24 days into the year, and I’m writing my first heartfelt piece – finally unblocked. I’m making myself a mug of hot chocolate at 4 in the morning, as a tribute to the days gone by – a relic and maybe a reminder of she who waved goodbye. Some people are victims of pain, but I choose to benefit from it. ‘Cause when you see life from the other side of pain, your untidy kitchenette begins to outclass the Ballagio Penthouse suite as you make that nostalgic mug of hot chocolate. People can offer you forgiveness for
your transgressions but if it’s redemption you seek, you have to find that for yourself – make one like a cup of hot beverage, ’cause no one can make your redemption for you.

Somehow my voice is back, yelling with creative gusto. That it took this time to return goes to prove I’m human after all, and must have done something right by the gods this time. But this voice came with a price – it came riding on the wings of guilt, pain, and an ounce of regret. It charged in like a psychotic ex girlfriend, beating the rebound girlfriend blue-black and tossing her out – it came saying, “don’t worry baby, she wasn’t right for you, and now you’ve got me to care of you, and this time I promise never to walk away if only you promise never to call her again”. Am I happy she’s back? Hell, yeah. We’re like Bonnie and Clyde – me without her is like a classic Western without John Wayne – like a cowboy without spurs on his boots.

But that doesn’t indicate the absence of hurt as I wave goodbye to the rebound. ‘Cause inasmuch as I’m glad a distraction has been gutted out of my life like an inflamed appendix, I’m worried that I’m not hurting as humans are supposed to – I’m worried that the cycle is in motion – the pattern – break up with your heart, and reunite with your mind. It kinda hurts that the end of a human relationship for me usually marks the beginning of a whirlwind romance with my muse. It seems like my creativity is a psychotic, jealous, rage-filled lover who abhors my emotional dalliances with females of the human species. Sometimes it seems like she’s all I’ve got – and sometimes in the ominous boulevards of my thoughts, I think she’s the only one that gets me.

Lovers and maybe friends will often leave you, but a soul-mate will always find its way back to you. The word, whether written or performed has always been my soul-mate; possessive she may be, but she’s always there for me – she bears no grudges no matter how often I mistreat her; yet sometimes like a woman she flies into a rage at the slightest suspicion of unfaithfulness, but one thing she never does is leave me when I need a friend. She’s my comforter, confidant, and most of all, my therapist.

But if goodbye doesn’t hurt, why do I run to the couch of my trusted therapist as soon as the train leaves the station?

~James Amuta
Photocredit: Paranthesis

OBSIDIAN will hold a “flash” sale of its last collection titled DUX FEMINA FACTI as well as its updated version, shown at the MTN LAGOS FASHION & Design Week.

The Sale will be held on SATURDAY, THE 21ST AND SUNDAY, THE 22ND OF JANUARY AT THE L’ESPACE STORE IN VICTORIA ISLAND.

Mark your calendars and plan to attend!

If there is one story on LadybrilleNigeria.com that we get loads of questions and comments on, it is on Nigerian Idol. That coupled with the fact that we are talking weddings during wedding season in Nigeria, only makes perfect sense.

I had the privilege of attending Chichi Nwoko and Ike Udeokoro’s wedding. Even more specifically, I was one of nine (9) bridesmaids supporting Chichi as she tied the knot with Ike. I met Chichi in 1999 while I was working as a law clerk for a law firm in Washington DC. Being the “shopholic” that I was, I walked into the local mall in the DC/Maryland area and entered the Bebe Store to shop. Who greets me? A woman in a sky blue ribbed long sleeve turtle neck paired with blue denim and heels.  . . Her smile was huge and highly infectious. Already someone who laughs very easily, I couldn’t help but extend my equally big smile to respond and greet her. We ended up hitting it off and the icing on the cake? We found we were both Nigerians!

Chichi ended up selling me, a law student at the time, a rather expensive $300+ red leather jacket. Expensive when you are on a student budget. She was a good saleswoman and those skills she certainly has taken to Nigerian Idol in her role as Deputy Director of Sales.

In any event, over the years Chichi and I built a solid friendship. When she left the USA to help bring into fruition the Nigerian Idol show, I was proud of her. I was even prouder when I saw what her and her team at Optima Media Group did to turn Nigerian Idol to a highly coveted show.

So of course, On October 21st-22nd, 2011 it was indeed an honor to stand beside some really beautiful American, Spanish, Nigerian, Liberian, Ghanaian and Cameroonian women to witness our friend Chichi take her vows to love, cherish and be with Ike for a lifetime.

There were two weddings planned. On October 21st, 2011, the first wedding was a traditional wedding. It was held at Knights Of Columbus off Cherry Hill Road in College Park, Maryland. I had never been to a Nigerian traditional wedding, and certainly not a traditional wedding in the USA. It was so much fun. I learned a lot, as a non-igbo person, about the Igbo culture and traditional weddings in general. Some of the more customary aspects of the traditional wedding was short lived given time constraints; and the fact that it was not in Nigeria where a more comprehensive and strict adherence to rituals might have taken place.

