“MTN, in conjunction with Style House, will launch the first ever MTN Lagos Fashion and Design Week (LFDW) on October 26th 2011 in Lagos, Nigeria. The 4-day event will see the Eko Hotel Expo Centre transformed into a hub for the brightest stars in Nigerian fashion and design, until October 29th 2011.

The MTN LFDW is a bold advance for the Nigerian fashion industry in its strive for global recognition. By providing a world-class platform for designers to showcase their work to their target audience, the MTN LFDW aims to promote the business of fashion in Nigeria and to nurture emerging talent.

The 4-day event will showcase the best in Nigeria fashion and design, with design exhibitions and installations running during the daytime, and runway shows in the evening. Designers like Jewel by Lisa, Odio Mimonet, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi, Ituen Basi, Exclamations Couture, Gozi, Maki Oh, Grey, Bridget Awosika, Kelechi Odu, Okunoren Twins, Anita Quansah, Sunny Rose, Nkwo and more, will show their New Season’s Collections at the MTN LFDW during the evening. The day-time segment of the MTN LFDW will feature a range of potential exhibitors like Kelechi Amadi Obi, Banke Kuku, Urban Living, Nike Art Gallery, Colours in Africa and more.

The MTN LFDW Awards, supported by Vlisco Real Dutch Wax, will also serve as the culmination of the MTN LFDW Awards 2011 for young fashion models and designers. At the MTN LFDW, the 12 finalists in each category of the Awards will be presented before a panel of judges, the press, and the fashion cognoscenti. The talented finalists were successfully gleaned from screenings in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja, and the declared winners of the MTN Young Model of The Year and the MTN Young Designer of The Year will each go home with a cash prize of N1, 000,000 and a brand new Hyundai Jeep, courtesy of MTN.

Encompassing these varied exciting components, the MTN LFDW is guaranteed to garner optimum attendance from fashion tastemakers and international press alike, as they seek to experience first hand Africa’s burgeoning fashion capital – Lagos, Nigeria.

The MTN LFDW is proud to welcome the support of leading global brands, BlackBerry, Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot.

Research In Motion, the company behind the BlackBerry® solution, will be supporting the MTN LFDW as the Technology sponsor. The company believes that MTN LFDW can play an invaluable role in encouraging and developing excellence in the African Fashion Industry. Many Africans are entering the world of digital communications, thanks to mobile connectivity. The BlackBerry solution has opened up new possibilities for consumers and small businesses by giving them access to instant messaging, mobile banking, email, media downloads and many other powerful applications to communicate fashion trends.

An exclusive MTN LFDW after party will be hosted by Blackberry in collaboration with Veuve Clicquot and restaurant du jour, Medici on October 29th 2011. Veuve Clicquot’s eponymous Yellow Label champagne is one of the world’s most beloved champagnes, and has been since the establishment of the champagne house in 1772.

Moet & Chandon will host a second official after-party with the event organisers on October 28th 2011, and will provide an exclusive champagne bar for the MTN LFDW. The champagne house is pleased to support the MTN LFDW, an event that will celebrate and highlight the glamour of the fashion industry in Nigeria. Moet & Chandon has been sharing magic and celebration with the world since its founding in 1743, and is today, an international symbol of celebration.

MTN LFDW is a Style House initiative title sponsored by MTN and co-sponsored by British Council, Virgin Atlantic, Blackberry, Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Medici, Vlisco, Beat FM, Porsche, Spice TV, House of Tara and Sleek Hair.

MTN LFDW Exhibition: Open 10am – 5pm daily

MTN LFDW Catwalk: Shows start – 5pm daily

For ticket enquiries, pls contact 08136975453, 080394190366″

The advantage that male models have over female models is that they all don’t necessarily have to be very tall, strong and attractive. In the West, male models must be at least 6ft 2in and above. It appears Nigeria is not necessarily as stringent. Depending on the type of modelling, the male model can range from tall and lanky to average height and muscular.

This means that the number of male models in the industry should be much higher. However, my search revealed only two names that we keep hearing about: Okey Okagbue and Ngo Okafor.

