ours.

I am usually saddened by the efforts a lot of us must go through to be ‘likeable’ – doing things that we’re not super comfortable with just to fit in. There is a place for charm and being liked – but it can and must never be to the lessening of who you are or your self-respect. The simple rule is ‘don’t be a jerk’; there is not much else we can control. We all have stories of people we have been kind and generous to who turned around and threw garbage on our faces.

Therefore, I focus on having a career strategy that is informed by my goals— my alignment, my current and potential capabilities, and what makes for my ultimate joy and fulfilment— this is where I focus my energy.

For today I will end with a part of one of my favourite poems: It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.

(Invictus, William Ernest Henley - 18491903).

Ohi' Mai ATAFO' The Evolution of

Not many brands understand the importance of evolving, but one brand, ATAFO, is an exception. The ATAFO brand, formerly Mai Atafo, continues to lead the menswear pack even after 12 years. Could this be from the fact that its Creative Director, Ohimai Atafo, once had a marketing career and so understands the intricacies of moving with the hands of time, keeping his thriving business and personal brand

relevant? So ingenious are his designs that many tailors and designers continue to copy them. A move Atafo describes as thievery and in no way flattery as far as he is concerned.

In this interview with DOWNTOWN’s Editor, Onah Nwachukwu, Ohimai discusses the many challenges the fashion industry in Nigeria faces along with possible solutions as Atafo prepares for his first stand-alone show in 10 years.

First of all, congratulations on 12 years of ATAFO. You started as Mai Atafo Inspired, then Mai Atafo and now, ATAFO;12 years of constantly evolving. How important is it for a business that has stayed over a decade to evolve?

Evolving is necessary to remain constant and relevant as a brand. Considering I started the business as a young boy without a proper business plan or understanding of how the brand should work or any of those things, evolution was eminent for my brand name because I have outgrown the names that the brand represented at every point in time. With more understanding of your brand’s business and market, you now know exactly how to place yourself and the brand. In trying to leave a long-lasting legacy, people need to know the brand is a human being, not something that is pushed by a human being alone. When you say Gucci today, you don’t expect to see a human being but a fancy bag, amazing sunglasses, or clothes. And when you think of Dior, you’re going to think of luxury items. So when you say ATAFO, you’ll see amazing shoes, jackets, or wedding dresses. It’s all encapsulated in the name; you don’t have to see a human being to understand that it’s an ATAFO effect. That’s what we’re trying to do. Evolution is about understanding where you are, concerning the business, the environment you are in and your customers to deliver something truly a global brand with African heritage.

It’s been 11 years since your last show; I was excited when we spoke about the one scheduled for next weekend. Congratulations on that. What took you so long?

I think the show, Dream Wedding, was a platform to showcase my bridal collection. Because at a point in time, there was no fashion show dedicated to bridal. All you had was Fashion Week; sometimes, they showcased bridal, but it was never received correctly because that was not the audience for the product. So, funnily enough, my first Dream Wedding was the launch of the wedding brand, and two years later, we did the second collection that we did, and that’s how we did Dream Wedding 2. But I didn’t feel the need to do another instalment of the wedding show after then. I felt like we could showcase the wedding collection in fashion shows or in the Lagos Bridal Week, which happened once. However, since that bridal week, I’ve also toyed with the idea of another Dream Wedding installation because it’s about time to do another one focused on that. We just have to run through the budget because now it would be RIDICULOUS. Knowing what weddings are these days because we re-acted real-life weddings. If we want to do it this time, we have to get the food, the owambe, the small chops. Everything must be as good as a real wedding. But coming to the fact that I am doing my own stand-alone show, which is different from Dream Wedding, is that when you actually do the normal fashion shows as you did on the platform—Lagos Fashion Week or This Day’s Arise Fashion Week, the difference is that you’re not in control of the narrative. The customers that actually give you value— that come to you every day and are a part of your brand cannot even make it to your fashion show to experience it, and I think that’s wrong because they should be able to experience the brand in all ramifications. And if they miss that part, it doesn’t add, to them, to how they want to see the brand.

Number two, if there’s a certain kind of look and feel you want for your runway or stage, you can’t actually get that because you have to use the template installed by the platform. So, you’re only subjected to that at the end of the day. Though it is a cheaper option for designers, now you have to start weighing the impact of that vis-a-vis, what you get out of it, and that was what pushed me to a point whereby it just feels like it’s only fair enough for me to have my show. I can have my friends, family, and customers sit in, have select influencers that you know bring value to your customers sit in, so it’s a proper, full 360 experience for everyone that is a part of the brand in one shape, form or the other and it gives me control.

