Allure Vanguard 24042016

April 24, 2016

g n i d d e W e Th Issue

The Aso-ebi CULTURE

MAI ATAFO

- Choosing The Ultimate Dress

24/04 Contents

4

15

e m a i l : a l l u r e fo r t h e wo rl d @ v a n g u a r d n g r. c o m

FASHION 4

Know Your Diamond Shapes

6

The Aso-Ebi Culture

PEOPLE 15

• Chivas Celebrates Steve Babaeko • Style House Files Presents The Fashion Business Series

Editor’s Note

8

COVER STORY Mai Atafo

Quotes...

“No man succeeds without a good woman behind him. Wife or mother, if it is both, he is twice blessed indeed”.

- Godfrey Winn

“Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart”.

- Washington Irving

Apart from the groom, the most important concern for a bride is her wedding gown. Every bride knows that the gown is the first tell-all of a successful wedding. And so, the back and forth; the frenzy to ensure that the perfect dress is often well worth the trouble. When D-day dawns and the bride floats down on the arms of her father to the waiting embrace of her knight, that wedding is made!

Our cover, today, features Mai Atafo, the leading bridal designer in Nigeria. His arterlier is reputed to have made many a bride very happy on their big day.

He spoke to Yemisi Suleiman on how to make the choice after The Choice. Flip to pp. 8-9.

The ‘aso-ebi’ culture is now a part of our party life. But it didn’t used to be so. I do not recall, growing up, that you had a mono-dress culture at parties. At the most, couples wore same outfit and that was them branding their unity.

So, at what point did ‘aso-ebi’ become a tradition? Jemi Ekukunbor writes on the “Culture of ‘Aso-ebi’”. See pp.

6-7.

It’s our wedding issue for the month of April. Inside, you will find our carefully thought out stories for the bride-tobe. Plus, our reports on Bailey’s Mother’s Day event, Endometrisis Dinner and the Business Fashion Series put together by Style House File.

Enjoy!

And, do have a great week!

CHIBOK GIRLS: 500 days and counting.

R.

Remmy Diagbare @ Vanguardallure1

“The sweetest of all sounds is that of the voice of the woman we love”.

- Jean de la Bruyere COVER PHOTO: EMMANUEL OYELEKE

TEAM JEMI EKUNKUNBOR

lookposh@yahoo.co.uk

PAMELA ECHEMUNOR

pamela.echemunor @gmail.com

YEMISI SULEIMAN

suleimanyemisi@gmail.com

FATIMA GARBA

fatigarba36@yahoo.com

EDITOR REMMY DIAGBARE DEPUTY EDITOR JEMI EKUNKUNBOR ASST. EDITOR YEMISI SULEIMAN STYLE REPORTER PAMELA ECHEMUNOR CONTRIBUTORS PRINCESS KATE EMIKO BAMIYO ISELEMA EMINA JEROME CODJO-YAOVI ONIPEDE

CONT. EDITOR LATASHA NGWUBE COPY EDITOR DODOIYI WILLIAM-WEST CORRESPONDENTS FATIMA GARBA DAVINA AYODELE LAYOUT / DESIGN GREGORY OBI OLAYIWOLA AJAGBE PHOTO OSCAR OCHIOGU (08034746487)

Printed and published by Vanguard Media Ltd Vanguard Avenue Kirikiri Canal; P.M.B 1007 Apapa, Lagos.

For advertisement / enquiries, call DEBBIE: 08039675880, Office Auxiliary: EBERE OKOH

FAS H I O N

Kim Kardashian wearing diamond ring

The Radiant Cut

Nini wearing diamond ring

Know Your Diamond Shapes There are several shapes diamonds are cut into but about ten of them are exceedingly popular. Ronke Nedd, celebrity jeweler & founder ringsandbands.ng, talks us through the top 7 most popular engagement ring shapes as well as their pros and cons.

The Princess Cut

If you are looking for a traditional look with a bit of an edge, the Princess cut diamond it is. It’s four pointed corners ensure that face up, this diamond looks much bigger than other cuts of the same carat weight. It’s an excellent choice for the bride who has a traditional taste with a little bit of an edge.

4

/ April 24, 2016

The Heart Shape

This is the hopeless romantic’s stone. Shaped like a heart, it goes without saying that the heart shape diamond is an attention grabber.

Pear Shape (also known as the teardrop)

The Cushion Cut

This cut is pure elegance. Sometimes referred to as the pillow or modified brilliant, because the edges are rounded just like a pillow with slightly curved sides. With the cushion, you do not have the luxury of a bigger look when you compare it to a round brilliant cut diamond however, this is a much sort after cut as well and it is here to stay.

This emerald cut diamond but this time with facets on it so it has extra sparkle. All the sparkle that an emerald cut may not deliver on. If she likes the classic and timeless look of the emerald cut but with a whole lot of sparkle, consider the radiant cut diamond.

The Round Brilliant Diamond

This is by far the most common shape you will ever come across. It also sparkles way more than any other cut as it has 57/58 facets on it.

(Pro-tip: Facets are the little table like cuts you see on a diamond). If you want a ‘bigger’ look, a round brilliant cut is a must! Brides who favor this cut are traditional at heart.

This cut has an incredible ability to look bigger than diamond cuts of equal carat weight. If she has big and not so long fingers however, you may want to pass on a round brilliant cut diamond.

This diamond shape is like a hybrid of the Marquise cut and the Oval. If you want to stand out, this is the cut for you. (Pro-Tip: The pear shape diamond has the ability to give a slimmer and longer look to the fingers of the bride so if her fingers are not too long, you want to buy a pear shape diamond to create that illusion).

The Emerald Cut

This cut smirks of the Victorian era yet has the ability to pull off a modern and super elegant look. The Emerald cut diamond is cut in steps so it allows you to see the inside of the diamond clearly which means it’s more susceptible to revealing flaws in a diamond. With this cut, you want to make sure you are buying a minimum of VS 2 Clarity.