My favorite part of the traditional wedding was when we the bridesmaids were invited to show up so the groom could identify whether his wife was among us. It was a lot of fun to see the elders question the groom. The groom had such sense of humor he made all of us laugh. Ultimately, the traditional marriage was finalized and it was dancing, great food and great times thereafter. The bridesmaids loved to dance. It was like Chichi put a dancing team together. We danced so much with our beautiful “Iyawo” and provided a preview of what was to come.

On October 22nd, 2011, the actual “White” wedding took place at The First and Franklin Street Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, Maryland. I have attended a handful of weddings and I can unequivocally say none felt as beautiful as Chichi’s. It wasn’t so much the tangible elements of the wedding i.e. the colors, food, music etc. Those things were perfect and on point. But, the beauty in her wedding were the intangible elements. The unspoken yet firm assurances that the people who showed up at her wedding were not there to forward their own agenda. They were there because they genuinely cared and wanted to celebrate Ike and Chichi’s union. For example, the bridal train included lawyers, science researcher, engineer, successful business women and women in top management. Yet, not one person turned “diva.” When things needed to be done, without hesitation, someone always  stepped up and said, “here I am. Let me do it?” It was so nice to witness that.The room was so full of love from all angles you could feel it. As one guest Harrison Nwozo of Tribe X Entertainment, organizers of Nigerian and African events in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area, put it, it was an “off the chain wedding.”

I am going too fast. Let’s back up to the church wedding ceremony which was simply inspiring. In a time where people barely show up to witness church weddings, a good size showed up to witness Chichi and Ike exchange vows. The sermon by the Pastor was beautiful and his message resonated with many in the audience drawing deep responses of “Amen.”

The reception on October 22nd, 2011 that wrapped up the wedding festivities maintained the same positive, fun, deeply caring and carefree spirit of the weekend. The reception was held at The Grand Ballroom, Grand Lodge of Maryland in Hunts Valley, Maryland. Opening the reception were the groomsmen and bridesmaid. The newlyweds danced their way into the reception room. Shortly after, there was a battle of the sexes dance off with all participants being goofy and dancing to D’Banj’s and Don Jazzy’s Oliver Twist. After that it was simply lots of festivities, food, dancing and lots of money spraying on the couple.

Oh! How I could I forget? The bride stole the show with her performance of “Who run the World” by Beyonce. Overall, it was great times at Nigerian Idol’s Chichi Nwoko’s wedding.

Enjoy the pictures and video clip. Thank you again for visiting us this year. We doubled our growth from last year. We will see you January 9th, 2012. Happy New Year !!

Uduak Oduok
Editorial Director
Ladybrille Nigeria

Ike & Chi Chi Wedding in Baltimore, MD from Christian Villatoro on Vimeo.

L-R: LadybrilleNigeria’s Uduak Oduok, Chisara Osisioma, Nana Danquaah-Osafo, Ashley Uwaje, Nkem Uwaje

Bridesmaids Chisara Osisioma and Bride Chichi Nwoko

L-R: Allison Franks, Nkem Waje, Chisara Osisioma, Lema Ricks, Chichi Nwoko, Uduak Oduok, Pauline Mendo, Nana Danquaah-Osafo, Sabrina Williams

[Show as slideshow]

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Photocredit: Chisara Osisioma, Kemistry and Akua Pipim

Photocredit: TCD Photography

On Thursday December 29, the biggest players in Nigerian music and entertainment industry will unite to throw the biggest ‘Thank you’ party of the year. This year, Flytime Productions teams up with TRACE Urban TV, 1Music and Silverbird entertainment to say a big ‘Thank you’ to the industry, artists, record labels, brand managers, advertisers, Nollywood and everyone that has been part of the entertainment industry this year.

“We’ve thrown the HUSH party in previous years but this year, we have come together with TRACE Urban TV, 1Music and Silverbird entertainment to make it bigger and better.” Cecil Hammond, CEO of Flytime Productions explained.

The party which is an invite only, complimentary drinks and all night affair is sponsored by Jameson Whiskey. However, a few lucky people can win tickets by visiting the HushNigeria2011 page on Facebook.

“This party is going to be hot!” promised Matthew Ohio of Industry Nights. “Coming together with TRACE and Flytime to take it to a higher level for the end of the year is fitting.” Carnaval Events has been the organizer of the popular weekly Industry Nights events for years. The event has had amazing shows with 2Face and many other popular artistes. Fast rising musician, Davido was the main act last week.

The 2011 Hush Party is proudly supported by Jameson Whiskey, Dealdey.com, Cintron Energy Drinks and Industry Nights.