Photography: Goldie Wendy Idowu For Goldie Universal Studios @goldies_universal_studio

Wardrobe : ATAFO From His Latest Collection

So I guess that answers my next question: why haven’t we seen you on LFW or other shows? It’s probably the same answer. No? It’s a bit of a mix. My Last show was in October 2019. 2020 was the pandemic; we all didn’t understand what was going on. Although there were some virtual shows then, my clothes are occasional clothes, not daily clothes. The daily clothing part of my business which was suited for people in finance and co, weren’t going to work. They were living and working from their joggers at home, so I didn’t see the need to bring out the collection to them in 2020 because it won’t be relevant to where their heads and mind were at that point in time.

2021 was when it felt like we could go out a little bit, and things had moved on, but I was still trying to grasp the change that happened in the system at that time. I was still trying to figure out what I was putting out. The environment wasn’t inspiring me to do anything that was in line with what I normally did. When that was over, I started seeing life happen, and I understood that “you’re still where you are and where you are, is a good place; your customers are still who they are, and they even have more appreciation for you.” So that break was really necessary for me to evaluate myself and the business, and after that, I realised I was very much on track, doing all the right things which actually dovetailed into this collection, which incited the atelier which is basically my studio where everything happens so let’s show the world everything that happens in here. So even though it’s a new collection, it’s also works of the last 12 years. On the runway, you’ll see things that you’ve seen before in the same way that you’ve seen them before then you’re also seeing new things added to them. But it is also ATAFO being real—this is who we are and where we are going. The evolution of ATAFO, pretty much.

I think when we spoke briefly, you mentioned 80 pieces? Yes, I think they may even be slightly over that.

What sort of designs and silhouettes are we expecting? Will you also create some designs for the bridal collection?

Interestingly, whilst we will still be showing the bridal collection, it is not a new collection. But it is not something that we have seen on the runway before. It definitely needs some runway life which is what we are going to see at the runway show. There are also some new pieces that people haven’t seen before, but I wouldn’t call it a whole new collection. However because we are telling the story of ATAFO, if we don’t show bridal, then the story is incomplete. We will see traditional wear, a new interpretation of a few things, and men’s wear in the way we know it. There are a few twists here and there, obviously, because I am always projecting for the future. We are very excited by the

women’s wear this year; still in the way we know it, but we will see a softer side to the structured business look that gives the women a bit more femininity while they remain boss women. So it would be quite interesting to showcase that. Also, we would see some things inspired by the men’s traditional outfit in the women’s wear for their everyday use. We will now also segue into where would be the ATAFO playground, which is like evening wear for women inspired by menswear tuxedos and menswear suits, and you see a lot of that come to play.

Interestingly, as we’ve never done before, we now have everyday clothing for women. The core of that is really more denim and khaki—things you can literally wear every day. All things being equal, we may even get little athleisure which may involve baseball hats, t-shirts and bomber jackets. We are still working on those.

I’m already super excited; that’s amazing. Where would you say you drew inspiration to be able to include the daily wear for women—the pandemic, maybe?

It had nothing to do with the pandemic; it had something to do with life now. That’s because I always look at it that after every situation, you move on. You don’t look back but move on to what you want to see in the future. I went back to things I saw when I was growing up when we’d wear things like denim and khakis, and it was called structure, and that’s what GAP used to do at the time, and I played with that for the women’s everyday wear. I was inspired by trousers and how khaki trousers sat on guys, and I deconstructed a pair of trousers

and made it a skirt for women. So it has a fascinating cut and a silhouette which looks like a pair of pants but is actually a skirt. Then on the simplicity, there’s a one-size-fits-all two-way skirt for women. I kept thinking why we’d never done this because it’s actually one-sized, but no matter the size you are, you can wear this skirt; wether you are a size 8 or 20, it’s fine. And you can wear it in two ways. It’s a two-colour thing. You can wear one colour today and flip it over to the other colour tomorrow, and you can reposition it any way you want. You can bring the side to the front and the front to the back. You can do anything you want; you can slant it in the waste area. And it’s literally so easy to do, and I wondered why no one has ever done it. So it’s just me exploring myself and everything around me; anything in the studio we looked at and said, “this was good, but we never put it out there before.” We’re putting everything out there.

So nothing goes to waste. Not at all. Everybody gets to see the brand as authentic as it is. If it was a miss, you see it as a miss; if it was a win, you see it as a win. You see everything there, it’s like bearing our hearts out, but we’ll be having fun while we do it.

Is that sustainable fashion, in a way?

True! Because, honestly, there are some pieces we just pulled off the rack. We didn’t have to make it again. And it’s like things we’ve had for four years, and I’m sure that when people see them, they will look like they never saw them before. We realised that we showcased a particular garment at Arise Fashion Week in April 2019, and it was only this year that we got the first order for that garment. Between when we got and delivered the first order, we got six more orders for the same thing. If you think I’ve done it and I’m just going to throw it away and do something new, people still want your classics. BECAUSE AGAIN, life moves, and at a point in time, it starts aligning to something you did three years ago.

