Wednesday, February 27, 2008

FASHION AFRICA

Fashion Africa has landed!
http://www.fashionafrica.com/
Spread the word!

While you are in the clicking mood,
Tiger Bites
Ink Wrote This
Niyi Tabiti

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

RUNDOWN

Hi Everyone!
How is it going?
Hope you had a great weekend.
I had a fab weekend....
I got to hang out with some of my friends, went to see a movie, went out for dinner etc...was chilled but fun.
I also got to speak at a youth event at my church. It was interesting....
Anyways, so many events have been taking place all over Nigeria and in Nigerian communities all over the world, here are some tidbits...

SILVERBIRD PRESENTS: A NIGHT WITH P-SQUARE
Photo Credit: Cecil Hammond
Nneka - Shank - Wildchild & Koffi

Shirtless! - Weird MC

Kaffi & dancers - P-Square


Idols WA's Timi & Jerrilyn - Mo Hits Crew

Serenading a fan - BBA 2's Ofunneka





NITE OUT WITH NOLLYWOOD STARS EVENT
Photo Credit: Harry Baba
Regina Askia

Emeka Ike - Jim Iyke




SI SWIMSUIT ISSUE EVENT
Oluchi - Looking fab as always!



There is something I have been meaning to talk about but wanted to ensure that I was knowledgeable enough before speaking out.
A couple of weeks ago, I was reading Jeremy Weate's Naijablog and spotted a blog post he did a proposed 'indecent dressing/public nudity bill' by Senator Eme Ufot Ekaette.
I also saw an episode of Funmi Iyanda's show where it was discussed by female activists - HERE

In the bill, indecent dressing is COMICALLY defined as:
i: the breast of a female above the age of 14 years
ii. the laps of a female above the age of 14 years (bella's note: please go and throw away your shorts, skirts and dresses!)
iii. the belly or waist of a female above the age of 14 years
iv. any part of the body from two (2) inches below the shoulders downwards to the knee of a female person above the age of 14 years
v. any part of the body of the male person above the age of 14 years from the waist to the knee
etc...visit naijablog to see scans of the actual bill -CLICK 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Punishment for the above 'offences' and the other items described in the bill include jail terms and fines.

Seriously, this just makes me weak. With EVERYTHING, that is going on in Nigeria, especially the poverty, abuse etc.. that many women are facing, I cannot believe that the best thing a FEMALE senator, who is the Chairperson for the Committee on Women Affairs, Social Welfare and Youth Development in the Senate could come up with.

I cant even imagine the chaos that will ensue if this is passed. Lecherous policemen will stop women and ask them to twirl around so they can inspect their clothes. Perhaps they will carry tape measures and start checking if you are breaking the law...no doubt this will give them police people ample opportunity to 'touch and feel', after all they would simply be doing their jobs. I am sure enrollment at the police academy will sky rocket!
See the photos above, just imagine, under this bill, Kaffy, Ofunneka, PSquare and others would be guilty of indecent dressing or is it public nudity! Sad.

Anyway, what do you guys think about this? What can we do to stop it?

Friday, February 22, 2008

THISDAY AWARDS - FASHION REVIEW

So Nigeria’s unofficial awards season has kicked off with the ThisDay Awards which took place last Sunday.
The awards ceremony of a public service and corporate sector focused event with awards such as Stock Offer of the Year, Transaction of the Year etc being given.
As is what seems to be a tradition, the old-school foreign superstar flown in for the event was Lionel Richie (I love him!). In past editions of the event, musical performers have included Diana Ross and Lemar.
Rather than doing the usual mass upload of photos, decided to do more of a fashion review. You can see all the other photos at purefoto
Previous coverage of ThisDay Awards
2007 Edition

Best Dressed Female
I will have to give the best dressed female award to ThisDay Style editor, Ruth Osime, her silk floor-length leopard print Zuhair Murad dress with its sequined waist band. Her dress was uber flattering, glamorous yet appropriate for the event. She accentuated the look perfectly with a simple upswept hair, chandelier earrings and bracelet. FAB! Sade Baderinwa also looks fab!


Fab Looks
Other fab looks included
Nike Olakunri – Stunning!


Nkechi Okocha – Gorgeous dress. I especially love the colour on her. Her hair looks great and what seals the fab look is her beautiful smile.


Noteworthy
Stephanie Okereke
– Steph's dress was modern, with the creative use of leather, it was striking but her hair and accessories (i.e. brown pumps) kept her from the best dressed pile but she still looked great


Nike Osinowo-Soleye – I can see the look Nike was going for: The concrete rose effect - the strong silhouette of the charcoal suit paired with the softness of a pink low-cut top with the pointy black patent platform pumps. For someone as stylish as Nike, we have higher standards, it didn’t quite hit the mark but she looked good.