THE WEDDING

MENU

By Pamela Echemunor

1

How many people are coming?

Planning a wedding is one of the most difficult jobs one can do, because every detail concerning the wedding must be spot on, and when planning a wedding, no matter the size or taste of a clients guest list, one of the most important factors that require extra attention is what’s on the menu. The menu can consist of anything from the main course meal, to dessert, finger foods and cocktails. There are various factors to consider when planning a menu for a wedding. Here are a few things you need to consider and a few ideas to help you avoid any sticky situations.

This is another tricky choice; many people don’t serve alcohol at their weddings to avoid the risk of guests gobbling down all the free alcohol and then winding up driving home drunk. The only way to curtail this, is to have a minimal amount of alcohol on every table. So that the amount of drunken people will be at a minimal level. Furthermore, the three best kinds of drinks to serve at weddings are mock tails, cocktails and champagne.

First and foremost, you need to ascertain how long your guest list is, so as to plan the menu and what it will contain. This will also reduce the risk of excessive cooking or excessive food wastage.

What’s your budget?

The menu is usually one of the most expensive aspects of a wedding, because you never know what to expect from guests. One can’t take a wild guess and assume everybody eats everything, so its best to portion out a substantial amount in order to get a wide variety.

2

Alcohol or not?

5

Allergies anyone?

Food allergies are one of the risky things that cause problems at weddings, its either someone is chocking on nuts or shrimps. The solution is simple, when sending out the invites and R.S.V.Ps, if you already have a cook lined up, then he should be able to draw up a range of foods and some of the condiments, attach this and have guests send back R.S.V.Ps of any likely allergies they might have.

What kind of food are you serving?

Typically, continental dishes dominate on wedding menus, but if your guest list is a more cultural or home bred group of people, the best thing to do, is switch it up a bit. By adding the more native delicacies, depending on the tribe. They will love you more for it.

4

Do you want a buffet style menu or plate service?

6

Most people feel more comfortable with using the buffet service because it reduces the need for man power. At the same time, a lot of foods tend to get wasted this way. Plate service allows for servers to adequately apportion food to guests and then if there are any leftovers, it will be fresh and can easily be preserved for another day.

April 24, 2016 /

5

FAS H I O N

FASH IO N Lagos and attended a wedding with her cousin with whom she was staying. The bride was her cousin’s colleague at work and all friends of the bride had taken aso ebi. At the reception, two tables were reserved for members of staff of that cousin’s establishment. Angela said she had the misfortune of being the only one on that table who was not wearing the coral lace aso ebi.

“Everything looked nice until it was time for gift sharing. Almost everything nice you can imagine was shared at that wedding from pressing iron, to bread toaster to power bank, to cute jewellery boxes and fine towels. Each time they got to where I was, the person will skip past me and just say ‘only for those wearing aso ebi’. I have never felt that bad in my entire life. It was one of my cousins colleague on that table who made some gift items to share that eventually took pity on me and put me out of my misery by giving me one of her gifts. And guess what it was, an handkerchief!”

Beside preferential treatment, with aso ebi, you can be sure to get a good space to sit when you get to the reception.

funmi iyanda

Taiwo Oniru

Yvonne Vizen Ekwere

Rita Dominic

Osas Ajibade

E R U T L U C I B E O S A THE lz o o T r fo ll a i b -e o s a ral

Gbemi Olateru

Tunde (surname witheld) was not so lucky. The reception for his influential landlord’s son, was done under tight security. Unfortunately for him, by the time he arrived at the reception, the hall was already full to capacity and the bouncers wouldn’t let him in. While he tried to explain to the security men, others in aso ebi were allowed to enter freely. The uniform which he smartly avoided buying would have been the only means of authenticating his association with the groom.

“It was so embarrassing. I practically had to beg the stern looking security men to be allowed in. I had to do that because I didn’t know what excuse I would give to my Landlord for not attending his son’s wedding”.

Like Tunde, there are still people who will not touch aso ebi not even if they are given for free.

While aso ebi sometimes unite a group of people with their friends or family celebrating, the unusual price hike remains a great put off. A simple ankara of N1, 500 could be sold for N3,000 once it is taken for the purpose of Aso ebi. Temmy, an

ankara print distributor in Lagos says laments that the reason why the price is sometimes unusually high is becase the celebrant wants to make more profit than even the seller. According to her, “they buy from me for example at N3,700 and sell to friends at N5,000 thereby making more profit than me”.

But this is just the beginning. With the type of fabric and class, the price gets even more ridiculous. People in an attempt at wanting to be like the Jones’ have had to cough out so much money to buy a cloth that they will wear for just a few hours. In some situations like this, family members are put under pressure to buy now and pay later a situation that leads the buyer into indebtedness and all to avoid being starved because at some of these functions, you can almost tell for sure that no aso ebi no food.

For designer, Lanre Da silva, the culture of aso ebi is something she hopes would be left behind soon.

According to her, “people are getting fed up of Aso ebi. Yes, you still have weddings where you’d like to see your family and friends wearing the same thing but when you walk into a hall and half of the people are wearing one thing another half another, I think that is too much. I am hoping for a change”.

Will this ever be possible again? In the market today, you have fabric sellers who specialise in ordering unique fabrics just for this purpose and for exclusivity. To be or not to be, the debate can go on forever.

But if the truth must be told, the reality on ground remains that the glamour aso ebi brings to a ceremony cannot be ignored. Also, to grace an occasion only to be ignored like a plague and not given gifts hurts more than you can imagine. If the price is moderate and you can afford it, support one of your own. Affordability is very key here.

People should not be exploited. It will only spoil the fun.