Lagbaja’s second album was a hit, so we went to look for the first album which wasn’t a hit.

Putting up this kind of show certainly won’t be pocket-friendly for a designer to handle alone. Does getting sponsors for a show like yours come easy?

It’s not been friendly at all. I understand why designers don’t want to organise stand-alone shows because the cost is high. But I think it’s something we have to start getting used to. I remember doing my first collection, the cost wasn’t friendly, but I did it. But now it’s different.

I think this is where investors come in, and that’s not something we really have many of in Nigeriapeople who are investors in the fashion industry. Investors and sponsors have to see the show to be sure it’s something they want to be a part of the second time. They only see Lagos Fashion Week and Arise as the big shows. When they realise that individual brands can put in some level of orderliness or status for a presentation that they come and see their potential kind of customers seated, then yes, they would want to sponsor such shows. So in my head, you’re taking the hit now for what will pay me or even the fashion industry in general in the future. Eventually they’ll be happy to say, “I’ll sponsor your show with my new Samsung z-phone10, and we’ll use your show to announce the phone.” When you’re launching a new product,

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“…With more understanding of your brand’s business and market, you now know exactly how to place yourself and the brand. In trying to leave a long-lasting legacy, people need to know the brand is a human being, not something that is pushed by a human being alone...”

product. The sponsors can do all that at the show. That cuts your cost... guests are coming for the product launch and a fashion show. They get the full experience.

There are ways it can work, but it has to start with us trying to do something first. When they see what we can do, they can decide to jump on it and talk to us.

is a big business around the world – Ralph Lauren is one of the richest men in the world. Period. Not the richest fashion designer. Men. In the world. Valued over 3 billion dollars. There are levels to this thing. When Giorgio Armani celebrated 40 years, there was a national holiday in Milan, Italy. They decorated the city with Giorgio Armani memorabilia. When you see the value that they bring in through imports or exports, and you support that thing, there’s no way you’d not see that “okay, we have a game here to play; we can invest in these brands.” Volvo is one of the biggest exports from Sweden, but next to Volvo was the music band, ABBA, the second biggest export. Basically, the government was supporting ABBA because they were a major export. So you can’t just sit back and say you don’t want to release a single; they will beg you to. So, how do we do that? How do we get to a point whereby the government knows what they’re making?

Let’s talk about copying. Do you think this could be managed, maybe by trademarking your design?

It can be. But you know, doing a trademark is quite interesting. A trademark on this kind of thing will set you back somewhere between 500 to a thousand dollars going through the process. You then think to yourself, ‘is it worth it? Why don’t I just make clothes and sell and move on?’ because first of all, the biggest culprits are your local guys here and fellow designers, not the international guys. Even with this new collection, while designing, we said, “let’s watch them as they copy.”

With the international guys, you are hoping they will copy it so you can get settlements in or out of court(laughs).

Asides from trademarking, what other ways can we put a leash on this copy-and-pasting?

I think it’s two things. I always like to look at myself first, so I will say we need to present ourselves as solid brands that are valuable to investors by pushing the envelope beyond your garment, even up to your studio.

You have to present yourself as that brand. Secondly, the partners must understand what a fashion designer is very well. Because till now, we’re still—to a large extent, regarded as tailors. We don’t bring in the type of value they like to see. Be it monetary, be it perception, and that’s a bigger pie because a designer is still a tailor at the end of the day. You hear things like, “come to my house and take my measurement.” But you won’t call the bank owner to bring money to your office or home and count it.

I was just wondering if it was because they don’t take the fashion industry as seriously as they would take agriculture or oil, for instance. A typical example would be the Federal government honouring some people from different industries but not one from the fashion industry. Are people not investing because they don’t think the fashion industry is something that could bring about a return on investment?

Correct. A hundred percent. That’s what it is. They still look at us as a joke. It’s like with the music industry. They said things like ‘You smoke weed as a musician, and blah, blah. But now, musicians are living in the same estates as business owners of multinationals, and they own those homes; you cannot but respect them. And when they tell you “this is my figure”, you respect the figure because you know they make that kind of money. So, Burna boy is an international artiste just based in Nigeria. He’s being paid millions of dollars per performance right now around the world. There was a show he was paid three million dollars. You cannot tell Burna boy to collect fifty thousand. You won’t even get a number to offer that kind of nonsense. We just need to know our worth because fashion

But how do we make them interested? What do the designers have to do? I think we need to make it by ourselves because they always come around when there is success. The same thing happened with Nollywood; they only came around when Nollywood was getting all the international buzz being the third biggest industry in the world. People now started getting our actors in international movies as part of the Emmys and Oscars, and Netflix started paying people money for content and stuff. Those things don’t happen to the fashion industry; we are not that kind of industry. For us to be as big as a major Italian brand, it will take a whole lot to do that. But we have to start from somewhere. The people who started the music industry are not enjoying what the new guys enjoy. CKay is presently the most streamed artist from Africa with billions of streams, and they are making money off it digitally. So they don’t need the Nigerian government to make money. Ours is different because we have a product; has anybody been able to make a mainstay of a Nigerian indigenous product? The answer is no. And that’s where we fall into. On the other end, we are manufacturers. What do we manufacture in Nigeria that is a global product that they need Nigeria to always give to them? That’s where the problem is; we don’t have a product that sells.