Best Dressed Male
It’s a tie. The old and the new.
Sunny Irabor looked distinguished in the classic tuxedo.
Eyo Effiong, our other best dressed male, looked great in a well-fitted modern grey suit. His bold belt adds a bit of flair to the look.


No, no, no, no!
Actress, Uche Iwuji got it all wrong with her figure hugging knockoff version of the Herve Leger bandage mini-dress.
As I said before, the Thisday Awards is more of a corporate and public sector event so I don’t know why Uche decided to wear this ill-fitting eyesore of a dress. Her silver pumps don’t help matters as well. Highly inappropriate and absolutely unflattering.


Catwalk Queens
Nana Otedola and Nkiru Anumudu both rocked looks from the catwalk.

Nana pictured with hubby Femi in his staple white kaftan, rocked the embellished salmon hued Matthew Williamson tunic dress. The dress is available at Net-A-Porter HERE


Nkiru pictured with hubby Willy Anumudu rocked the poet-sleeved black silk chiffon Pucci shift dress adorned with various accents. The dress is available at Neiman HERE


That’s it for now.
So what do you think?
I’ll add some hot new videos and songs later on so come back and check on it.

Ciao!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

BN PROSE

Hiya,
Below is another edition of BN Prose by the uber-talented blogger Bimbylads - ENJOY!
Previous Editions of BN Prose
BN Prose 1 - THE H
BN Prose 2 - MAMA
____________________________________

‘Una no get craze’ laughed Chidi as he replaced the phone in its cradle. His wife, Lola raised an eyebrow and smiled.

‘Who was that sweetie?’ she asked, with her beautiful face breaking into a stunning smile. It was the same smile that captured his heart last year when he met her at the gym. He had proposed within 6 months, and three weeks ago, had exchanged their vows in front of a small registry audience. If it was possible to love someone more than life itself, Chidi loved his wife. Every thing about her radiated beauty. He walked towards her and pulled her to her feet.

‘ a few of my old friends from way back- awon paddies’ he replied, nuzzling his face into her neck, and ravishing her subtle scent.

‘ha, hope they know you are now married?’ she teased, and he winked at her, loving the fact that she was so jealous over him. She rolled her eyes walked towards the kitchen to prepare dinner, while he grabbed his car keys.

‘I am off to meet them for a quick catch up…ill be back for 10- don’t miss me ‘said Chidi, as he planted a kiss on her forehead. ' I love you'.

He hated leaving her at home alone, but Kayode, one of his friends was in town for just one day, and He hadn’t seen Kay for ages. He reluctantly broke his embrace and shut the door behind him to begin the one hour drive to the Twilight Zone, the bar where his friends were awaiting his arrival.

XXXXXXXX

‘ Chidisco- the newest husband in town!’ was the boisterous greeting that met him at the entrance to Twilight Zone. Chidi knew without a doubt that it was Femo’s voice. He turned to the direction of the voice and gasped with surprise. Kay, Femo, Nnamdi , and Dotun flanked one of the beer infiltrated tables.. Four of them were his close friends from childhood, and surprisingly, none of them had attended his wedding. Kay lived in the UK, while the rest had been away on year long business trips.

‘Femo d millionaire’ shrilled a clearly excited Chidi, as he returned his friends’ tight embrace. The others joined in a group hug, and before long, everyone was re-ordering beer and talking at once.

After 10 minutes of teasing and joking around, they finally fell silent and Chidi braced himself for the torrent of questions that was sure to follow.

Kay cleared his throat, and peered at Chidi through his glasses; a gesture that suggested that Kay wanted to be heard. ‘Chidisco, How you take do am? Why you marry? I mean- it’s a great thing, marriage, but you Chidi?!’ Chidi was not surprised at the question. Before he met his wife, he had been a notorious player. He had loved women, partying and drinking. He wanted to reply, but someone interrupted him.

‘--Allow Chidi, He looks like he is in heaven?’ said Femo, the richest of the lot. Femo was divorced, and had vowed never to remarry.

‘Nna, na Yoruba woman you marry?’ Nnamdi finally spoke, concern masking his shy frame. Nnamdi was the quietest of his friends, and by far the most sensible. They were both from the same Village, and in many ways, it made them closer than the others.. Nnamdi took life seriously and worked harder than he played. He also desperately wanted to get married.

‘Marriage Sha-not me o. There are no good women in the whole world, w'alai!’ added Dotun in his deep baritone voice. Dotun had scars from his last relationship. The woman had cleared his account and rendered him bankrupt.