For those in the South West from which the culture originated, especially the party- loving Lagos crowd, as far as this culture is concerned, the beat goes on.

o c in t u o p te s s e ti li a n Radio & TV perso

By Jemi Ekunkunbor

T

hey come in all kinds of diverse fabrics; ankara, French lace, George wrapper and recently, velvet or the Igbo traditional cloth, akwaoche! Sometimes, it could be the headgear, aso oke, scarves (gele) fascinators or even hats.

They are called aso ebi!

The concept of Aso ebi originated from the Yorubas of South West Nigeria. Aso ebi simply and literarily translated means (cloth of the family).

It refers to uniform, a common cloth worn by members of a family during special occasions such as wedding, burial or naming ceremonies.

In the early, days, the inexpensive ankara was the common fabric used for Aso ebi. For one, it is cheap and a lot of people could easily afford to pay for it. This way, family members show solidarity and support for a bride or groom by

6

/ April 24, 2016

buying and adorning the said uniform made into various styles.

Over the years, this socio-cultural concept has spread to other parts of the country. Fully embraced, there is hardly a ceremony that does not require one buying one fabric or the other.

With development and sophistication and the quest to stand out, aso ebi is no longer restricted to the simple prints, Nigerians have since grown in taste and sophistication. Celebrants now go for more classy fabrics and matching head pieces.

By their aso ebi, you can tell a person’s class and social status. Aso ebi in some instances are sold for stupendously high amount. Therefore, by their aso ebi you shall know them. In the South West, it is usually lace done into skirt and blouse or the classic Buba and iro and matching aso oke or

gele. In the south South, it is usually the George wrapper and lace blouse with gele and ankara skirt and blouse for the younger generation. In the south East, the traditional akwa-oche holds sway for the men while the women subscribe to George wrapper and lace.

Nigerians have also exported the aso ebi culture to other countries where they live. A London based Nigerian who wouldn’t want her name in print says, “the situation is even worse abroad. Those who belong to one village meeting or the other, spend a lot of money acquiring new wrappers for their various associations. We pay as much as £200 or more to buy aso ebi just to belong and to show to others that you are doing well. I buy when I can afford it but I don’t like being under any pressure to do so”. She added.

Beside the financial burden it brings on people, aso ebi adds colour and glamour to any event. An otherwise, simple event could be elevated to one of glamour, beauty and radiance when a group of people choose to wear same fabric and accessorize their outfit well. The varieties of styles that emanate from one fabric add an interesting mix to the whole ceremony.

For those who wish this culture could fade away, they may have to have a rethink.

There are those who have come to attach so much importance to this tradition because they believe that adorning aso ebi gives them the ticket to gain preferential treatment during the event.

aso-ebi Groomsmen

Angela Okonkwo 28, was on holiday in April 24, 2016 /

7

FAS H I O N

FASH IO N Lagos and attended a wedding with her cousin with whom she was staying. The bride was her cousin’s colleague at work and all friends of the bride had taken aso ebi. At the reception, two tables were reserved for members of staff of that cousin’s establishment. Angela said she had the misfortune of being the only one on that table who was not wearing the coral lace aso ebi.

“Everything looked nice until it was time for gift sharing. Almost everything nice you can imagine was shared at that wedding from pressing iron, to bread toaster to power bank, to cute jewellery boxes and fine towels. Each time they got to where I was, the person will skip past me and just say ‘only for those wearing aso ebi’. I have never felt that bad in my entire life. It was one of my cousins colleague on that table who made some gift items to share that eventually took pity on me and put me out of my misery by giving me one of her gifts. And guess what it was, an handkerchief!”

Beside preferential treatment, with aso ebi, you can be sure to get a good space to sit when you get to the reception.

funmi iyanda

Taiwo Oniru

Yvonne Vizen Ekwere

Rita Dominic

Osas Ajibade

E R U T L U C I B E O S A THE lz o o T r fo ll a i b -e o s a ral

Gbemi Olateru

Tunde (surname witheld) was not so lucky. The reception for his influential landlord’s son, was done under tight security. Unfortunately for him, by the time he arrived at the reception, the hall was already full to capacity and the bouncers wouldn’t let him in. While he tried to explain to the security men, others in aso ebi were allowed to enter freely. The uniform which he smartly avoided buying would have been the only means of authenticating his association with the groom.

“It was so embarrassing. I practically had to beg the stern looking security men to be allowed in. I had to do that because I didn’t know what excuse I would give to my Landlord for not attending his son’s wedding”.

Like Tunde, there are still people who will not touch aso ebi not even if they are given for free.

While aso ebi sometimes unite a group of people with their friends or family celebrating, the unusual price hike remains a great put off. A simple ankara of N1, 500 could be sold for N3,000 once it is taken for the purpose of Aso ebi. Temmy, an

ankara print distributor in Lagos says laments that the reason why the price is sometimes unusually high is becase the celebrant wants to make more profit than even the seller. According to her, “they buy from me for example at N3,700 and sell to friends at N5,000 thereby making more profit than me”.

But this is just the beginning. With the type of fabric and class, the price gets even more ridiculous. People in an attempt at wanting to be like the Jones’ have had to cough out so much money to buy a cloth that they will wear for just a few hours. In some situations like this, family members are put under pressure to buy now and pay later a situation that leads the buyer into indebtedness and all to avoid being starved because at some of these functions, you can almost tell for sure that no aso ebi no food.

For designer, Lanre Da silva, the culture of aso ebi is something she hopes would be left behind soon.

According to her, “people are getting fed up of Aso ebi. Yes, you still have weddings where you’d like to see your family and friends wearing the same thing but when you walk into a hall and half of the people are wearing one thing another half another, I think that is too much. I am hoping for a change”.

Will this ever be possible again? In the market today, you have fabric sellers who specialise in ordering unique fabrics just for this purpose and for exclusivity. To be or not to be, the debate can go on forever.