You talked about technology with music; artists’ getting billions of streams helps them. Do you see fashion and technology ever working in the same way?

Fashion and tech is going to be something that happens in the metaverse, and you are buying your designs and clothes as NFT. I think that’s how far it’s going to go. I don’t know if it will go beyond that point because it is tailored good, and that good has to be exported to you for you to wear. It is still something for you to touch and wear. With music, however, if Davido releases a song today, you can listen to it in Yugoslavia, for instance(if there is still a country like that); you don’t need him.

The first thing is educating people to realise their actions are wrong; let’s start from there. Some of them don’t know it is wrong; they think that when the customer brings it to them, and they don’t make it, they disrespect their customer, and the customer is always right.

Secondly, it’s also the customers. They take the design to the tailor and ask the tailor to make it. If there are five top designers in the country, I can tell you three of them are copying my stuff regularly. And I’ve actually spoken to one to say, ‘bro, you shouldn’t be doing this.’

He apologised and said he’d never do it again.

Two weeks later, he copied another design. He was hoping I wouldn’t see it, but I saw it. So it’s a case of, ‘what do you do?’ I look at it this way: the person who wants to buy from you will buy from you.

Don’t you think that’s flattery?

It’s not flattery; it’s thievery. At the end of the day, you are literally stealing someone’s hard work and sweat.

Having been in the industry for 12 years, what would you say you really long for, for your brand, ATAFO?

I would love that there will be a time when people refer to ATAFO as a brand, and the last thing they want to see is me. That means I’ve achieved the level of success I want to achieve. And that’s on many levels. Firstly, the goods and services of the brand ATAFO meet the customers exactly where they need them; they don’t see any reason to say, “can I speak to your boss?”

Or “I think your boss has more of an idea of this than you do.” That means that I have trained competent people to deal with any challenges that come from design to customer service to whatever it is. That means I’ve empowered the next set of people to start living their dreams through my brand and becoming the best of what they can ever be. That means I have showcased my brand beyond the shores of this country, where people are happy to engage with a truly authentic African global brand regardless of its location or origin. That is what I wish for ATAFO and myself.

What do you think the fashion industry is missing? What does it need both from an artist’s view and from a brand and retail perspective that will, in turn, bait investors and sponsors?

“When you’re launching a new product, you want the right set of people to see it, and you can bring your people too if you have those interested in the product. The sponsors can do all that at the show. ”

STATUETTE For Your Status

Figurine Decor Inspo For Your Living Room

BY KEHIND É FAGBULE

There are many ways to decorate your home. Whether you live alone or share a space with others, you can do a lot to beautify your living room, as it is the most exposed part of your house. One of the most luxurious and artistic props to use is statuettes. Whether inspired by wildlife, African heritage or just abstract

characters, you can place these statuettes on your TV dresser, in select corners of your living room, dining table, or centre table. There are no restrictions when it comes to figurine placements. But what are some of the fancy ones, you might ask? Here are some that are bound to give your parlour a noticeable facelift.

Abstract Characters

Abstract characters may look like they have little to no significance, but that is what makes them beautiful; the fact that we ascribe meaning to them. After all, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

African Heritage

Africa is perhaps the continent with the richest culture. From Egypt to Ghana, down to our very own Nigerian artefacts, there is a wide array of options to beautify your space and celebrate our heritage.

Wildlife

Nothing says natural like wildlife. Although humanity is in a constant unending battle to preserve whatever is left of our wildlife offerings, you can place sculptures of them as ornaments in your home.

Objectify

Several objects that are toy-like make for beautiful statuettes in the house. There are a few worth investing in.

Abstract Thinker DECORIFY

Akua'ba African Fertility Statue Queen Nefertiti

Modern and Simple Woman Figurine

3D Wall-Mounted Giraffe Head Sculpture

Nordic Leopard Statue

A Sculpture by KAWS

Desk Physics Orbit Sculpture

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO GETTING RID OF BUTT ACNE FAST

BY DORCAS AKINTOYE

No matter where it forms on your body, acne can be very uncomfortable.

Butt acne, also known as folliculitis, is slightly different from facial acne in its causes, prevention, and treatment. In case you didn’t know, butt acne is a mild infection of the hair follicle that leads to red bumps and pus pimples. There are different types of butt acne conditions, including clogged pores, Folliculitis, Keratosis Pilaris, and Hidradenitis Suppurativa, and these conditions have different causes and treatment requirements.