Kay continued from where he left off; ‘Chidi, marriage is not a bag of chips you know. It’s even easier for you lot in Naija. For jand, you gas to think am well- if you mess up, the woman will clear your life savings’.

They all laughed at Kay’s facial expression. Chidi looked around the table, and pride warmed his heart. He loved his friends and had missed them terribly. His friends had begged him to postpone the wedding till they could attend, but Lola’s parents wouldn’t hear of it. Besides, they had asked him not to over publicise the wedding of their only daughter. And so, he had not really shared anything with his friends until now. As they all sat there, eager to hear his story, he couldn’t wait to tell them all, and possibly convict one of them to change their ways and settle down .

He turned to face Nnamdi. 'na Yoruba woman. The most wonderful woman I have ever met in my life. The most amazing thing is, I wasn’t even looking. You see, I met her at the gym…’ he began and Femo awwwed loudly, making Chidi smile.

‘You guys remember I was working on that multi million pound bid at my firm's HQ, Na so one day I go gym…’ He continued; but was stopped mid sentence.

‘---Sorry to interrupt you o, Chidisco, I just remembered one gist I wanted to give you guys’ said, Femo cutting into his conversation.

‘Did you guys hear about that babe that got married three weeks ago - wetin be her name now?’ Femo looked around the table and scratched his head. A pregnant pause followed as they all tried to jug their memory.

‘Not our T.O.J?’

‘It is our T.O.J o!! Chop knuckle Kay!! Imagine, that girl married some bloke in PH ni sha!’

Chidi had no idea of who “our T.O.J was”. So he asked anyway, despite his obvious lack of interest.

‘No vex, Chidi, I heard she met some guy and married him in Port Harcourt jare, that why I asked. T.O.J is that babe ‘we’ slept with a while back. The one that Jide passed to me. Meeeeeen, I carry yansh for the man that married her o!!’ Femo raised his fist in the air and they all laughed, including Chidi. He had heard about the girl, but he couldn’t recall ever meeting her.

Femo patted his back and grinned. ‘Totally irrelevant to your gist, please continue with how you met the Mrs’

Smiling in return, Chidi started to speak again, but someone interrupted him for the second time.

‘I’m not proud of it, but I also slept with her. Her husband must be very understanding…’ That was Nnmadi, the quiet one. Dotun laughed and shook his head.

‘Or under the influence of powerful jazz’ countered Femo.

‘Wait o, didn’t she serve in UCS with that mad woman I dated? That Same T.O.J? She married 3 weeks ago ke?? No way!! I slept with her too, like 2 years ago.. Foolish girl, she almost made me marry her by force o…’ Dotun looked very surprised. ‘See why I say I no go marry? If T.O.J can hook up a man, that means life don finish be dat’

Kay took a swig of beer and nodded his head, ‘Believe me, No one could have enjoyed her as much as I did. She came to Jand two years ago, she literally lived with me’. He laughed heartily,’ Omo, has anyone tasted her efo? Damn, the babe’s cooking is off the chain’

‘Infact, when I heard she got married ehn, I wanted to fly to Naija to flog her husband, is he blind? Abi e no hear her gist?’

Chidi smiled sadly. ‘Anyway, so I walked into the gym, and there on the treadmill was this stunning….’Chidi paused, irritated that Femo was still laughing and disturbing the flow of his story.

‘Femo, wetin do you now?’ Asked Kay, who was also eager to hear Chidi’s love tale

Femo raised both arms in the air and made a surrendering motion.

‘Ah! Titilola Olabisi Johnson married?! Anyone can marry ni yen. I can’t get over it, my guy no vex, continue your story’ He held his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter.

Suddenly, everything stopped moving at that point. Chidi felt himself grow cold. His heart abruptly began to thump and blood rushed to his brain, making his head swirl.

‘ d-describe this T.O.J b-babe abeg’ he managed to blurt out. He hoped the beads of sweat on his forehead were not visible.

‘ ah, you no remember Titi Olabisi Johnson? From Madam Dinuba hall in Uni? Our Titi?? That used to speak one fake fune. Her middle name is Olabisi o; it’s not a posh compound surname. Remember when the razz girl asked everyone to start calling her T.O.J? she must have felt funky’ Dotun offered, stunned that Chidi had no recollection.

‘You know Chidi was in Med school, he probably didn’t know her that well…but then, Titi no dey get restriction. Med school o, business school o, accounting and finance nko? she dey there’ Femo added; and Dotun and Nnamdi collapsed in a heap of laugher.