But if the truth must be told, the reality on ground remains that the glamour aso ebi brings to a ceremony cannot be ignored. Also, to grace an occasion only to be ignored like a plague and not given gifts hurts more than you can imagine. If the price is moderate and you can afford it, support one of your own. Affordability is very key here.

People should not be exploited. It will only spoil the fun.

For those in the South West from which the culture originated, especially the party- loving Lagos crowd, as far as this culture is concerned, the beat goes on.

o c in t u o p te s s e ti li a n Radio & TV perso

By Jemi Ekunkunbor

T

hey come in all kinds of diverse fabrics; ankara, French lace, George wrapper and recently, velvet or the Igbo traditional cloth, akwaoche! Sometimes, it could be the headgear, aso oke, scarves (gele) fascinators or even hats.

They are called aso ebi!

The concept of Aso ebi originated from the Yorubas of South West Nigeria. Aso ebi simply and literarily translated means (cloth of the family).

It refers to uniform, a common cloth worn by members of a family during special occasions such as wedding, burial or naming ceremonies.

In the early, days, the inexpensive ankara was the common fabric used for Aso ebi. For one, it is cheap and a lot of people could easily afford to pay for it. This way, family members show solidarity and support for a bride or groom by

6

/ April 24, 2016

buying and adorning the said uniform made into various styles.

Over the years, this socio-cultural concept has spread to other parts of the country. Fully embraced, there is hardly a ceremony that does not require one buying one fabric or the other.

With development and sophistication and the quest to stand out, aso ebi is no longer restricted to the simple prints, Nigerians have since grown in taste and sophistication. Celebrants now go for more classy fabrics and matching head pieces.

By their aso ebi, you can tell a person’s class and social status. Aso ebi in some instances are sold for stupendously high amount. Therefore, by their aso ebi you shall know them. In the South West, it is usually lace done into skirt and blouse or the classic Buba and iro and matching aso oke or

gele. In the south South, it is usually the George wrapper and lace blouse with gele and ankara skirt and blouse for the younger generation. In the south East, the traditional akwa-oche holds sway for the men while the women subscribe to George wrapper and lace.

Nigerians have also exported the aso ebi culture to other countries where they live. A London based Nigerian who wouldn’t want her name in print says, “the situation is even worse abroad. Those who belong to one village meeting or the other, spend a lot of money acquiring new wrappers for their various associations. We pay as much as £200 or more to buy aso ebi just to belong and to show to others that you are doing well. I buy when I can afford it but I don’t like being under any pressure to do so”. She added.

Beside the financial burden it brings on people, aso ebi adds colour and glamour to any event. An otherwise, simple event could be elevated to one of glamour, beauty and radiance when a group of people choose to wear same fabric and accessorize their outfit well. The varieties of styles that emanate from one fabric add an interesting mix to the whole ceremony.

For those who wish this culture could fade away, they may have to have a rethink.

There are those who have come to attach so much importance to this tradition because they believe that adorning aso ebi gives them the ticket to gain preferential treatment during the event.

aso-ebi Groomsmen

Angela Okonkwo 28, was on holiday in April 24, 2016 /

7

REPORTAGE

REPORTAGE

Mai Atafo

- ChoosingThe Ultimate Dress By - Yemisi Suleiman

W

hile you may have envisioned your dream wedding dress, as far back as, when you were a teenager, when it comes to making the special gown, how do you pick the right wedding dress that fit and flatter your body type? We consulted one of Nigeria’s leading designers, Mai Atafo , who is Aer, who has a passion for making women look and feel fabulous, served up expert tips on finding the ultimate dress, as well as, his experience over the years working for brides.

When a would-be bride comes to you for a wedding dress but she doesn’t have anything in mind, what are the things you look out for?

The first thing I take into consideration is her body type. I look at what she thinks she wants to wear or would wear, or what she wouldn’t like to wear. l try to see if what she has In mind fits her body type. If it doesn’t, I try to make her understand and pick something for her that will fit her body type. I also make her understand why what she wants is not possible or, why it’s perfect; and why she shouldn’t look at some other person’s body type to choose a design. Whatever she picks it should be chosen with her own body type in mind.

What if she insists on a particular style?

You have to make her understand that if she wants this dress, it may not look good on her, but if she insists, I might be forced to make it for her. If at the end it doesn’t look good, then she understands that she insisted on it.’ Not everyone can be Beyonce . You cannot bring Beyonce’s picture and say you want something like that. Some people are in denial ,and some people do not even know any better. That is why consultation is more important than making the dress itself, because if you get the consultation wrong, you make the wrong dress. If you get it right, you make the right dress.

How long should a bride wait before picking out a dress?

I think once you choose a wedding date,

8

/ April 24, 2016

the next thing is to pick out the dress. It is very important so that you have enough time to make any sort of adjustments that may arise.

If it has handwork, or hand beading, there will be enough time to do it. Again, the more time you have, the cheaper the dress can be.

What are the challenges associated with working for brides?

I think the greatest challenge is, a lot of brides are not realistic about what they want.

Many of them want certain things that their body won’t fit into or they want a certain kind of dress that they do not have the budget for .

Those are basically the challenges in the job.

What is the trend for bridal dresses now?

I don’t think anything has changed so much. What people are doing is what they have been doing. More and more mermaid gowns, Nigerian brides love mermaid gowns a lot. What happens now is that they play more with the kind of lace they use. Some People now do properly made hand appliqué on their dresses, which is now becoming a huge trend.

The fabrics are becoming more and more interesting.

What fabrics work better for bridal dresses?

The fabrics used are all the right ones. I think the most important thing is to get the right fabric for a particular style. You should know what fabric works for what style, and once you are able to achieve that, then there is no problem. However, if one fabric doesn’t work

for a particular style, it can work for another. It doesn’t mean one is better than the other. It could be richer than the other, with the lace or hand beading. But people are different; some do not want hand beading, but a plain wedding dress. So I don’t think one is preferred to the other.