In other words, to get rid of your butt acne, you must know what you’re working with first.

One major cause of butt acne is the overproduction of oil, like all acne everywhere else. Stress, hormones, genetics and even your favourite food can send your oil glands into overdrive, which then causes your pores to get bigger. Once the pore expands, bacteria settles in, creates inflammation, clogs the pore and before you know it, butt acne starts to form.

No matter the condition of your butt acne, you can manage it through a mix of products and a few lifestyle changes;. However, some butt acne conditions are severe, like HS and Hormonal Acne; these conditions require a doctor’s intervention. Below are seven ultimate guides to getting rid of butt acne fast.

(1) Wash Regularly

The very first and best way to prevent butt acne is to bathe regularly with high-quality antibacterial soap. Washing your skin once in the morning and once in the evening reduces pimples by clearing away dirt and bacteria buildup from sweat.

(2) Wear Light, Dry Fabrics to Reduce Irritation

Wearing non-breathable fabrics like nylon and polyester form a barrier around your skin and traps sweat and bacteria against your butt. Apart from the fact that the barrier pushes bacteria into our pores, the mixture of sweat and friction can lead to folliculitis, causing inflammation, acne-inducing clogged pores and so on.

Toke Makinwa

Since Folliculitis is caused by inflammation of the hair follicle, it can be treated and prevented through laser hair removal. Destroying the root of the hair follicle is the key with folliculitis, because folliculitis-causing bacteria enter the body from a pore, tracking down your hair follicle. When you destroy the hair, the follicle’s opening tightens, making it difficult for bacteria to get inside and causing inflammation.

Even though laser hair removal is not a full-stop solution for folliculitis, it remains a perfect tool for preventing bumps in the future.

(5) Change up Your Laundry Products

Laundry detergents, fabric softeners and dryer sheets can leave irritating residue on your skin, aggravating butt acne or bumps. If you start noticing acne or bumps on your butt, switch to laundry products that don’t contain any fragrance whatsoever and try to rewash your sheets and clothes, then see if your skin starts to calm down after a few weeks.

(4) Avoid Using Too Many Active Ingredients

Butt bumps cause so much pain, inflammation and itchiness, which makes many people think scrubbing and burning their bumps away is the solution. The truth is making use of too many chemicals will do nothing but exacerbate and inflame the condition. The key to treating butt acne or any butt bump is to start slow and gentle, even if you do not want to.

On days when you are using high-strength chemicals, make sure you always follow with a lightweight, oil-free moisturiser. Never use intense acne wash or even a high-strength acne pad daily. Try to space out your active ingredients and use just one per day.

(6) Apply A Warm Compress

Warm moisture can soothe irritation and help release pus from whiteheads. To achieve this, press a warm washcloth to your bottom or try to sit on one for 15 minutes at a time at least three times a day.

Try dipping your washcloth in a saltwater solution for a more effective result. You can make one by adding ½ teaspoon of salt per 1 cup of water. Soaking in a warm bath or a saltwater sitz bath can be helpful too.

(7) Treat Butt Acne With AntibioticsPrescription

Suppose you’ve tried everything (all the tips and lifestyle adjustments) for at least six consistent weeks, and there is still no positive result. In that case, it will be advisable to make an appointment with a dermatologist to talk about medications to calm inflammation and reduce bacteria that can lead to folliculitis and butt acne. Make sure you use the antibiotic or serum you are being prescribed as instructed.

Idia Aisien

Tiwa Savage

Abiri Oluwabusayomi Khloe (L)

IMAGE FROM GETTY IMAGES

CHEF CUPID Against All Odds… FEATURE

Let’s talk about your background, how you started and why you decided to go into culinary. What prompted that decision?

I didn’t start off to become a chef, I had always wanted to become a filmmaker, but at the time, I couldn’t tell my parents that was what I wanted to do. Our issues started during my WAEC exams. I kept failing English—I wrote it eight times, for some weird reason, maybe I don’t know English [laughs]. It was such a big issue back then that I had to leave the house. I was then living with a pastor friend and basically fending for myself. He then got me to apply to a polytechnic to study Computer Science, and the school conditioned me to get my O’level English before completing my program. Although I got my English in my first year, I couldn’t afford to pay tuition in my final year, which eventually forced me to drop out. That was when I realised that school wasn’t for me, so I began looking for a handy job as I didn’t have any talent. I wanted to be successful, so I could prove my father wrong. I started to do so many jobs; I don’t think there’s any job I’ve not done. I worked in construction, marketing, and as a salesman, but I never worked as a teacher because of my speech impediment. My job search led me to become a waiter in a fast-food restaurant. At the time, I couldn’t even boil an egg, but I kept serving people because it was a lot easier than the previous jobs I’d had to do. It didn’t feel sufficient enough, so I tried to better myself. On a fateful day, a customer ordered food, and the waitress who attended to them just dumped the food on the plate. When I told her to arrange the food to look more presentable, she begrudgingly replied, “if you can do it, do it.” It then dawned on me that I couldn’t cook, so I figured if I became a kitchen assistant, I could learn a lot. But the manager wouldn’t allow me to be anything other than a server, so I resigned. I got another job elsewhere as a kitchen assistant but was barely in the kitchen. I was mainly an errand boy. Anyway, the company had to downsize, and I was on the receiving end of it.

