VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
NIGERIA’S
FASHION INDEPENDENCE
Ade Bakare & Paolo Sisiano explain how the industry has come of age
VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
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VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
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Photo: Kola Oshalusi @insignamedia Makeup: Desire Onyema @desire_makeover
EDITOR’S NOTE
T
aking on a new role usually comes with the jitters of carrying out the job successfully. But since announcing my new position at THEWILL Downtown, it has been more of being keen to deliver on the task that I’ve been given. To all the people who have shown immense love, support, and faith in my capabilities as Editor, thank you! I must also thank the erstwhile editor, Latasha Ngwube, who invited me to join the team nine months ago-I can’t believe it’s been that long already. My sincere ‘thank you’ also goes to the Publisher of THEWILL, Austyn Ogannah for having enough faith in my work, past and present, and in me, to helm this progressive publication. His phone call telling me he was taking a backseat and letting me run this magazine fully couldn’t have come at a more significant time, a day before our country’s Independence anniversary. As we celebrate 61 years of Independence, I can’t help but reflect on decades ago, when electricity supply was somewhat constant, and generators were alien to this country; now every home, rich or poor, has one. It’s sad to see that most of our businesses are powered by generators, raising our monthly overheads and the cost of goods. No wonder Nigerian-made products are so expensive! One of our cover personalities this week, Ade Bakare made a stunning statement in his interview: in fabric manufacturing, loss of power for just 30 seconds could mean losing over 100 yards of fabric. Imagine that. Fabric manufacturing can really be profitable and transformative to our fashion industry if we can only fix electricity. This week, one of the points in Kehinde Fagbule’s article, How Nigerian Are You? (you have to read this, it really cracked me up) talks about the fact that we are so accustomed to not having electricity that constant power supply makes us uncomfortable. It’s an amusing take on a perennial problem. Still on Independence Day, Oddbod and The City takes us through the evolution of champagne glasses- we thought you’d like to know how that glass in your hand evolved, as you toast to a better Nigeria. Our increasingly popular Relationship page talks about gaining independence from the shackles of not feeling enough. This African Love: Ms. Havishams’s Independence Day is a good weekend read. You don’t want to miss our Beauty page which compares beauty in the ‘60s to beauty now. The Review page suggests movies well suited to the Independence Day celebration, and our TechTalk page takes us down tech memory lane. This issue really brings somewhat of a nostalgic feeling, and I must say our readers whether Gen Z or Baby boomers will totally enjoy it. So get a copy or two, and tell a friend to tell a friend. Let’s toast to Nigeria at 61: May we never lose our sense of humour, and ability to be innovative regardless of the little we have. Until next week, enjoy your read.
Onah Nwachukwu @onahluciaa
AUSTYN OGANNAH
PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Editor: Onah Nwachukwu @onahluciaa Editor-at-Large: Chalya Shagaya Senior Lifestyle Editor: Ayodele Johnson Writers: Kehinde Fagbule, Tilewa Kazeem Graphics/Layout: Olatunji Samson, John Olaniyan Digital Media: Oladimeji Balogun Guest Art Director: Sunny Hughes ‘ SunZA’ www.thewilldowntown.com thewilldowntown thewilldowntown
CONTENTS Cover Story Photography: Kola Oshalusi for Insigna Media | IG @insignamedia Makeup: Desire Onyema for Desire Makeover | IG @desire_makeover
COVER NIGERIA’S FASHION INDEPENDENCE: ADE BAKARE & PAOLO SISIANO EXPLAIN HOW THE INDUSTRY HAS COME OF AGE
16
TECHTALK OUT WITH THE OLD & IN WITH THE NEW
04-05 FASHION
FASHION TRENDS: FROM INDEPENDENCE TILL DATE
14-15
TRAVEL HOW NIGERIAN ARE YOU? 10 THINGS THAT SHOW YOUR NIGERIAN-NESS
06
ODDBOD & THE CITY RAISE A TOAST TO HER…
07
RELATIONSHIPS THIS AFRICAN LOVE: MS. HAVISHAM’S INDEPENDENCE DAY
12
THE REVIEW 5 MOVIES THAT EMBODY THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE
CONTRIBUTORS Odun Ogunbiyi @oddbodandthecity
- Contributing Editor Odunayo Ogunbiyi is an ex pharmacist with a passion for food and pampering. Writing about her exploits wherever in the world she may find herself is just her way of staying sane in this zany world.
Boluwatife Adesina @bolugram - Contributing Writer Boluwatife Adesina is a media writer and the helmer of the Downtown Review page. He’s probably in a cinema near you.
Uzo Orimalade @uzosfoodlabs
- Contributing Writer Uzo Orimalade has a background in Law and Business and spent over a decade working in Corporate America and Nigeria in the management consulting and investment banking sectors. She switched careers to pursue her passion for baking, cooking and home entertaining. She is content creator and host of shows in various media platforms. She has been recognised by local and international media outlets including a feature on CNN’s African Voices.
13
BEAUTY A TALE OF TWO ERAS: A LOOK INTO THE BEAUTY TRENDS OF THE ‘60S AND NOW
Rhoda Aguonigho @RHO - Contributing Writer Rhoda Aguonigho is a fashion entrepreneur and consultant, she is a cultural and creative industry advocate who is very passionate about the creative industry in Africa. She has worked with several fashion entrepreneurs, teaching them how to launch their businesses, and achieve their brand goals. Her interests range from Fashion writing, styling, and project management.
WHAT YOU SAID INSTAGRAM @zeelaing
You guys always have really great content. Well done.
Efua Oyofo @efuastar
- Contributing Writer Efua has always enjoyed telling stories. A writer and cultural storyteller, Efua Oyofo helps clients tell their most compelling story. She focuses on social impact storytelling, and hosts a podcast: This African Love, exploring the culture of dating - and helping people develop more effective ways to navigate relationships in today’s world.
@fajana_ adekunle
Interesting read here and there. Well done blood.w
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VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
FASHION THE ‘80s The ‘80s was a decade of bold style, colours and silhouettes, and heaping amounts of permed hair. With trends spanning ripped tights and biker jackets, polished oversized blazers, and poof skirts. From shoulder pads to power suits and all that’s in between, some of the era’s key looks are making a comeback in fashion. Fashion in the ‘80s was all about excess. Everything was bold, significant, and utterly glamorous.
Whitney Houston in the 80’s
FashionTrends
FROM INDEPENDENCE TILL DATE
F
Naiomi Campbell at the 1987 Karl Lagerfeld fashion show in Paris.
BY RHODA AGUONIGHO
rom political changes to technology and all themes of cultural shifts, fashion has proved to stand the test of time and delivered phenomenally across eras and continents. For our Independence Day issue, we look through fashion staples defining each era.