How many times should a would-be bride go for fittings before the final dress is done?

For as many times as she wants. For instance, if she wants to come for fitting ten times, I will be happy to do it; so that we can get it right.

But, I will do a minimum of two fittings; to me that is just ideal. When you make the first fitting, usually, the dress is not quite done yet, but by the second fitting the dress is about 80% done. However, if I have the chance, I want to do it when it is a hundred percent done. After that we can try it on again with her accessories. If she wants to wear a corset underneath, we can see it to see how it looks.

She should even wear with her shoes as well, to see how comfortable it is. I could even decide which angles you should take pictures from. What to do and not do with the dress.

How has it been over the years working with brides?

It has been great; every bride has her own special requirements. When bride’s come in with what they have in mind for their big day, it’s always quite interesting interacting with them. It feels very good to be a part of it.

April 24, 2016 /

9

REPORTAGE

REPORTAGE

Mai Atafo

- ChoosingThe Ultimate Dress By - Yemisi Suleiman

W

hile you may have envisioned your dream wedding dress, as far back as, when you were a teenager, when it comes to making the special gown, how do you pick the right wedding dress that fit and flatter your body type? We consulted one of Nigeria’s leading designers, Mai Atafo , who is Aer, who has a passion for making women look and feel fabulous, served up expert tips on finding the ultimate dress, as well as, his experience over the years working for brides.

When a would-be bride comes to you for a wedding dress but she doesn’t have anything in mind, what are the things you look out for?

The first thing I take into consideration is her body type. I look at what she thinks she wants to wear or would wear, or what she wouldn’t like to wear. l try to see if what she has In mind fits her body type. If it doesn’t, I try to make her understand and pick something for her that will fit her body type. I also make her understand why what she wants is not possible or, why it’s perfect; and why she shouldn’t look at some other person’s body type to choose a design. Whatever she picks it should be chosen with her own body type in mind.

What if she insists on a particular style?

You have to make her understand that if she wants this dress, it may not look good on her, but if she insists, I might be forced to make it for her. If at the end it doesn’t look good, then she understands that she insisted on it.’ Not everyone can be Beyonce . You cannot bring Beyonce’s picture and say you want something like that. Some people are in denial ,and some people do not even know any better. That is why consultation is more important than making the dress itself, because if you get the consultation wrong, you make the wrong dress. If you get it right, you make the right dress.

How long should a bride wait before picking out a dress?

I think once you choose a wedding date,

8

/ April 24, 2016

the next thing is to pick out the dress. It is very important so that you have enough time to make any sort of adjustments that may arise.

If it has handwork, or hand beading, there will be enough time to do it. Again, the more time you have, the cheaper the dress can be.

What are the challenges associated with working for brides?

I think the greatest challenge is, a lot of brides are not realistic about what they want.

Many of them want certain things that their body won’t fit into or they want a certain kind of dress that they do not have the budget for .

Those are basically the challenges in the job.

What is the trend for bridal dresses now?

I don’t think anything has changed so much. What people are doing is what they have been doing. More and more mermaid gowns, Nigerian brides love mermaid gowns a lot. What happens now is that they play more with the kind of lace they use. Some People now do properly made hand appliqué on their dresses, which is now becoming a huge trend.

The fabrics are becoming more and more interesting.

What fabrics work better for bridal dresses?

The fabrics used are all the right ones. I think the most important thing is to get the right fabric for a particular style. You should know what fabric works for what style, and once you are able to achieve that, then there is no problem. However, if one fabric doesn’t work

for a particular style, it can work for another. It doesn’t mean one is better than the other. It could be richer than the other, with the lace or hand beading. But people are different; some do not want hand beading, but a plain wedding dress. So I don’t think one is preferred to the other.

How many times should a would-be bride go for fittings before the final dress is done?

For as many times as she wants. For instance, if she wants to come for fitting ten times, I will be happy to do it; so that we can get it right.

But, I will do a minimum of two fittings; to me that is just ideal. When you make the first fitting, usually, the dress is not quite done yet, but by the second fitting the dress is about 80% done. However, if I have the chance, I want to do it when it is a hundred percent done. After that we can try it on again with her accessories. If she wants to wear a corset underneath, we can see it to see how it looks.

She should even wear with her shoes as well, to see how comfortable it is. I could even decide which angles you should take pictures from. What to do and not do with the dress.

How has it been over the years working with brides?

It has been great; every bride has her own special requirements. When bride’s come in with what they have in mind for their big day, it’s always quite interesting interacting with them. It feels very good to be a part of it.

April 24, 2016 /

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WITH

TAYO AFOLABI By - Pamela Echemunor

T

ayo Afolabi is CEO of World PR Media and founder of Luxury Beauty Brunch. With the fast rising appeal for beauty products in the market, she believes the beauty sub-sector deserves more attention and can be the next big thing in the business sector. To achieve this, however, younger people need to be empowered to promote and grow the beauty sub-sector. It is this realisation that led Tayo Afolabi to come up with the “Luxury Beauty Brunch” concept. In this interview, she sheds light on the importance of the beauty industry and plans for her brand.

WITH

Can you tell us the concept behind Luxury Beauty Brunch and why you decided on that path?

Well, the beauty division of my company developed a report on the beauty sub-sector about a year and a half ago. In that report was the rise of the beauty industry through continued growth of social media etc. The sub-sector is reported to be worth over 300 billion dollars a year and we thought what better way to showcase continued growth by developing a project that will “profile the trends and stakeholders in the beauty industry” through “Luxury Beauty Brunch”.

How often do you have the brunches because the industry’s trends keep growing at an alarming rate?