Life challenges can sometimes be overwhelming, and to breathe in oxygen is to identify them as part of the journey. Where that journey ends, however, is a different script altogether that none of us happens to own. This story is usually influenced by the experiences we have lived through, a much-needed grit to remain resolute in our daily pursuit of a better life, and a bit of good luck that can kickstart a domino effect that turns one’s life around. Born Nelson Michael, Chef Cupid’s story is one

with many ‘what ifs’ that could have ended anywhere. His can-do attitude, however, ensured that he was able to turn the lemons life threw at him into a proverbial red dish of lemonade, made and presented with love. To chronicle his inspirational rise to prominence— from absolutely nothing—within the food industry,

A friend of mine came to me one day saying, “you’ve worked in several fast foods; you should know how to make a cake.” I didn’t know how to make a cake. But I took the job and went on YouTube. That was where it all started. I made the cake, and it was horrible, but I was happy with it. So I started making cakes. The reviews I got, however, were enough to send me to hell. For two years, I was making cakes, people kept on bashing them, and I kept selling them [laughs]. I didn’t have a bank account then, so it was ‘payment on delivery.’ Sometimes, the customer wouldn’t accept the cake even though I borrowed money to make them. I got myself into so much debt I had to stop.

I then got a job in a bottle manufacturing factory. I began to pack bottles at first, after which I was spotted as a fast worker and then promoted to operate the machines. Something happened one day when my colleague and I fought over who would use the fast machine. He eventually got to use it and, unfortunately, got into an accident with the machine chopping off his fingers. Within 15 minutes of rushing him to the hospital, we were asked to resume work. I couldn’t because it just

DOWNTOWN’s Editor, Onah Nwachukwu, assisted by Writer, Kehindé Fagbule, heard from the chef and food photographer.

didn’t feel right. That could have been me. I took off my overalls, went home and didn’t return. I was unemployed again, and even though I no longer wanted to make cakes, I got an offer I couldn’t turn down, and at that same price, I started making cakes again.

So how did you get into making videos and taking pictures of food?

One day, I got a call from someone who wanted a food stylist, and I was confused for a while because I had yet to learn who a food stylist was. It was a Peak campaign at the time, so I went into the kitchen in Agungi and immediately felt at home. I did the job and was given a cheque. When my friend asked how much I had been paid, I told him 15 thousand naira, unknown to me that it was 150 thousand naira on the cheque. I called them back to be sure that they didn’t overpay me, as I was not expecting to earn that much. Then I started to think about how much the chef who made the food would have made if I had made 150 thousand naira just for arranging it. So I decided I wanted to become a chef. I started to reach out to chefs—Red Dish Chronicles and Culinary Academy—on Instagram, trying to secure internship opportunities since I couldn’t afford the tuition. I secured interviews with both schools, and Red Dish (Chef Stone) offered me the job immediately, asking me to resume the following Monday. I’ve never had anything that easy all my life, so I went to my interview with Culinary Academy, and Chef Tian asked me, “what do you want out of this?” She asked me to go home and think about it. When I went back, I told her that I wanted it all. I started with Chef Tian and worked with her for four to five months. I didn’t feel comfortable there because although she’s a great chef, she is a perfectionist, and I was at my starting point. There was no room for mistakes, so I worked under immense pressure and fear and didn’t feel good about it. After some hesitation, I went back to Chef Stone in Abuja. He gave me a lot of creative freedom, so I made a lot of things I saw online and gradually improved. After some time, he suggested I teach a class, and I laughed it off because I never thought about teaching as a stammerer. I began to read self-help books on how to better my speaking, and although the first class was horrible as I couldn’t answer questions thrown at me, I grew into it. When Chef Stone was made a facilitator at the GTBank Food & Drinks, he made me one of his four sous chefs. After that, I started to think, ‘maybe this is for me,’ so I became very invested in bettering my skills, learning on YouTube and reading books in the

library with Chef Stone’s mentorship.

I remember being laid off when working at the fast food restaurant because I was at the bottom of the food chain. So I wanted to be more than a chef. That was when my dream of becoming a filmmaker came in, and I started to take food pictures with my phone. Chef Stone saw my works and bought me my dream camera, which cost about 1.3 million Naira at the time. Then I said to myself, ‘if someone could believe in me this much, I should put 100 percent.’ So I started to do free jobs for brands and tag them on social media. Some brands responded others didn’t. My first big gig was with Maggi; it happened during COVID and felt unreal.