THE ‘70s
THE ‘60s The ‘60s marked an era of a number of diverse trends. This means that the ‘60s was a decade where both sophisticated designs inspired from the ‘50s and rather bold and revolting designs of the new generation were equally famous. Making the ‘60s one of the best decades for fashion. It was the first time that fashion was driven around the youth market and featured a vast number of diversified trends. The fashion trends in this decade broke many fashion traditions by mirroring social movements making headlines in that period. That era featured mostly bright and swirling colours.
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1972 Grace Jones and Members of American News Photo by Anthony Barboza GETTY IMAGES
The ‘70s never went out of style. An era where punk music influenced and dictated clothing and set up anti-establishment styles. The cuts and silhouettes are still applicable now, as they were then. Fringe accents, bell sleeves, groovy prints everything about ‘70s fashion trends speaks to a generation’s need to express themselves louder, and with more vibrancy, than ever before. After the tumultuous ‘60s, fashion icons, brands, and consumers of the so-called ME DECADE were breaking away from established norms, embracing eclectic, folkloric, and gender-neutral pieces to bring a visual identity to the rebellious spirit of the time. The era created a host of trends that still stand up today.
1973 Model Hazel GETTY IMAGES
American Female Singing Group Three Degrees by TIM GRHAM GETTY IMAGES
VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
FASHION THE ‘90s Every decade has standout fashion trends that become go-to looks. Many colour trends from the ‘90s: blue, green, orange were often paired together in patterns inspired by comic books and pop art. Popular looks were crop tops, babydoll dresses over leggings, coloured or embroidered jeans, with slouch socks, denim overalls, striped sweaters. Fashion took a turn to more polished form-fitting styles with popular looks in slip dresses, skirts in satin.
THE 2000s Many clothing trends in the 2000s were born out of globalization, the rise of fast fashion (affordable clothes based on runway designs usually found in department stores). The 2000s were also home to trends that hit big and burnt out fast. Technology and Y2K had a huge impact on fashion in the early 2000s. The colour palette was filled with shiny black tones and reflective metallics. While some trends were worn daily, many of the looks were reserved for going out. Casual clothing and leisurewear were the big trends of the early 2000s. Denim became a staple for men and women, going beyond jeans to shirts, jackets.
TLC in the ‘90s
Destiny’s Child June 1998
Rihanna Rocking a Pair of Capris in 2005 GETTY IMAGE
Eve GETTY IMAGE
THE 2010s During the 2010s, the fashion world saw itself completely transformed with the advent of social media, influencers, and eventually, a new awareness of sustainability, all of which had a major influence on the trends we adopted into our daily lives. The 2010s were defined by athleisure, swag-inspired outfits, and unisex ‘90s -style elements.
Ifeoma Odogwu in Becca London
THE 2020s
Chika Ike Chadwick Boseman 2019
Fashion never stops changing and evolving, keeping up with the latest fashion trends is key, especially now in the post-COVID era, when people will start going out again. The clothes we wear depend on the season but we are inspired by what the celebrities are wearing and what is seen in fashion shows. The main fashion trends are pastels, bold colours, monochromatic looks, feathers, and skirts in general - trends that feel the freshest and have not been oversaturated the past few years if not the past decade, so they will have staying power.
Pleated Dress
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VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
ODDBOD & THE CITY
ODUN OGUNBIYI
Raise a
toast to her… L
ately, I have become a bit obsessed with the idea of entertaining at home. To that end, I have been deep diving into the tools of the hostess paraphernalia. Many an hour has been spent debating the joys of silverware, crockery, linens, and glassware. It may not be evident at first glance, but some of your everyday household items have a back story worth a second look. For example, the champagne glass—which has cemented itself as an icon of luxury and style—has a rich, engaging, and some may say somewhat naughty history. I’d venture to guess that the style of glass our parents raised to celebrate our country’s independence 61 years ago is very different from what you may have raised to celebrate on Friday. Join me for the brief history of the Champagne glass.
feast. In the painting, while one person pops open a bottle of champagne, the surrounding merrymakers clutch the coupe-shaped glasses. The rumour that the shape of the champagne coupe was modelled on the shape of Marie Antoinette’s breast has since been debunked. Despite this, there have been modern-day homages to this legend, with celebrities such as Claudia Schiffer and Kate Moss offering their anatomy as a model for champagne coupes. Cut to me furiously Googling, “where can one get champagne glasses in the shape of your breasts made.”
The Flute
The Coupe
It is widely accepted that the first appearance of the champagne coupe is in Jean-François de Troy’s 1734 painting Le Déjeuner d’Huîtres. The painting depicts a decadent post-hunt oyster
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It wasn’t until the 1950s that the champagne flute started to appear more regularly on the scene. The flute allowed for less spillage than the coupe, which can definitely be an advantage as the night progresses and more glasses of bubbly have been consumed. The experts in the field postulate that the skinnier, tapered shape preserves the integrity of the bubbles for longer than the more open-topped coupe, providing longer-lasting enjoyment. The theory is that the reduced surface area and reduced oxygen to wine ratio maximize your champagne’s aroma, taste, and ultimately, your enjoyment.
The Trumpet
The trumpet’s first know appearance was in an 1831 catalogue from Belgian glassware manufacturer Val Saint-Lambert. The trumpet glass is considered a type of flute, but the sides curve outward in a trumpet shape at the opening. It is often stemless with a base or foot stand. The trumpet shape is not appreciated by some because the wide mouth allows the bubbles and aromas to disseminate a little too quickly. The lack of a stem also causes heat from your hand to warm the champagne.
The Tulip
This glass boasts a unique shape with a narrow top, a wider bowl, and a sharp curved edge
leading down to the stem, which helps trap the aroma within the bowl and prevent spillage. Today, most seasoned champagne drinkers agree that drinking bubbly from a champagne tulip creates the most satisfying experience. I have yet to decide on vintage theatrics or a wine aficionados’ perfection for my glass shape. In the end, what will matter will be celebrating with good friends the hope, dreams, and independence of my country. Happy Independence Day, Nigeria.
VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
RELATIONSHIP
EFUAEXPLORES EFUA OYOFO
This African Love:
Ms. Havisham’s Independence Day
I
remember once when I was about twenty-years-old, a friend asked me the question I most hated answering. “When’s the last time you were in a relationship?” She inquired, as we strolled around Lagos Island. It was one of those days. The sun shone prettily, the skies unusually blue - and yet, the question made my heart feel like rain fell everywhere. You see - I have a secret, one I’ve been holding onto for years. “The last time I was in love?” I responded. “About six months ago.” “No, not at all. I asked you: when is the last time you were in a relationship? It’s an entirely different thing. I’m wondering when last you found someone you could call your own.” I kept silent, but I felt the cut inside. You see, I’ve never had a boyfriend. Or a girlfriend. I’m not saying I’ve never had sex. Or kissed a partner. I’ve certainly dated, albeit for bursts at a time. But those are too brief to call relationships. The people I connect with don’t seem to connect with me on a semi-permanent level, the way I’d want them to. I’ve never had that intimacy, that quiet appreciation of someone. I’ve never been able to have that person whom I can call my own. My romances last mere minutes, along the continuum of space and time. As I saw other men and women having relationships, holding hands - getting engaged, getting married, having children - a part of me wondered if I wasn’t some sort of alien entity, the proverbial Lone Ranger - too set in my ways to understand how to be a girlfriend, a wife, a partner… how to catch a man. I tried the demure thing. That didn’t sit too well. I tried the spirited, opinionated person - the real me - but I got told I took up too much oxygen and needed to pipe down. I spent years trying to titrate my personality, so that someone - somewhere, someday, would see me and think - oh, she’s not so bad. I wouldn’t mind getting to know her for a long time, not just a good time. These days, I attend weddings featuring increasingly younger couples. People fifteen years my junior are getting married to their long-term partners. Children I once babysat now have their own children. While I, the modern-day Ms. Havisham, sit in my aged frock, jilted by the relationship gods, yet patiently awaiting the arrival of my promised
prince. Not even to marry, merely to be in a relationship with. Just to hold hands and enjoy the quiet intimacies. It hasn’t come, and I’m still here, waiting for this perfect time I’ve been told to expect. I know this is shocking to so many people. They can’t understand why I’m not always in a relationship. My quietness, they say, makes them wonder if perhaps I have a secret boyfriend, or an unavailable lover. “It’s okay if you like women,” I’ve been told by well-meaning people. “I know,” I respond. “If only that were the case.” “Anyway,” they say as cheerfully as they can, “The Lord’s Time is the Best Time.” It always hurts. Because all I want to know is - If not now, when? “Perhaps you’re not comfortable embracing your true sexuality?” They’d suggest. “You know, there’s a subset of people who just… aren’t that sexual.” What I wish I could explain for those voices to hear, is that I don’t have problems with romantic feelings. Just… no-one to attach it to. Others still, wanted to diagnose the issue further. “You know,” one male acquaintance abruptly declared. “You’re going to have a difficult time finding a husband.” “Really? What makes you say that?” I asked him. The comment stung, albeit in a different way from the others. “Honestly speaking? You’re too independent.” He shrugged. I searched for the meaning of that statement - and even now, I still can’t find it. Too independent? Which strain of the game hadn’t I tried?” After all - I’d been chatty, overly friendly, hypersexual, the quiet storm… even tried cultivating an air of mystery, although that sometimes came off as awkward and shy. Too independent. I reject that
premise. I see independent women getting into relationships all the time. Even that crap they said about not sleeping around when we were younger? Guess what. I’ve attended the wedding of a promiscuous girl I knew growing up. It’s all just fake news. So what, then, was I getting wrong? “You’d probably have an easier time of it if you... (“insert well-meaning suggestion here”)- have you considered that?” Why, yes, I have! I’ve been to all the churches, the mosques, the Sallah, and Christmas parties. I’d gone for walks on Lekki bridge, networked at business functions, cheered at football games, gone on blind dates, and “shone my eye” at weddings and even sometimes funerals. Heck, I even went on a few dates with someone who didn’t realise he was gay… but I did. (He’s on his own journey now.) The issue at hand was never about meeting people. It’s been about finding people, for whom there was a sustained mutual desire to foster a relationship or partnership. *** Now, at the grand old age of forty-three, I’m still looking. I haven’t found Mr/Ms. Right - not even Right Now. Yet, after over two decades of trying, I’ve come to realise something. A secret I wish I could tell my older self. Everyone’s “happy ending” looks different. Some people’s ending looks like finding their true love at age fifteen, the first day of school. For others, it’s something they look forward to their whole lives, but never manage to find someone who’s quite the right fit. Other people, still, are serial monogamists and are finding their independence in between relationships. For me, at least - for now - it looks like getting comfortable with who I am, and taking comfort in the small and the big joys. Knowing that, someday, I will find my potential soulmate. In the meantime, I have to get comfortable with enjoying my independence, from my way of thinking. I’m getting to know myself without all the added artifice, without feeling like I have to expand or shrink parts of me in order to make myself fit in a box. Of knowing that only one piece of advice was right - His Time, is the Best Time. And just like that, I’ve gained independence in feeling that there was something wrong with me, that the way I was - wasn’t enough. It will be too much for some, and too little for others. But for the right partner, wherever and whomever that person is - it will be Just Right.
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VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
COVER
W
hat’s the story behind your tattoo? Why ‘always’? Paolo Sisiano: It’s my favourite word because it’s a conviction to self and the path that I’ve chosen and just know you’d always be there for yourself. Through tough times I’ll always be there to pull myself out of the rubble.
NIGERIA’S FASHION INDEPENDENCE Ade Bakare & Paolo Sisiano explain how the industry has come of age Sixty-one years since we reclaimed full control of our governance, land, and its resources, a particular sector has seen perhaps the most evolution of all sectors. Nigeria, a country filled with several wealthy cultures, has since the colonial days, fed on the crumbs of western fashion. The story is different nowadays as we have finally come to terms with the fact that we can’t keep running from our indigenous arts and fashion. A feat that we have been able to achieve thanks to the amazing fashion designers who have chosen to bring their craft back home. To celebrate Nigeria’s independence, the DOWNTOWN trio of Onah Nwachukwu, Editor, Kehindé Fagbule, and Tilewa Kazeem, writers, spent the morning with two designers cut across different generations: the Legendary Ade Bakare, and from a younger generation, Paolo Sisiano. Both could be said to be among those responsible for gradually pulling the country out of the colonial shadow we’ve been under for ages past.