We are aiming for, at least, two brunches in a year for now. Since we launched in December 2014, we have (had) three brunches and are preparing for the fourth one. We are fully aware that the industry keeps rotating and growing and we have devised strategies to keep up with it. We also have a documentary and a magazine in the pipeline called “The Beauty Reports”. These versions of the concept will focus on making sure that whatever is missed in the brunch gets picked up in the documentary or read in the magazine.

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/ April 24, 2016

How do you decide what trends to profile?

We watch the social media.

We watch the red carpets and we watch track records of celebrities to see what people are talking about the most or what people need more information on. For example, our past brunches have been about hair and skin trends, stakeholders’ lifestyle choices and how they affect the modern woman etc.

The next brunch is about the “world of fragrance”.

This is a sub-sector people actually lack information about, especially in Nigeria. During our research and preparing for this brunch, we were only able to profile one “nose” in Lagos (and we still want to know if there are more of them and where they are).

Now, for the records, a “nose” is someone who determines what aromatic ingredients will be used in perfume composition. This shows you that there is a gap in the market in Nigeria. Am I saying that there is nobody mixing scents together? No. But I’m saying that there are far too few “real expertise” and “real information” in that sub-sector of the beauty industry; hence our decision to shed more light on it.

Tell us more about the next brunch.

Well, the next brunch (will hold on) 30th April at Oriki Spa with Cointreau as our official beverage partner and Casper & Gambini as our official hospitality partner. Whilst guests are dining over our delicious brunch provided by our hospitality partner, they will be listening to specialist speakers like Tope Omai, perfumer at Mystique Perfumer, - who will take us through “The Art of Perfume Making”. Other stakeholders in the perfumery business like Fatima Obanikoro of the Mahnoush Beauty Place and the

Afolabi sisters of Supreme Bouquet range will also be speaking on their brands and their journeys in this wonderful world of perfumes and fragrances.

We have included a “nonescents” category to this brunch and that segment will be covered by Stephanie Uche-Kalu of Stephanie Nicholas Wellness Products; (she will speak on) why their range of products are “fragrance-free” and (related) benefits.

We always aim to end the brunch with the business of looking good and for that segment, we have partnered with Zaron Cosmetics as the official cosmetics brand of the day for #thezaronexperience.

During this segment of the brunch, a session of “ontrend tips and goodies” is on the agenda. With other partners such as GalaRosa Wines, Aweni Organics, Pure Cosmetics and Aweni Organics, our “World of Fragrances” theme is set to uphold its pledge to be ‘fabulously fun’.

How do you plan to generate more awareness for the concept?

Allure Vanguard, Exquisite Magazine, Kamdora, Pulse NG, Tribe & Elan Magazine, Sotectonic, OmogeMura, 360Nobs, Style Vitae, Glam Squad Magazine and Mariam Adeyemi Blog have partnered with us to provide that much needed awareness for indigenous beauty industry stakeholders.

Those trends that keep customers informed will be continuously profiled on their platforms.

What would you say to beauty industry stakeholders out there?

I would say: your industry is booming globally and your stake should be profiled and made known to the world; with our platform, you have just that. We can brunch about any sub-sector of the beauty industry so partnering with any of our brunches will generate “proven awareness” for your brand.

do pattern cutting and costing as well source for raw materials within the continent.

But having worked with Luxury brands in New York and seen the commitment to quality, craft, heritage and pursuit of excellence and value accorded European brands, Ghanaian, Abrima Erwiah, says such value is not accorded African brands who do same hand craft products. Instead, they haggle over price. She called on designers to work with local techniques all through the value chain to ensure we meet international standards.

Speaker after speaker, stressed the need for designers to meet international standard if they must export. But as a participant queried, who decides what this standard should be?

Speaking on Retail& etail, MD David Wej stores, enjoined designers not to impose their designs on consumers but to allow customers tell you what they want. For Kachi Udeoji, Editor, Fashion Business Africa, designers and retailers of luxury goods should make luxury approachable and not stand offish.

Simone Cipriani, Abrima Erwiah, Patricia Ojora & Omoyemi Akerele

The Fashion Business Series: The Road To Manufacturing

In his contribution, MD, Pal Pensions, Mr. Dave Uduanu, pointed out that the fragmented nature of fashion today, a situation whereby people operate as sole designers and tailors makes it difficult to invest in it. As a way forward, he gave the following tips.

“The first thing is to get a business partner, look for angel investors who can help them structure the business, build partnerships and invest in the brand, achieve scale and increase turnover”.

By Jemi Ekunkunbor

N

igerian designers have through dint of hard work, and countless challenges risen to prominence with their works making inroad in trickles into international markets. Many of these designers run cottage businesses producing garments for a few individuals. Not many have been able to bring themselves to the point of manufacturing as seen with other designers in developed countries.

It was in order to address this notty issue that Style House Files organizers of Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week in collaboration with Pal Pensions and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), held a one day seminar themed: “The future of fashion: manufacturing”.

The event which took place last week in Lagos at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, brought together industry stake holders; private sector practitioners, textile companies, retailers and manufacturers, fashion retailers, luxury fashion brands, designers, and fashion entrepreneurs.

Founder and Creative Director, Style House Files, Omoyemi Akerele said, the fashion business series became imperative as young designers often besiege her with issues of manufacturing, access to funding, access to well skilled artisans, machinists and tailors, access to good quality infrastructure that can help take their businesses to the next level.

“We don’t have direct solutions to that. But when we put together a programme like this, you get to understand that it is not only the designers that are in the value chain. There are machinists, there are people who train others. So connecting everybody together in such a way to make the value chain a little bit more beneficial is where we are going. And we believe that today, within this room, they can find the answers that they seek”. She added that

fashion is not just about the glamour but about how to get investors to take designers serious.