After that, brands started reaching out, and it’s been good.

How emotionally draining was fending for yourself after your parents’ rejection and everything that happened after? How did you pick yourself up?

Growing up, I was the black sheep of the family. My parents are great people but were too strict. It was either their way or the highway. At some point, I got frustrated and felt caged. When I had to leave, I felt good. So even when the pastor asked me to apologise to my parents, I said, ‘no, I’m not going back.’ What kept me going through it all was wanting to prove to him(my dad) that I could be more than he thought I’d become.

Now, whenever there’s a family meeting, I’m the first person they call. I went home, got on my knees and begged. But before I could do that, I made sure I had something to show for it. My dad wasn’t in support even though he had a factory where he produced powder custard. And before my mum had an accident, she made wedding cakes. But I never saw myself doing any of that or stayed around to learn it.

How did the name Cupid come about?

A long time ago, my friend wanted to do something nice for a girl he liked. So we had a plan that I’d make the food, and he’d pose to the girl as if he did. Everything went well. I was about to sleep when he called and said, “Guy, you be Cupid o.” At first, I dismissed him, but as I fell asleep, I kept thinking about how the name sounded nice. Before then, my name was OMG Food. I went with the name Cupid because every time I cook or bake, I always put my heart

into it so that when people see it, they should fall in love with it.

Speaking of love, many women on social media are swooning over you in your comment section. Does Chef Cupid have special someone?

Yes, there is someone that I am pretty much in love with. I want to start a family with this person and spend the rest of my life with them.

Have you ever thought about owning a restaurant someday?

My goal is not to own a restaurant because I’ve actually fallen in love with teaching. Part of my goal is to travel around the world and teach, hold masterclasses, and be a public figure so I can motivate young people because of what I’ve been through.

You won the Baileys Bake Fest in 2018. Could you share your experience with us?

Baileys bake fest happened when I started working in Red Dish Chronicles. A bunch of my students told me to go for it. And although I was hesitant at first, I made a tart for my entry. I was paired with Bisola (Aiyeola), and that was my first time meeting her; we bonded. We made pasta fused with gbegiri and Baileys, got all 10s and won. That was also my first travel experience, we went to South Africa, and it was great.

Do you have advice for young people who, just like you, didn’t finish school and are frustrated by the lack of opportunities as a result?

The first piece of advice is; to take your time. Pressure comes from anywhere—family, friends, and even from what you see on the internet. The pressure might get overwhelming that you’ll get to a place where you are no longer acting but reacting. Set a goal. Whenever you meet them, set a new one. As humans, we are capable of a lot. You shouldn’t be just one thing because if you are, you are loyal to that thing. You can be a jack of all trades and be a master of them all as long as you put your 100 percent into everything. It will be difficult, but who said it would be easy?

BY BOLUWATIFE ADESINA

MOVIE REVIEW:

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

into treacly or exploitative, and the film is extremely selective about the use of Boseman’s likeness. What might be most remarkable about the handling of Boseman’s absence in Wakanda Forever  (and I mean this in the most complimentary way) is that it never feels like he is missing from the film. Instead of having one performer take Boseman’s place as the lead of the sequel, everyone steps up. Wakanda Forever isn’t missing a Black Panther; the rest of the ensemble grows closer together such that there is no vacuum left to fill.

righteousness, and his utter disinterest in wearing clothes. Like Killmonger, Namor represents a violent but not altogether illogical threat to Wakanda — one that interrogates the integrity of its Afrofuturistic utopia rather than flatters it, and plays into imperialistic strategies of pitting rival tribes against each other. Combined with a ravishing underwater kingdom that cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw ingeniously brings to life with counterintuitive flashes of red, that’s enough to make Namor one of the more arresting villains that Marvel has ever brought to the screen.

Scan

2018’s Black Panther was a billion-dollar blockbuster, a Best Picture nominee, and a genuine cultural phenomenon, even beyond its place in the colossal Marvel Cinematic Universe. The 2018 superhero flick won over audiences and critics with its striking Afro-futurist aesthetic, thoughtful social commentary, and engaging performances, led by 43-year-old actor Chadwick Boseman. Two years later, the entertainment world was shocked by the news that Boseman had succumbed to a long, secret battle with colon cancer. With a Black Panther sequel already in the works at Marvel Studios, Coogler and producer Kevin Feige elected not to recast the role and instead fold Boseman’s death and its impact on the cast and crew into the narrative.

Consequently, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a film about loss and mourning and a lot more. Though as long, noisy, and cluttered as any other superhero blockbuster, Wakanda Forever is a sincere and effective genre-mashing drama and one of the better instalments in the Marvel canon.