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Let’s journey back to baby Sisiano before fashion and before dance. Why did your mum call you ‘fantasy boy’? PS: I am the third child of five to a single mother. As a kid, I was very jovial and I was known for breathing life into every room in my home. I dreamed while I was awake and my mum called me a fantasy boy because it seemed like I was always overreaching. I wanted to do everything. Singing, acting, and all that. And it seemed that way thanks to my mum. Growing up, my mind was unrestricted and it had no boundaries. It was like a horse allowed to run free across acres of even grass. As long as you could dream about it, you could do it. Taking that mindset into school I want to do those things. I started off singing but my voice broke at some point. After that acting caught my eye and I started going for auditions. And how did that turn out for you? PS: Not so good actually. I went for two auditions for two reality shows at the time and they said I was too young for the role they needed. I was 17-years-old for the first one and 18 for the second. I was told to return when I was a year older and I remember leaving the venue in Ikeja and taking a bike to see a friend at his church’s dance rehearsals and I found dance. I asked the instructor if I could try and she said ok and that was it. The rehearsals went on for four months and we got absorbed into the Spirit Of Life Gospel Dance Group. Apparently, at the time, they were a big deal and I was oblivious of that. Fast forward to the next year we’d started training and around that time I had just gone for another audition having told myself I’d focus squarely on dance if I didn’t get the role. Within the timeframe of getting told to ‘try again next year’, I was selected to perform the opening number of Celebrity Takes Two in 2009. After the show, I just gave up on acting and turned to dance. Through that, I performed on a plethora of reality shows. I was on Maltina DanceHall as an instructor. With that, I got into stage acting for Bolanle AustenPeters Production and I’m still a resident choreographer there as well. Where did the fashion come from? PS: A friend of mine Kemi said to me ‘ What happens when you break your leg? What would you do then? You need to look for something else’ I hadn’t really thought about it but her statement made me ponder on what next. In addition, I was beginning to
Cover Story Photography: Kola Oshalusi for Insigna Media | IG @insignamedia Makeup: Desire Onyema for Desire Makeover | IG @desire_makeover
VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
COVER outgrow the income of dancing. I started drawing sketches and the fact that I was already designing costumes for dancers helped. So branching out wasn’t entirely a hassle. I made designs but no one really saw them until one Sunday. I had a few friends over Bayo Oke-Lawal of Orange Culture being one of them and they stumbled on my envelope of designs and they urged me to start and I said I’d think about it. A few days later, I made a collection and shot the lookbook. I applied for the Young Designers Program under Lagos Fashion Week and that was 8 years ago. The design direction of the Sisiano Brand is unlike anything that came before it. Why free-flowing clothes? PS: In all honesty, I just wanted to make beautiful clothes. I find that in my designs I tap from the different things that I’m doing unconsciously. Initially, I just wanted to create clothes for a clean modern woman because growing up my mum was very fashionable even till today. She had pieces you wouldn’t see elsewhere. The way she blends other pieces together as well spoke to her impeccable style. Seeing that, I just wanted to create pieces that you could pick up and make as interesting as possible. Eventually, I found I was tying into movement. It didn’t come as dance but as movement. I would listen to the whooshing of the breeze and I’ll paint the movement of that or drawing inspiration from the subtle breeze on a flower was the part of the idea. Dance was the most movement I’ve had to do in my life so mixing movement and dance is a reflection of what Sisiano is. Now I’m conscious that I’m really about the movement. It might seem like it’s about free fitted clothing but it’s not really that it’s about movement. There’s no limitation to dance, that’s why there are many forms in dance. If I want to make tightly fitted clothes it would be to study movement. When I look at my clothes I’m glad they are a reflection of who I am. Elucidating on textiles, as a Nigerian designer, how do you feel seeing our cultural fabrics and textiles strutting across international runways? And how does it strengthen our voice in fashion? PS: Personally, I don’t think we ever lost our voice as to who we are. Our biggest problem as an industry(fashion) which I’m guilty of as well is we always seek validation from the international space and it’s like they’re telling us what it should and shouldn’t be and the rest of us have to listen. When I started fashion it was all about press. I wanted to get into Vogue and GQ. But as I rose through the ranks it became evident that it wasn’t about any of those things. It’s about sales and recognition for your work which begins with you. The attention is nice but right now the international scene is looking to take from other cultures as it has always been. So I don’t mind it and I don’t get carried away, I just mind my business. However, as an industry, I am happy that we are now aware of who we are. There are so many designers in Nigeria. I said to a friend the other day, we give you the headache of having to decide what to choose. Going overseas, you’d see that there’s not much but here you have a variety from different angles. People are minding their work and it’s a beauty to watch. We are trying everything to push our narrative which I believe would take us to wherever we need to be. Apparently, Paolo Sisiano also paints. How do you have all the best gifts? PS: *laughs* I come from a family of artists. My older brother paints. One of my sister’s knits, the other one does everything I do better and my younger brother draws. We all just learn different ways to express ourselves and all kudos to my mum. I was already drawing and painting before I started dancing. Learning dance was another way to express myself. Fashion was another place I could channel my energy as well. In my family, it’s not a big deal if you can draw because everyone can draw. It was just me adding more knowledge because no knowledge
In addition, I was beginning to outgrow the income of dancing. I started drawing sketches and the fact that I was already designing costumes for dancers helped. So branching out wasn’t entirely a hassle. I made designs but no one really saw them…” Paolo Sisiano
Paolo Sisiano
is wasted. That’s why I do all the things that I do. Theatre, choreography, painting, and fashion are me keeping stock of things that can be of use to me. Of all the Nigerian fabrics you’ve worked with as a designer which have you had the most fun with? PS: I work with a lot of crepe fabric. I also started dying myself because at the time I would’ve liked to print my own fabric when I started but I couldn’t afford to. Now I get fabric printed and sent in via people who hand dye silk. I am also falling in love with cotton because I have done a lot with crepe. I know what to expect in terms of movement. As a designer how grateful are you that everything you need can be found in your country? PS: I love Nigeria because it pushes you to thrive. We have things that are limited but we learn as Nigerians to make it work. When you go hunting for fabric in Lagos, you often don’t get a lot but as designers, we make a lot from that little. The system pushes us to work more. It’s not the best way to teach but it gets the job done. It teaches us to think out of the box and create something stunning. It also teaches you what you can do with limited resources that way when there is an abundance of resources you do more. Coming from a different era in fashion do you look back to past eras to get inspiration? PS: When it comes to design I don’t reference back. I have had conversations with people asking me why I don’t. It doesn’t suit me. I keep to myself and I don’t follow trends. If I’m looking back at anything it would be my past catalogues. By the time I was in my second year I was referencing my first year and by the time I was designing my 5th year I had 4 years to look back on. My archives are my inspiration and that’s how I do it.
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VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
COVER
A friend whose mum used to do adire brought it to me and I said I didn’t really like it. So he asked why exactly I didn’t like it. I replied that I found it very hard and the design uninteresting. He further asked me what fabrics I work with and I handed them to him because I had some with me in Nigeria. I didn’t hear from him for some time until one day he came and showed me some fabrics. “These are so lovely, I could totally work with them,” I said gleefully. He then said “these are the fabrics you gave me. Adire is a process, and it can be applied to any fabric.” So that was the genesis of me doing silk adire.”