“In the storied tradition of international fashion and lifestyle retail, LPM is curating a permanent multi-brand concept store tailored to the needs of the Nigerian public – filling a yawning chasm in the retail value chain for both the fashion entrepreneur and the buying public.

The co-branded store will be an addition to the monthly market in Lagos, and the LPM team plans to roll out the existing monthly market as well as concept stores in Abuja and Port Harcourt mid 2012.

Love, L’Espace from L'Espace By LPM on Vimeo.

The holiday season is finally here, and there’s so much excitement everywhere! It’s no different at the Le Petit Marche HQ, where we we’re working to bring you the awesome-est shopping event of the year, to ensure that you have the most fun as we look to shut down 2011.

This December, the LPM Grande Marche will be in an expanded layout, with more vendors offering greater variety, with something for EVERYONE! We’ve got over 40 vendors lined up, ranging from fabulous Nigerian designers, to jewelry and other accessories, bags and purses, beauty products, lingerie, shoes, urban wear, home accessories. Plus, there’s going to be lots of great music, wonderful people, food & drinks, all in the most laid back ambience. Take a look at some of the vendors we’ve got lined up this weekend!

Literati | Retrospective| Sole2Sole | Biddy’s Mondo | Lolavita | Bideux | Kuddy Cosmetics | Ours by Juliada | Duob Apparel| NS1463 | Scuup | Ro Jewelry | Cam Cam Sweeties | MariamMoussa |Y. Craig | Urbanknit | Lilux | Style Rebirth | Unmentionables | La Bennis | Virtue by FocusWear | Annie Everett | Mia’s Boutique | Beadazzle Accessories | Na’Tees | Venivicii | Hairven | Pot of Gold | Tare O| Ejiro Amos-Tafiri | BebeGrafiti | Alali Boutique | iAmIsigo | Treasure Box Bridals | Vanity Oils | House 38

So, if you’re looking to gift-shop for the holidays, stock up your wardrobe for all those Christmas parties, network, or just chill, come Friday the 23rd, the LPM Grande Marche is the place to be for the largest fashion & lifestyle party in Lagos! We’ve got something for everyone, so rush on down to the GET Arena, Victoria Island from 12pm. Admission to the market is FREE, so come prepared to shop shop shop!!!

LPM Grande Marche
Date: Friday, 23rd December 2011
Venue: GET Arena, Opposite Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos
Time: 12 Noon – 7pm
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LadybrilleNigeria.com is a media sponsor of LPM Grande Marche

In the fashion industry, designers produce ready-to-wear clothing intended to be worn without significant alteration, because clothing made to standard sizes fits most people. They use standard patterns, factory equipment, and faster construction techniques to keep costs low, compared to a custom-sewn version of the same item. The essence of ‘’Pre ta port ‘’ is to give leverage to Africa’s emerging designers to display their ready to wear collections to top fashion buyers.

“Ghini Auto Fair

Ghini Auto fair will be running concurrently with “PRE-TA-PORT” week. However the “Ghini Auto Fair” will feature the best brands in the Automobile Industry, with quality representation of their latest Models of cars.
Venue. The Lamboghini Event Centre Lekki
Date- 16th to 18th March 2012

The Modern Day School of the Arts (MDSA) – is a training institution that is set on advancing literacy in the community, promoting quality education and encouraging the creative performance of individuals. The goal is to grow into becoming Nigeria’s foremost institution for education of the arts.

Just recently approved by the Ministry of Education, the School is presenting its first event – For The Love of Arts (FTLOA), to the community. FTLOA is a one-day event that will feature some of the best in Nigerian Arts while creating awareness and promoting the Arts industry in Nigeria. The event will also position aspiring artists for careers in arts and design, and share with its audience the curriculum which includes but not limited to Fashion Design, Media, Interior Design/Architecture, Advertising/Graphic & Web Design, Film, Photography and music to name a few.

To findout more about the school/event please visit www.ForTheLoveOfArts.com

The day starts at 10AM to 4PM with a FREE Entry Exhibition by one of kind artists such as Mode Adenirokun, Agahome, Karo Akpokiere, Jude Anogwih, Wale Ariztos, TY Bello, Victor Ehikhamenor, GREY, Kimono Kollections to name a few.

It then rolls into the evening from 6PM, where you are invited for an Entertainment Night that will leave you wanting more. The evening will be filled with exciting performances and surprise appearances by our very talented and Modern Day Artists.

Please join us by supporting the Fundraiser Dinner (Limited Seating Available):

Venue: Civic Center, V.I. Lagos.

Day: Wednesday December 21st, 2011

Time: 6PM Prompt

Ticket Cost: N10,000.00

Tickets to the event can be purchased on www.hibuzz.com or www.naijaticketshop.com or call to RSVP on 0706 – 378 – 5013/0805 – 531 – 4428 and pickup ur tickets at the door!