Wakanda Forever is burdened with a long checklist of narrative and thematic objectives. First and foremost, Coogler and company are forced to address the loss of their lead character in a manner that respects the much more significant loss of their real-life friend and collaborator. Appropriately, Wakanda Forever opens with the offscreen death of King T’Challa from an unnamed disease that has caught his loved ones off-guard. Throughout the film, their differing processes of grief are touching and sincere without ever veering

Of course, the film is still called Black Panther, so its story also needs to elevate a member of the first movie’s ensemble to the titular role. In line to inherit the mantle is his sister, Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright), a genius scientist who blames herself for failing to cure T’Challa’s illness. Unlike her mother and brother, Shuri is not a spiritual person and does not believe in the afterlife. In the opening scene, as she works desperately to recreate the extinct herb that will restore her brother’s strength, she prays to Bast for success, pledging in return never to doubt her existence again. Shuri fails, and her doubt deepens, not only in Bast but in herself. The film’s action and political conflict become an avenue through which to explore that doubt, as well as her rage and despair over her terrible loss. Shuri may have the most complicated emotional journey of any lead character in a Marvel film, and Letitia Wright is game for the challenge. Truthfully, though, this is an ensemble movie, and Wright is somewhat outshone by the dry wit and badassery of Danai Gurira’s General Okoye and by Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda, who gives the film’s big Oscarworthy monologue early in the runtime.

The first Black Panther had a dash of James Bond in its DNA, and though Wakanda Forever doesn’t have quite as much swagger, it does mirror its structure of using slick spy-fi action as a precursor to an all-out war. The sequel doubles down on the political intrigue, exploring the consequences of a small nation in Africa ascending to the status of global superpower in the 21st century.

Following T’Challa’s death, Ramonda takes the throne and attempts to keep Wakanda’s political rivals in check, including (especially) the United States. With the Black Panther gone, it’s up to T’Challa’s grieving family and friends to keep aggressive global powers from acquiring the key to Wakanda’s prosperity, an extraterrestrial metal called vibranium that can be found only within their borders. Or at least, that’s what they’ve always believed.

Lead baddie Namor may lack the personal animus that made Killmonger such an unusually compelling Marvel villain, but he shares that character’s postcolonial anger, his distorted

The runaway success of the first Black Panther allows Wakanda Forever the confidence to casually indulge in what might have previously been considered risky decisions. The movie’s ensemble is predominantly female, and for once Marvel hasn’t tried to make a big deal about it on the press tour. Martin Freeman reprises his role as CIA Agent Everett Ross, but this time the token white guy is not on the poster and the US government is more openly (and realistically) antagonistic. Characters switch between languages frequently, even in mid-sentence, and a surprising amount of the dialogue is subtitled. Some of its musings about faith vs. science and innovation vs. tradition get buried under mountains of plot, but there’s plenty of food for thought to be found here.

The plot moves at a brisk clip, but even so, Wakanda Forever runs an intimidating 161 minutes (or 1 Avatar). Much of the movie’s length is justified, as each plot development represents a new step in Shuri’s grieving process. On the other hand, some of the movie’s bloat is a symptom of its role in the larger Marvel machine. The first Black Panther got to function mostly on its own, but now that Black Panther is one of the pillars of the Marvel Universe, the sequel has been saddled with promoting upcoming studio ventures (most notably the Disney+ series Ironheart) on top of telling its own story. It’s not as glaring a problem here as it is in Iron Man 2 or Dr. Strange 2 (and Wakanda Forever is a much better movie overall than either), but the extra appendages are just as noticeable. Like the first Black Panther, Wakanda Forever’s third act is its weakest, devolving into a big messy slugfest as Marvel films tend to do. Though the visual effects themselves are more fully baked than last time around, there’s a jarring plasticity to some of the characters mid-battle.

However, as overgrown as it is, Wakanda Forever has strong enough bones to hold itself together. At its heart, it feels like a film made with a sense of purpose, a desire to honour a lost friend, but not to do only that. One can easily imagine a version of this film that is a two-hour eulogy, not just for Chadwick Boseman but for the film that Ryan Coogler had intended to make with him. Instead, it’s both an affirmation of his legacy and an assurance that, though it might be difficult, life can go on without him.

Scan this with your camera to access the playlist (Apple Music)

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Jay Rock_King's Dead ft Kendrick Lamar, Future & James Blake

ScHoolboy Q_ 2 Chainz_ Saudi - X (with 2 Chainz &

Burnaboy_ Alone

Sunni Colón - Supernova

CKay; PinkPantheress - Anya Mmiri

Rejjie Snow_ Tinashe_ grouptherapy. - Disco Pantz

Mac Ayres - Where U Goin' Tonight_

Kendrick Lamar - Black Panther

Joe Hertz_ CollardColourblind

Rihanna - Lift Me Up - From Black Panther- Wakanda