C
ongratulations on celebrating 30 years in the industry. How would you reckon Nigerian fashion has evolved from that point? Ade Bakare: When I studied fashion then, Nigeria was very focused on things being done abroad and I think that had a lot to do with quality because during the oil boom in the 80s, there was a lot of wealth in Nigeria, so a lot of people used to go abroad and buy things. Then, there was a focus on what they used to call “ready-made” which basically meant clothes that were well made, and they would go abroad and buy a lot of that. So I sort of witnessed the tail end of that. Tell us about your journey back home. At what point did you decide you had to return? AB: There was a time I stopped designing because I then wanted to be more in Paris, so I went there looking to work for a powerful fashion house to no success. I also travelled to other top countries of the
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world and met the same outcome. By that time, Google was already around and all the couture houses gave the same response: “We’ve just googled you and saw that you’ve been around doing your business. Why do you want to work for us? Are you a spy or something?” *laughs*. So I went back to England and that was when I started coming to Nigeria to do shows. Before you know it, I got sucked into the Nigerian system and opened a shop here. You were then the official designer for the ex-first lady, late Stella Obasanjo. Was she the one who brought you back here? AB: She didn’t bring me back fully but the role introduced me to the market here because she introduced me to a lot of people and clients, and I kept on going back and forth having to deliver to them and then back to England with my business still running over there.
I started selling from my first collection because it (the clothes) was well made. It wasn’t until the recession started in England when problems started settling in that I switched from ready-to-wear to couture. When I started couture, Dele Momodu (for Ovation magazine) wrote a story about me designing for one of the Princesses of Monaco and I think that garnered some sort of interest in me from Nigerians because a lot of people were then coming to me, especially for their wedding dresses because they were too pricey but when it came to weddings, there was no expense spared. We do that for a lot of major families in Nigeria, and that’s when I started having more exposure and understanding of what Nigerians are doing. So I would always be invited to fashion shows, I would see the other designers and look at what they are doing. At the time, the Nigerian market was really opening up and was very fertile. So a friend found a shop here for me and suggested that I set up one here as well. Which is where we have been for almost 12 years now, going strong. Who were some of your fashion influences when you started looking inward? AB: I had a very good friend, Remy of Lagos, she’s late now. She was ahead of her time with impeccable designs. The likes of Frank Oshodi and Maufechi were the designers who have been doing beautiful works from back in the day. Silk Adire has become your signature fabric. What inspired that? AB: When I started coming to Nigeria, I used to take a lot from the environment and look at African textiles. That is how I started doing silk adire, right in 2004. A friend whose mum used to do adire brought it to me and I said I didn’t really like it. So he asked why exactly I didn’t like it. I replied that I found it very hard and the design uninteresting. He further asked me what fabrics I work with and I handed them to him because I had some with me in Nigeria. I didn’t hear from him for some time until one day he came and showed me some fabrics. “These are so lovely, I could totally work with them,” I said gleefully. He then said “these are the fabrics you gave me. Adire is a process, and it can be applied to any fabric.” So that was the genesis of me doing silk adire. Even then I always knew that I wanted mine to stand out, so I stuck to a few styles and patterns and that became almost my signature. In 1980, when I was invited by Tunde Kelani (veteran Nigerian filmmaker) to do a film I did a lot of research and discovered that adire had a lot of meaning those days. It still does, and that’s what I try to capture. In addition to that, by nature of my developed training, I came up with my own styles. Now we have Ilari (comb), Ododo (flowers), Coco which was inspired by the first lady of Kwara State, Mrs. Folake Abdulrazaq.
VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
COVER At 61 years old, do you think our fashion is independent yet with regards to how desperately we seek western validation? AB: Evolution is a process and we are getting there. If we go a bit further in the past, there has been a lot of colonial mentality and brainwashing which is bound to happen because we were conquered and ruled by them, they were here for such a long time, and even our educational system is still based on their curriculum, so we are slightly beheld to them but we are beginning to come out of that to recognise our own. Also, I think Nigerians are beginning to understand that fashion is not a hobby, it is a profession. It is not something you dabble into if you can’t make it at the conventional professional career. I always feel education is the gap that needs to be closed. I was fortunate to come from a background that is pro academia. It was from the education that I got the training and confidence to do other things in fashion like designing uniforms for airlines, restaurants, and hotels. Another thing I want to touch upon and this is very salient. People would always say “oh you’re in the west and you came to set up in Nigeria,” and I say “yes, there’s a huge market here.” As an entrepreneur, you go to where there’s a market; so you have a lot of English designers going to Italy, French designers going to America. I feel that Nigerians have to recognise the fact that there is a market here. Before you start looking to sell in Paris, Milan, New York, have you sold in Enugu, Kano, and Lagos? Because at the end of the day, fashion is a business and businesses are about turnovers. Projecting this to Africa now as a continent, what do you think about fashion independence in the continent in terms of synergy? AB: I think it will come with experience and development. There are certain things you just can’t jump, they have to develop naturally and I feel that will. Having said that, some shows are organised annually or bi-annually that a lot of African designers participate in, but they are more francophone based. This has been going on for years but Nigerians are not aware of it because I feel that when they look at Nigeria, they see us as too westernised, so they don’t think that we’re bringing anything new to the table. They feel that we wear all the labels and brands, whereas a lot of other African countries, francophones especially, have always embraced themselves. For example, countries like Ivory Coast have always worn African prints. Even down in the Benin Republic, they always wear ankara. I think we’ve only just started embracing Nigerian prints like adire recently. We are not seen as authentically African because even when we go abroad, we’re always seen in the latest brands and labels; they don’t necessarily represent us to the world. When you tell fellow Africans you’re from Lagos, they only talk about the richness of Lagos, they don’t talk about anything to do with the culture. As a researcher, I did my findings and discovered that a lot of those African countries don’t have African textiles, they re-invent or borrow, whereas we have indigenous African textiles such as asooke, adire, akwete, and so on. It just happens that a lot of them are not ‘too westernised’ and that’s maybe because they don’t have the resources, network, or time that we invest on western platforms, so they’ve not been brainwashed as much as we have. Thank God we have Nollywood so we can still put a bit of our culture back on our own platforms.