Okey Okagbue is a popular model based in Nigeria who has modelled for brands such as Milo, MTN, Vita foam, Orange Dugs, Airtel, Mr. Biggs, among others.

Ngo Okafor on the other hand is a male fitness model who has also made a name for himself and worked in television, music videos, commercial magazines such as Vogue, Vibe and Honey.

We believe opportunities abound for the Nigerian male models and are wondering where they all are. While the road to the top is not necessarily easy, it is possible.

-Priscilla Bamfo

Before I go on, let me define what a plus-size model is. Plus size models are also known as “full-figured models,” “extended-sizes model,” and “outsize model”.

A good working definition comes from Wikipedia which defines  a plus-size model as “a person who is engaged primarily in modeling plus-size clothing. Plus-size models also engage in work that is not strictly related to selling large-sized clothing e.g., stock photography and advertising photography for cosmetics, household and pharmaceutical products and sunglasses, footwear and watches. Therefore, plus-size models do not exclusively wear garments marketed as plus-size clothing. This is especially true when participating in fashion editorials for mainstream fashion magazines.”

This is in contrast to the  skinny models used in Nigeria. In fact, Nigeria has the epitome of what the ideal model looks like, thanks to the successful Nigerian model Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi. Oluchi has walked the runways in many countries in and out of Africa and now has her own agency called O Model Africa. Oluchi is skinny and has a thin frame with a size/frame that fits the American and European model industry standards of size 2-6. The question though is, is Oluchi and other skinny models (aka Lepas) like her the only standard of beauty in Nigeria’s modeling industry that  should be used in Nigeria? (If most Nigerian women are not a size 2-6, why create an image for them to attain that they cannot? Is this the launch of body image issues for young Nigerian girls to come?)

There is a huge market for plus size models in Nigeria and, all over Africa for that matter, plus sizes ranging from 10-14. Even Western nations are also now valuing plus-size models’ so why is Nigeria where a larger percentage of the women are plus size, not doing the same?

For example, according to the same Wikipedia, “Fashion designers are starting to look more closely at the earning potential from plus-size clothing, and have used plus-size models for their advertising campaigns and catwalks. Jean-Paul Gaultier and John Galliano both used plus-size models in their Spring 2006 showings in Paris. Italian plus-size fashion house Elena Mirò now regularly stages biannual prêt-à-porter shows during Fashion Week in Milan. Mark Fast andWilliam Tempest each used plus-size models during their own London Fashion Weekshowings for Spring 2009, and again as part of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk event held on September 19, 2009 in association with the British Fashion Council.”

So this makes me wonder why Nigeria’s modeling industry is not embracing plus-size models. One reason I have heard is that of acceptance in the industry. Indeed the lack of acceptance is why “The International Fuller Woman Network” was created to connect initiatives around the world that support the size acceptance and plus empowerment movement.” This network has also forged partnership with Big Sister Magazine in Nigeria which is the only “one of its kind that is published in Nigeria and West Africa.” This magazine aims to improve confidence by “encouraging the plus size woman to look fabulous and as such, features some of the best and outfits from the plus size wardrobe…” (http://bigsistermagazine.blogspot.com/)

The average Nigerian woman, for the most part, is a “real” African woman. She isn’t skinny and shapeless. She is a woman with curves and great assets in the backside and the bust. (So, if Nigerian corporate companies are hiring models to sell their products to the average Nigerian woman, shouldn’t they be using plus size models just as much as they use skinny models, if not more?)

Also, most African men, if not all, appear to desire these kinds of average plus-size women. So, if the average Nigerian woman is desired and continues to be desired, increasingly, by Nigerian and African men, why isn’t the plus size model industry introduced into the Nigerian market? (Have you seen Nollywood movies lately? Name one skinny actress you know. Most of them are plump compared to their Hollywood counterparts. If Nollywood is not changing the standard of beauty in Nigeria and is comfortable exporting that to the world, why is Nigeria’s fashion industry insisting only on the Lepa shandis (skinny women?))

