es:
Kelechi Amadi Obi
K
n award winning r and wedding e designer. He hearts of ladies
Ade Bakare
A
de Bakare was born in England. He began working at the fashion houses of Victor Edelstein and Christian Stambolian, purveyors of style in British fashion in the 80's and 90's. In 1991 Ade Bakare couture was established and he started selling his collections to London boutiques in Hampstead, Bond street and Knightsbridge amongst other parts of England and Scotland. His collections are made of classic dresses with a touch of modernity using dress fabrics such as wool, gazar silks, laces and crepes. He has won quite a few awards in the UK and Nigeria and he is constantly invited to show his exquisite collections all over the world. In 2007 he established The Yo u n g D e s i g n e r s c r e a t i v e competition to encourage new talent in Nigeria, a contest held annually and has also opened a boutique in Nigeria.
elechi Amadi Obi is truly one of the giants of fashion photography in Africa. He recently co-founded the fashion and style guide Mania magazine which boasts rich and powerful fashion images beautifully captured and translated into a awesome graphics. Kelechi is unarguably the titan of fashion photography in Nigeria being one of the first, most skilled and consistent fashion photographers of his time. His images resemble still life drawings, natural but still get you to feel the character. He started taking pictures from childhood and has always been fascinated with visuals. Today, there is virtually no magazine, designer or creative director who hasn't worked with Kelechi which is a testament to how accomplished his portfolio is and his level of skill at what he come to be known for.
Eunice Dawodu
F
ounder of Ginani Gold, a fashion and training institute that conducts research and studies the various methods of pattern making and design. The intent being to develop a simplified system for use in local garment production that combines ease, speed and accuracy in order to be suitable for use in small businesses producing custom made garments, reducing the number of garment fittings required during production thereby reducing production time and costs. This research has generated an efficient patternmaking and design system as well as a sizing system which is currently in use by students of the fashion training institute and making Eunice indispensable to many of the existing fashion designers today. Ginani was formed in 1990 and till date Eunice has worked with brands like Vlisco for over three years training their agents all around Nigeria. Her expertise has also been invaluable to projects like MTN LDFW and AMFW. She has trained over a 700 designers to her credit and maintains a strong work ethic that many have benefitted from.
Uche Nnaji
Lanre Ogunlesi S
ofisticat was started in the late 70s by the four Ogunlesi brothers when the Federal Military Government imposed a ban on the importation of readymade garments. Their tailoring service and fashion items were therefore an alternative for Nigerian men, a selected clientele who were used to only importing their clothes. Sophisticat has weathered the storm of fashion and designing in Nigeria making them one of the strongest men's fashion houses in Nigeria today inspiring many young designers who wished specialize the craft of designing traditional attire.. Though they have diversified into the production of cosmetics and toiletries they will still be known for their dedication to quality and unwavering attention to detail when it comes to men's native attire.
S
tyle entrepreneur and creative director of Ouch couture is the young man known as Uche Nnaji. His is a totally Nigerian brand with an unwavering passion for our local platforms. Ouch, whom many may view as a newcomer opened the doors of his first boutique in 2006 at Mende, Maryland and since then spread his tentacles and excelled. He set the pace for many young Nigerian guys who were looking to start up their own labels and understand as well as apply the rudiments of merchandising and marketing to their businesses in order to see positive results. Today his OUCHlets as the outlets are called are scattered round the country and his goods are now far more diversified than just suits. He won several awards in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and has been called upon severally to various universities to deliver motivational speeches as well as educate young people on how to make a successful business out of their passion especially of the fashion related kind.
JULY 1,, 2012 ALLURE
9