My latest collections are trying to take influences from Africa or Nigeria directly as opposed to before that my collections have been influenced by 18th century French or Spanish, and so on. I did a collection recently which I called ‘Emily Oni Kaba’ because in the 80s, a lot of Nigerian ladies wore foreign dresses, and their friends would often call them a generic name, Emily, and refer to the dresses as Kaba (Yoruba) or in the East, they call it ‘Mary Amaka,’…”
Ade Bakare
The fabric industry has witnessed a stunted growth with fewer than 25 of over 300 textile companies in operation today. Despite this administration’s policy to ban textile importation, people still find their way around that, causing failure within the local sector. What do you think can be done to revive it? AB: It is very sad. I believe that the government has to intervene to lift the fabric importation ban because if you’re not producing enough, how can you ban importation? Rather, make it that the fabrics coming in are taxed very highly so that people are then forced to look at what’s available locally and people who are manufacturing locally can then have an audience. This is because, if a company were to set up today, the Chinese imports would kill them. It’s sad because we don’t even check the fabric we import as they come
here by the bail, so what happens is that we often get fabrics with a lot of faults. Almost like we are a dumping ground for Western countries. Whereas we have a population of almost 200 million people, no manufacturer wouldn’t thrive doing business here if the people bought from them. But then the biggest challenges are logistics and the electricity situation. I recommend that the government create an enabling environment for them, especially in terms of electricity, because the machines are moving at such a fast precise pace, if there’s a power outage for just 30 seconds, about 100 yards of the material could be ruined. Before, a country could move from a third-world country to a developed country by meeting the major criteria which were manufacturing. Nowadays, even if Nigeria ramps up on the manufacturing phase at this late stage, we still wouldn’t be considered developed because the criteria have been shifted to artificial intelligence. Seeing as fashion is cyclical, what are some of the designs from previous generations you have drawn inspiration from? AB: My latest collections are trying to take influences from Africa or Nigeria directly as opposed to before that my collections have been influenced by 18th century French or Spanish, and so on. I did a collection recently which I called “Emily Oni Kaba” because in the 80s, a lot of Nigerian ladies wore foreign dresses, and their friends would often call them a generic name, Emily, and refer to the dresses as Kaba (Yoruba) or in the East, they call it “Mary Amaka,” they all have to do with wearing pretty western dresses. That is the theme of my latest collection which I showed in England, Nigeria, and a lot of other African countries.
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VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
BY BOLUWATIFE ADESINA Scan this with your camera to access the playlist (Apple Music)
Movie Review for
Independence day MOVIES THAT EMBODY THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE Looking around, whether online or even on physical media, one might not find many Nigerian historical movies to binge on, mainly because they cost a lot to shoot and involve a lot of research. Some critics also say historical movies are not commercially viable because the Nigerian movie audience is not yearning for them just yet. Nonetheless, some Nigerian filmmakers have created masterpieces worthy of mention especially on a day like this. Here are 5 of such films.
struggles of helping her husband prove his innocence. Starring Ramsey Nouah, Chidi Mokeme, Rita Dominic, and Ibinabo Fiberesima, the film reflects on the lives of soldiers and the struggles their wives go through.
Scan this with your camera to access the playlist (Spotify)
Playlist for the week
Nigeria my Beloved Country by Funmi Adams
One Love by Onyeka Onwenu
Veno Marioghae- Nigeria Go Survive
Sonny Okosun- Lift Nigeria Up
Sound Sultan- Motherland
Eedris abdulkareem - Gaga Gaga
One Kilometre by Evi Edna
“The Way Forward “ by Sunny Ade “Great Nation” by Timi Dakolo
The Wedding Party (2016) Set in Lagos, Nigeria, The Wedding Party is the story of Dunni Coker (Adesua Etomi), a 24 year old art gallery owner and only daughter of her parents, about to marry the love of her life, an IT entrepreneur, Dozie (Banky W). It is a representation of all the drama that could and does occur before and after a wedding party. The typical Nigerian wedding party is fun, dramatic, tedious, but definitely entertaining. Everyone has that relative who turns up for the food or souvenirs, friends who are there for the ‘gram’ and even an envious ex who is just there to witness and gloat over the inadequacies of the ceremony. The Wedding Party certainly captures the energy, music, colourfulness, culture and fashion that makes a Nigerian wedding party fun to attend.
76 Set in the 1970s, six years after the civil war, the film directed by Izu Ojukwu, tells the story of a young officer who was accused of being involved in the abortive 1976 coup that led to the assassination of the then military head of state, Murtala Muhammed. The story also revolves around the soldier’s pregnant wife, who went through the pains of childbirth and the
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October 1 Produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, October 1 is a movie set in the colonial era. The film tells the story of a police officer, Danladi Waziri, deployed from Northern Nigeria to a Western town of Akote to unravel the mystery behind the frequent killing of female residents of the community before October 1. The film explores tribalism, colonisation and Nigeria’s independence. The film stars Sadiq Daba, Kayode Olaiya, David Bailie, Kehinde Bankole, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Fabian Adeoye Lojede, Nick Rhys, Kunle Afolayan, Femi Adebayo, Bimbo Manuel, Ibrahim Chatta and a host of others.
The Herbert Macaulay Affair
A common thread with many Nigerian icons is that their names are known, but their stories are largely obscure, creating a huge gap between future generations and figures that shaped the
nation’s history. This problem is exacerbated by the problematic place of history as an academic subject in Nigerian classrooms, an omission that has been noted by many to be a criminal recipe for disaster. The Herbert Macaulay Affair is a movie by Nigerian filmmaker, Imoh Umoren, which is based on the life and struggles of Nigerian nationalist and independence agitator, Herbert Macaulay. Macaulay’s grandson, Wale Macaulay, also stars in the movie. The movie is set in the 1920s, in Lagos. The film shows lead actor, William Benson, who plays the role of Herbert Macaulay, inciting fellow Nigerians to stand up against their oppressors and leads protests in this fashion. The Herbert Macaulay Affair begins with young Herbert stepping off a ship after schooling in England in 1893. The movie also stars Kelechi Udegbe, Martha Ehinome Orhiere, Tubosun Ayedun, Sunday Afolabi, Mary Kowo, Phillip Jarman, Stanley Matthews, Obiora Maduegbuna, and Lolo Eremie.
TY Bello – Green Land
Saworoide Nigeria is a country with several cultural practices that define us. We have the Sharo ceremony in Fulani Land; traditional baby naming ceremony in Yoruba land; the fattening room in Efik tradition; and Omugwo in Igbo land. But if we are talking about one of the films that best encapsulates an interesting culture of a tribe in Nigeria, it’s Saworide, which
means talking drum in English Language. The Tunde Kelani film follows the tradition of an old Yoruba norm in the town of Jogbo, where a person can not be crowned king without the Saworoide being played by the right person. Drumming is a key part of the cultural heritage of the Yoruba people. They are several drums such as Gangan (Talking Drum), Bata, Saworide, Omela Ako; all used for different occasions. The film celebrates the beauty of African art, and the beauty of tradition and folklore. Importantly, the movie speaks on Nigeria and how it has dealt with civil rule and military dictatorship.
VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
BEAUTY
A TALE OF TWO ERAS: A LOOK INTO THE BEAUTY TRENDS OF THE ‘60S AND NOW
Nude Eyeshadow
THE 2020s ERA MAC Powder
Amidst the whole COVID-19 and lockdown situation, the 2020s beauty trend is not shifting focus from celebrating individuals all across the world.
• The thick winged liner
became iconic in the ‘60s through the photograph of English model Dame Lesley Lawson popularly known as Twiggy and Edie Sedgwick who was a prominent figure in the beauty industry in the ‘60s.
Diana Ross 1960
H
BY RHODA AGUONIGHO
uman nature inhabits a desire to look attractive as beauty is one of the greatest depictions of art. It is a combination of qualities (including shape, form, and colour), that please aesthetics senses; majorly the eyes. Over the years, humans have come up with styles, trends, and tips to achieve beauty standards from hairstyle to makeup and all kinds of skincare routines. And so for our Independence Day feature, we will be looking at beauty trends in the 60s and now. The 60s brought about the Twiggy lashes, which gave bold eyeshadow and dramatic lashes. The 2020s era, on the other hand, focuses more on glowy skin, sending the matte makeup look out of the picture. Let’s take a dive into each era’s trend.
• The eyes have a
Eyeliner YANGA BEAUTY
• With inspiration
• The eyeshadows were
cool tones which included gray, blue, and white because makeup on the eyes was typically focused on eyeliner and lashes, which is the opposite of the warm tones of today’s trend.
Lola OJ in a Pixie Cut
significant priority in this era, as the goal is to have and maintain moisturised and glowing skin.
• Eyelashes have been a
standard beauty tool for women over history and the ‘60s focused on lashes being longer and spidery with false lashes.
The ’60s introduced a transition between the ladylike looks of the ‘50s and the free-spirited glamour of the ‘70s. This era was about dramatic eyes and paler lips, which left a significant mark on the beauty industry.
• Bouffants and beehives
Diana Ross
style in the ‘50s shifted to a slick pixie cut, and as the ‘60s moved forward, longer sleek hair gained popularity.
from the 50s, the shag hairstyle is taking over again, and this time it is working with all hair lengths and textures.
• The skin is a
Eyeliner KORFF
THE ‘60s ERA
brighter liner and full-on glitter, which will differ from your usual natural smoky eye and colour experiments.
Foundation THEONE
Such a huge difference between the eras shows growth, transition, and innovation. Beauty is constantly evolving, and with each generation, its interpretation is different. We are looking to see what the next years hold because one thing is for sure: it never stops advancing! Here’s looking at beauty trends for ages to come. Happy Independence Day!
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VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
BY KEHINDÉ FAGBULE
TRAVEL
How Nigerian Are You?
Things That Show Your Nigerian-ness
A
t sixty-one years old, I expect “boomer” vibes from anyone that age. By extension, I sort of expect it for Nigeria as well. Don’t ask me what I’m talking about because I can’t explain it but you know what I mean.
The most populous black nation on earth, Nigerians have a footprint in every nook and cranny of the world. However, it doesn’t take long to interact with a stranger or a character on TV to unveil the nationality of the individual, their lifestyle, or their backstory. We often talk about culture and tradition; we even discuss it from a deep angle, exploring the local dialects, foods, clothing, monarchs, deities, and festivals, when in fact, a lot of us “kids” don’t exactly connect on these levels personally. Wherever you are in the world, you don’t need a man wearing okpu agwu (a fez) or a woman wearing iro ati buba (a wrapper and blouse) to feel a kindred spirit that pulls you closer to them as a preconceived compatriot. It is pretty easy to spot a Nigerian or at least someone who was meant to be. Here are ten of the most Nigerian things to do.
The 2 Rice: national
Nigerian English Is 3 The Powerful
Sunday meal
Often Do You Plead The 1 How Blood Of Jesus Or Say “God Forbid?”
We all go through scary times now and again but have different reactions to some of the shocks we experience. Imagine you’re in an elevator and it stops abruptly. How did you react? Did you immediately subconsciously exclaim “blood of Jesus!?” Don’t sweat it, it has nothing to do with your religion or whether you believe in God or not, it’s just default wiring.
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Whether you eat before you go to church or wait to get back home from the service before eating your first meal of the day on a sunny Sunday, we all know you’re making rice. The primarily carbohydrate meal is the most eaten dish in the entire country as it comes in different variants. However, despite its large volume of consumption, Nigerians still have set aside a special day for it with
Jollof Rice & Rice And Stew most households eating rice (especially with stew) on the Sabbath day. A concept I can’t quite explain, rice and church just go together. It might be its white symbolising God’s purity. Also, no, you can’t eat out at fancy restaurants too often because there is rice at home.
Colonised by the British, our official version of the English language is the British language. However, it is not as easy as it sounds. Perhaps due to the volume of American media we’ve always consumed, we’ve created our own unique English language which interestingly is a combination of the British and American versions of the language. So when you hear things like “short knickers”, “cracker biscuits”, “pant trousers”, (Brit. Eng. - knickers, biscuits, trousers. Ame. Eng. - shorts, crackers, pants), we are not confused. We know exactly what we are talking about.
VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
TRAVEL
Get Worried About Constant 4 You Electricity Power or its inconsistency is still a very worrisome epidemic that’s plaguing us as a country. When you grow up in a situation where the cries of UP NEPA! are some of the most sonically pleasing sounds you’ve ever heard, you get accustomed to the often toxic one-sided relationship we have with electricity in this part of the world. You know that ideally from the antecedent, expecting 24-hours power supply might be overzealous so you get worried when it happens because you have been burnt one too many times. You know what they say about trusting and the disappointment that follows. “If they take it for about 4 hours in the afternoon, they will bring it around 8 pm, just in time for Super Story on NTA.”
Could Ambode be Popping The Question Too
7
Those 5 For Who Schooled Here, “A” Is For God.
Nigerians studying abroad can disagree on 99 things. One thing they can equivocally echo is how much easier it is to obtain a degree with good grades over there than it is on home soil. It is a culmination of a lot of things really, especially in government tertiary institutions where ineptitude is the order of
6
the day. For some lecturers, however, an agenda is made clear and most Nigerian undergraduates worldwide are familiar with it: no matter how much you study for the exam, you can only aim for a B-grade, as “A” is meant for God. Be thankful.
Here’s what you should know in order to survive in Nigeria; you must know someone. In the rare cases that you don’t, you must master the art of threatening people into believing that you do. Present in most altercations in the country, across the 36 states spanning over 525 languages, the ageold, “Do you know who I am?”, question, more often than not, works like magic. With a justice system that’s not exactly the strongest in the world, you don’t know whose toes you step on that deals you a bad hand. If someone bashed your car in the North Pole and asked you that question, ask them what part of Nigeria they grew up in because we’re the only ones with that level of audacity.