The definition of a skinny model came from the West because of its culture and foods. Nigerian/African culture is different. As the industry is still in its infancy state, perhaps a (more expanded view of beauty) is needed that caters to its citizens, its culture and customs.

I’m just wondering and saying, where are all the plus-size models in Nigeria?

What do you guys think? Please share your thoughts.

-Priscilla Bamfo
-Photocredit: Curvyspot/ Model Toccara Jones, Former America’s Next Top Model Contestant

This issue is 212 (Two Hundred and Twelve) pages of holiday fashion, travel destinations, trend and beauty reports, guides on packing right and packing light, makeup to travel with, aging antidotes, movies and music reviews, events and many more for =N= 1000 only. There is also a 20% discount on all subscriptions.

A special autograph session with Agbani Darego holds on the 17th of July, 2011 from 3-6pm at the Silverbird Lifestyle Bookstore, Victoria Island, Lagos.

For further enquires, subscription, advertising and back issue, call: 07058109821, 08052100526 or write to editor@maniamag.org.

About Elite Model Look Nigeria
Created in 1983, the Elite Model Look contest has become the largest glamorous and prestigious model search in the world. It is an essential form of scouting for Elite’s 37 worldwide agencies. The contest gives the agencies’ managers the opportunity to evaluate the contestants a chance to launch successful careers as professional models.
Each year, and in over 50 countries, local organizers, strictly recruited by Elite, set up regional and national contests, in which some 350,000 applicants take part.

One of the major pillars in the modelling industry, 34 year legend Elite Management has represented some of the biggest stars in the business such as Gisele Bundchen, Oluchi, Naomi Campbell, Karen Mulder, Vanessa Hessler, Yasmin lebon, Paulina Porizkova to Victoria secret model Alessandra Ambrosio.

The group clients includes leading fashion houses and famous customers including Channel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Versace and L’Oreal.

Elite has an international presence in all the major markets and just celebrated their 5millionth booking in their 30yrs.

The list of top models who have participated in the Elite Model Look contest includes Cindy Crawford, Elaine Irwin, Tatjana Patitz, Stéphanie Seymour, Karen Mulder, Ines Sastre, Gisele Bundchen, Ingrid Seynhaeve, Natalia Semanova, Yfke Sturm, Mini Anden, Irina Bondarenko, Raïca Oliveira and Alessandra Ambrosio, among others

CASTINGS
JULY 9th PORTHARCOUT – X-LOUNGE BAR. J
ULY 16TH BENIN-LINCX BAR
JULY 30TH LAGOS – REHAB POOL LOUNGE
AUGUST 6TH ABUJA – TERMINAL 5 BAR.

QUALIFICATIONS
You must be:
- Genuinely interested in being a model
- Female
- A Nigerian Citizen
- Between age 14 and 23
- Minimum 5ft 8in or 172cm tall
- Have no signed contract with another modeling agency
- Must be ready to travel abroad

Prize
-Modeling Contract with Elite Model Management.
-All expense paid trip to New York City
-Opportunity to represent Nigeria at the Elite Model Look Finale in Asia 2011
- A chance to win 150,000USD at the international finals

Goodluck!

NOTE: PLEASE VISIT ELITEMODELLOOKNIGERIA.COM TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FORMS AND APPLY. ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, CONTACT THE MODEL AGENCY DIRECTLY ON FACEBOOK HERE.

Photo description: Bunmi Ademokoya at AFI Capetown Fashion Week
Photocredit: Simon Deiner/SDR

To book Alli for model jobs, contact Beth Model Agency below :

90 Norman Williams, off Awolowo
Ikoyi,
Lagos state, Nigeria.
Tel:(011)+234-803-327-8752
(011)+234-802-470-5559
info@bethmodelmanagement.com
www.bethmodelmanagement.com

~Courtesy photo

The designer now collaborates with Canoe Magazine, out of Ghana, to drive home her new tagline, “Shebi Na Deola.”

“Shebi na Deola” video also shows off a new line of polo-shirts by Deola Sagoe. We also spot New York based model Ojy Okpe who, it seems, is fast becoming a Deola Sagoe muse.

Shebi Na Deola