In a keynote address Simone Cipriani, Chief Technical Adviser, Ethical Fashion Initiative, Geneva Switzerland, while examining the issues of manufacturing and exporting in Nigeria noted that Nigeria is operating below par due to lack of business plan, skilled labour, poor power supply, poor quality control and lack of managers to run the supply chain.

He pointed out that the natural position for Africa Fashion in the value chain is in the production of fabrics. He noted that Africa produces some of the best fabrics that are not even used by African Designers. He cited the case of Burkina Faso that produces “Danfani” some of the coolest fabrics for men and Mali that produces Bogolan”.

Mai Atafo Inspired

Ejiro Amos Tafiri

He said for Nigerians to export, they have to invest in quality control, and employ computer experts to

”

The first thing is to get a business partner, look for angel investors who can help them structure the business.

Lanre Dasilva Ajayi

Tiffany Amber

April 24, 2016 /

11

cross section of winners

BAILEYS CELEBRATES AMAZING WOMAN WINNERS

By Sammi Sikpojie

B

ailey’s, the top Irish cream liquor, held an event last Saturday at Arabesque Restaurant in Victoria Island to celebrate winners of their Mother’s Day campaign tagged, #ThatAmazingWoman.

The campaign was a social media competition, which was held from February 24th to March 6th across the popular social media platforms in conjunction with Waje; who was the personality of the campaign. The participants were required to post a picture of #ThatAmazingWoman in their lives, write a caption to describe her, tag @ BaileysNigeria and @OfficialWaje and share. The ten pictures with the most likes emerged winners , with a prize money of five hundred thousand Naira won by each winner to inject into the vision of #ThatAmazingWoman. The event was also to give the Amazing women a platform to share their stories.

The winners were EseogheneOdiete-Ehikhuemelo, Lot Deborah Oluwakemi, Alu Cynthia Chinwe, Ebiye Victor Imeobong, Ugwuabuchi JaneFrances Chinemerem, AderemiAdewale, SakakOladimejiOlaoluwa, OparaNgozi Judith, BadruOlaoluwa and Fela Adesola.

Mc of the event “Chigurl” opened the show with her usual jokes , before calling on the Brand Manager of Baileys Ufuoma Udjo to educate the guests on why #ThatAmazingWoman campaign was launched.

The Brand manager disclosed that they seized the Mother’s day opportunity to use it as a medium to appreciate mothers and women in the world ,who have been a source of help and inspiration to others. She also talked about Waje “We are inspired

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/ April 24, 2016

by Waje as a woman; her story, passion, work, journey and how it represents just another beautiful story of how, when women shine and how beautiful their world is; It resonates with us and every other woman out there. She is not just shinning she is helping others shine too.”

In an emotion laden voice, Waje said, the emphasis was not on the prize money but rather giving that recognition and honour to that woman who has been a lot to you: “Growing up in Edo State, I had big dreams and I knew what I wanted to do. I had big plans, but all of a sudden, everything changed. I unexpectedly got pregnant as a teenager and my entire world changed; it was as if the whole world was crumbling down on me.

Honestly, the disgrace and stigma was too huge to bear. But you know what?

My mum chose to stand by me. We dealt with the situation together and today I have been able to achieve my dreams, all thanks to #ThatAmazingWoman.

their lives and in some cases vice versa.

Most of the winners posted pictures of their mothers although the competition required to post a picture of any woman in your life that fits that role. However one of the winners Eseroghene posted a picture of her best friend Joy and someone else posted one of his aunty. The stories where inspiring.

A dance competition between the mothers took place and the winner instantly was rewarded with five thousand naira airtime.

The environment throughout the Celebration was a homely one of fun and games. Chi gurl the Mc, played a lot of games with the audience mostly related to motherhood and 90s television shows. Food was served , but the most important point was that the winners got to tell their stories about #ThatAmazingWoman in Ufuoma Udjo, brand manager of baileys

Sally Mbanefo

Pastor Itua Ighodalo

Eunice Efole

Adesola Falaye & Kike Odesanya

Millem

Unoaku Anyadike

Endometriosis Society Holds Gala Night

By Jemi Ekunkunbor

A

ctivities marking the 2016 Endometriosis awareness month by ESGN were brought to a close with a very high profile, sophisticated and well attended gala / fund raising dinner, which took place at the Civic Center in Victoria Island.

Among those present at the dinner were Mrs. Dolapa Osinbajo, wife of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representatives of the wives of the Governors of Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Kwara. Other notable guests were Dr. Ipaye and Dr. Jide Idris who both represented Ogun and Lagos State Governors, Director General NTDC, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, Chief Nike Osinowo, Tiwa Savage, Ice Prince, Current Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria, Unoaku Ayandike.

The gala night was an opportunity to draw the attention of the crème de la crème of our society to Endometriosis, a condition which affects millions of women the world over. Dr Abayomi Ajayi MD of Nordica Fertility Centre and Founder of ESGN, in his welcome address explained the condition and the effects it has on women who are unfortunate to be living with it. Chief Nike Osinowo, a global ambassador for Endometrisis and former Nigerian Beauty Queen, also shared her experience on living with the condition. Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo in her remarks, thanked Dr Abayomi and ESGN for the laudable work done in drawing public attention to Endometriosis and alleviating the challenges of those living with the condition.

Part of the activities slated for the night was the 13th Anniversary Celebration of Nordica Lagos. Damilola Atiba of Nordica Lagos, introduced this section and later handed over the proceedings to the Clinic Manager, Mrs. Tola Ajayi, who invited some dignitaries to join her in cutting the cake.

The dinner climaxed with the first ever Nordica Media Merit Award, an initiative aimed at improving the quality of fertility reportage in the media. Dr.Abayomi Ajayi, MD of Nordica gave a brief background on the awards and Mr Gbenga Adefaye, General Manager & Editor-In-Chief of Vanguard Newspapers, who also served as the Chairman of the Jury, explained the modalities for choosing the award recipients. The winners of the awards were: Appolonia Adeyemi (New Telegrapgh), print media category; Oluwatoyin Aboh (TVC), electronic media category and Onwumere Odimegwu ( A freelance), digital media category.