You Been To An 10 Have Owambe? Japa Is The Nigerian 8 ToDream As an average Nigerian, one of your biggest flexes is having the power to move in and out of the country as freely as you want to. Whether it’s just to spend the summer or to seek permanent residency, travelling abroad is something that has been celebrated for decades. Considering the dire situation that a lot of Nigerians live in, seeking greener pastures at steadier shores is most people’s last resort. The Nigerian dream sometimes involves leaving the country to escape the nightmare.
The Stigma Around The Left Hand One of the most common unspoken rules ties the right hand to respect and the left disrespect. Despite no clear explanation as to why courtesy demands that you give to and receive offerings from people, especially the elderly with your right hand, Nigerians stay conscious of it regardless. Left as a word has grown in numerous Nigerian households to mean lesser and taken a backseat to “right.” The left hand is associated with disrespect and bad manners in arguably many (if not all) Nigerian cultures. It is the hand usually used to perform acts that are otherwise irritating to a person. This could be the picking of a dirty object, washing, or wiping the backside after number two. So if someone passes to or receives something from you with their left hand, chances are that they are not Nigerians.
Do You Know Who I Am?
Nigeria is like a kid with divorced parents who then has to celebrate two birthdays each year… Except, in this case, the two divorced parents are the two major religions in the country. Nigeria is the only country in the world where Christianity and Islam, the two most practised religions in the world, have half-and-half population. The volume of celebrations between these two doctrines means that there are a lot of days off in terms of public holidays for the average working class. Add the national days and even unemployed people cherish them so dearly. We can’t come and kill ourselves, please.
9
Don’t We Just Love Public Holidays
There’s no party like a Nigerian party with so much to display and a lot going on. From the popping colours on beautiful women to smart monarchy-like attires on handsome men, the local food, drinks, live band, spraying (sorry CBN) and the overall panache that regular traditional events are made of, it is no wonder that Nigerians are known all over the world as top guns when it comes to throwing extravagant parties; even funerals. If you are invited to a wedding (fondly called Owambe), you automatically know if it’s a Nigerian couple or not from how lit the party is.
We are a beautiful country filled with amazing people. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what your ethnicity is, achieving the much-coveted oneness is not exactly difficult. All we need is just to love and look out for one another like how we stick together whenever it’s time to put Ghanian Jollof in its place as second fiddle to the Nigerian Jollof. It doesn’t matter what your religion, creed, background, ethnic group, pigmentation, status, or sexual orientation is, we all represent the +234, and the only way we can begin to grow as a nation is by fundamentally caring for one another.
Happy 61st birthday, fellow Nigerians. PAGE 15
VOL 1 NO.34 • OCTOBER 03 – OCTOBER 09, 2021
BY TILEWA KAZEEM
TECHTALK
Out With The Old & In With The New
A
s a huge tech-head, I’ve always felt bad not being born during the floppy disc epoch. Hearing stories about technological advancements throughout history has always left me longing. No offence meant to 2GB memory sticks, but something about witnessing a creation and its evolution over time makes you respect and appreciate it more. For our Independence Day issue, it made perfect sense to take you on a trip down technology memory lane.
Betamax Video Cassette Player
VHS tapes
Betamax And VHS Video Cassette Players Box TV Set
Flat Screen TV
Television Saturday mornings were synonymous with watching cartoons for every Nigerian kid privileged to have a television. Shows like KKB, Animaniacs, and Tom and Jerry were the only things that would have gotten us to mop the roof and sweep the streets. But little did we know that right in front of our eyes, technology was evolving. In the olden days, television looked cumbersome- you couldn’t just grab it off the wall to your friend’s house for a friendly FIFA match. However, now thanks to the evolution of technology you can. Television sets are now as flat as a cooking manual and the best ones still cost an arm and a leg. Classic Retro Landline
Phones
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Davido
Internet “The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow”Bill Gates At the time of this statement, the Internet hadn’t grown this much but thanks to algorithms and bots, the Internet gets smarter by the second. Imagine using Ask Encyclopedia to write a term paper and compare that to how easy the Internet has made that. It’s just astounding. Without the Internet, the band Internet Money would just be called Money which just makes no sense.
BlueTooth Symbol
iPhone 12
All through history, the importance of the GSM has never been understated. It was and still is the most sought-after means of communication. It has started governments and toppled a few as well. To think that it all started when one polymath- not you Yerins- named Robert Hooke created the first acoustic string telephone. He was probably tired of going to his friend’s house all the time. 309 years after that wise decision, Apple was created. Before that, the telephone was already in full flight. The famous brick phone that may or may not have aided the most gruesome coup d’etat in Nigeria’s history was already made. Motorola Sagem and Trium were popular in Nigeria as well as Nokia.
Betamax was the king of video cassettes until the ‘80s when VHS pushed it out of the market. The ‘80s was nothing without VHS cassette tapes-no home was complete without one. If it didn’t have treasured family memories recorded on it, it was rented to watch the latest blockbuster from the local video shop. VHS was such a big deal at the time, that it came inbuilt with some TVs. Now, VHS tapes are obsolete to be replaced by compact discs and digital video discs, however, those too are now slowly becoming outdated with the introduction of streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu.
BlueTooth Riddle me this, I’m a tooth but you can’t find me in the mouth, what am I? If your answer was Bluetooth you are correct! If your answer wasn’t then I’m speechless. As humans, we despise stress, and one thing that would’ve stressed humans who lived before Bluetooth was created was wires. Living in a time where you can pair two devices without a bunch of wires is my definition of comfort. Speakers, earphones, bulbs and cars just to name a few have adapted BlueTooth to regular household appliances simply by pairing.
Nintendo 64
Consoles The Nintendo 64 came to market in Play Station 5 1996 to compete console with systems such as the Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn. Most people still fondly remember the N64, mainly for the great games it included such as Super Mario 64, GoldenEye 007, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Although it doesn’t exist anymore its competition however, the Sony PlayStation, has improved in leaps and bounds. The company is already on its fifth console and it shows no sign of stopping.
Old Apple Computer
Apple iMac PC
Computers Would you believe it if I told you that at a time there were just 250 computers worldwide? Now there are over 5 million computers in homes throughout the world. Computers in the olden days couldn’t contain a normal-sized room now thousands of laptops can fit into a room- no problem. As years went by, computers got smaller and more people were able to get their hands on a personal computer. Now that I think about it, no wonder Bruce Wayne’s supercomputer was so huge he probably was one of the 250 computer owners.