Tola Ajayi

Dr.Babatunde Ipaiye

Nike Osinowo Mrs.Oludolapo Osinbajo

April 24, 2016 /

13

FEATU R E

luxury

wines spirits

FOOD E

By Pamela Echemunor

With Pamela Echemunor

Potato Recipes for Wedding MOCKTAIL DELIGHT FOR WEDDING

Make your wedding a unique one by serving delicious healthy potato dishes.

Some couples do not like serving alcoholic beverages at their wedding reception. For some, it is for religious beliefs, while for others, it is to avoid over indulgence. In that case, mocktails come into play here. Mocktails are non alcoholic drinks made by mixing different fruit juices, iced tea or soft drinks. Mocktails are tasty and can be garnished with fruits, shrimp etc.

Here are a few wedding favourites.

Rosemary Smash Ingredients

• 7-8 blueberries • 1 Rosemary sprig, stripped • 1 ounce honey syrup • 1 ounce fresh lemon juice, strained • 4 ounces sparkling mineral water • Ice

Method

Gently muddle blueberries, Rosemary leaves, and honey syrup in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add lemon juice and shake, covered, with ice vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain through a mesh strainer into a tall glass of fresh ice. Top with sparkling water and stir to incorporate.

Lemongrass Iced Tea

Ingredients

• Muddle 4-5 pieces of cut lemon grass • 5 oz home-made Vanilla simple syrup • 5 oz lemon • 4 oz Jasmine Tea • 2 oz ice tea

Method

Make Jasmine tea and allow to cool, Strain into high ball then add Ice tea with cubed ice topped with crushed ice. Shake and pour in glass. Garnish with lemon grass.

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/ April 24, 2016

Spicy Watermelon Mint Agua Fresca Ingredients

• 2 cups cold water • 2 cups watermelon (rind removed), seeded and chopped • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar • Juice of 1/2 lime (no more than 1 tablespoon) • 1/4 cup mint leaves • 1/2 jalapeno, roughly chopped • Ice cubes or crushed ice

MASH AND SOUP Ingredients • 2 lbs. Irish potatoes • 16 oz. sour cream • 8 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese • 1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted • 1 c. onion • 3/4 c. butter • Barley Method: Peel potatoes, grease and place in foil paper. Bake potatoes and mash. Grate cheddar cheese and fold in potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Mix sour cream, onion and chicken soup together and add mashed potatoes. Garnish with barley.

Method

POTATO SALAD Ingredients • 6 Irish potatoes boiled & diced • 4 eggs boiled & diced • 2 cabbage, chopped • Salt & pepper to taste

Coco-Mint Cooler

Dressing: • 2 egg yolks • 3 tsp. mustard • 3 tsp. sugar

Combine all of the ingredients and squash until smooth. Pour mixture through a strainer into a pitcher, forcing through most of the pulp. Chill and serve.

Ingredients

• 4 cups of coconut water • 2 cucumbers sliced very thinly • 1/2 cup of lime juice • 1/4 cup of sugar (optional) • 1/4 cup of chopped mint leaves

Method

Combine coconut water, cucumbers, lime juice, sugar and mint leaves. Let it chill for 1-2 hours, serve as cooler mocktails.

Method: Combine coconut water, Mix potatoes, eggs, cabbage, salt and pepper well with 1 cup vinegar and cook until thick. (For Dressing) Mix all dressing ingredients together and combine with potato mixture. Serve cool with glass of wine.

Email: pamela.echemunor@gmail.com, Instagram: @nanya2207, Twitter @nanya2207.

PEO PL E

“ONE PARTY AT A TIME!”

:08034746487 | 08039675880

Style House Files presents The Fashion Business Series By - Oscar Ochiogu

Style House Files organizers of Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week in collaboration with Pal Pensions and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), held the Fashion Business Series themed: “The future of fashion: manufacturing”. It was a forum that brought authorities in fashion to hold conversations with other stakeholders, to network and explore methods to develop the business.

The event took place recently at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Mia Atafo, Kenneth, Noble Igwe and Rodney Emeka

Valerie Ike

Ndidi Odogwu

Sophie Momodu

Bisola Adeniyi

Bola Balogun

Adesuwa Adebuba

Ejiro Amos Tafiri

Lanre da-Silva

Lola Emeruwa & Isoken Ohiemwonnyi Taiwo

Mai Atafo, Steve Babaeko & Segun Obagbemi

Chivas celebrates Steve Babaeko By - Pamela Echemunor

Pics By - Oscar Ochiogu

Premium Luxury Whiskey Chivas Regal recently celebrated Steve Babaeko, innovative entrepreneur and CEO X3M Group. The Taste of Luxury event, celebrates individuals who have excelled in their various fields of endeavor and this time, they toasted to Steve Babaeko’s achievements as an entrepreneur and to his work in Youth empowerment in the entertainment industry.

The event which took place at Trivoli Gardens in Ikoyi, brought together big names in the entertainment industry; Genevieve Nnaji, Tee A, Bovi, Ebuka Obi Uchendu and Praiz etc. While giving a toast to Steve Babaeko, Tobi Fasuyi who is the brand ambassador for Chivas said “The Chivas brand is celebrating Steve because of his craftsmanship and innovation; he embodies the brand by nurturing young talents and thus deserves to be celebrated”.

The event was hosted by Illrymes, while musical performances were by Praiz and upcoming artists, Simi and Sammy.

Genevieve Nnaji

Tobi Fasuyi

IIIrymz & Samuel Odesanmi

Yetunde Babaeko

DJ Spinall

bovi

tee a

Biola & Mako Alabi

April 24, 2016 /

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