‘Smallish, light skinned with massive hips- figure 8’ Nnamdi chuckled, as he used his fingers to draw the number 8 on the table. Chidi’s eyes followed Nnamdi’s hand movement as if he was in a trance.

‘Correct figure 8, with one dimple on her right cheek- the babe is fine sha, make we no lie’ added Dotun.

‘Dotun, commot, T.O.J’s dimple is on her left cheek- I know because she lived with me. She has one mad ass beauty spot by her thigh...you know I have a thing for beauty spots.’

‘By the way, Chidi why you wan know, you’ve only been married a few weeks, abi did you marry T.O.J by mistake?’ asked Kay, laughing hysterically at what he thought was a joke.

But it wasn’t. The woman his friends had just described was Lola. Titilola Olabisi Johnson was his wife. It had never crossed his mind. She had never called her self T.O.J., infact; she had said her middle name was Adunni…. That was what he’d seen on her birth certificate. She had lied about her past.

His wife and his friends? All his friends? All four of them? Her dimple…her figure… hell, the beauty spot on her thigh… they had all the intimate details he’d cherished.

The image forced bile to his gullet. Who else? How many more men?

The laughter had died down and everyone was staring at him bizarrely.

Anger, disgust and disbelief crashed on his features, as he grabbed his car keys and stormed out of the bar; to the shock friends. As he slammed his car door shut and screeched away, the last thing he heard was Femo’s fading voice telling him it was all a joke.
He wished it was.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He drove like a mad man until he got home. His mobile rang all through. It was Kay, and Femo. He ignored them all. The moment he let himself into the house, Lola rushed to him for a hug, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the wild expression on his face.

‘What’s wrong honey?’ she whispered; her voice ever so sweet and soft. He wanted to hug her and take it back to where they were before he’d left the house. But the horrible, grotesque imaginations of his wife with his four friends clouded his intelligence.

Lola suddenly looked like a pile of dung.

With all the force he could muster, he whispered the three letters that had haunted him since the moment he’d heard them-’ T.O.J’. And with heartbreaking pain, he watched as his wife stiffened instantly. She bit her lips so hard, that they poured blood.

As tears filled her large eyes, she reached for his face; wanting to touch him. But he pushed her away with so much force that she fell to the floor and began sobbing quietly. He tore his gaze away from her and ran into the bedroom.

Shutting the door on himself, he punched a hole in the wall and broke down into uncontrollable sobs…
____________________________________

Monday, February 18, 2008

TOJU FOYEH

Hey Everyone!!
Long time…well not exactly but it has been a week!
How is everyone doing?
I’m alright…
Ok…I take that back…my resolution is not to be whining and complaining but to be grateful and joyful so
I’m great!
How have you been?
I was in South Africa last week and all I can say is that it was eventful and sooo busy

I will just give u some random tidbits from the trip
I spent a couple of blissful hours on the beach :)
I lost like 10 pounds in one week ‘cause I just couldn’t eat the food for some reason :(
I got a surprise kiss…not a romantic kiss…traumatic but funny story :(

What did you do on Valentine’s Day?
I went for dinner at this fab restaurant in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg was actually really good.

Anyways, today I am featuring a fabulous up-and-coming designer, Toju Foyeh.

Here is a short Q & A with the designer
What inspired you to start designing?
When I was younger I used to go through my mum's magazines. Stuff like Harpers and Queens, Tatler and Vogue and I thought fashion is something I would like to do some day. I was particularly intrigued by the creative art of high fashion and started putting my ideas on paper from the age of nine.

Do you have any formal fashion training?
Not at the moment. However, I plan on going to fashion school after I complete my Master’s degree next year.

How did you come up with the name of the label?
Toju Foyeh is the abbreviation of my name which is Toluwaloju Olowofoyeku. I wanted to keep it personal.

There seems to be loads of new Nigerian designers sprouting up, what makes your label different from the pack?
Well I’ve seen a lot of stuff from Nigerian designers and I think that they are all quite unique in their own way. At the same time feel I pay a lot of attention to detail and choose my fabric carefully. I focus a lot on the finishing of my clothes as presentation for me is very important. At the same time I’m open different fields of fashion as well as native African clothing.

Are your clothes available to purchase or are they made to order?
I hope to make ready to wear in the near future but for now I’m just taking orders as I am still at university.

What sort of fabrics do you use and why?
The type of fabric I use depends on the design. I enjoy experimenting with different fabrics such as lace, ankara and damask.

What is your dream for Toju Foyeh?
To eventually grace the runways of New York, London, Paris and Milan.

There are so many young up-and-coming Nigerian designers but there is something about Toju Foyeh that stands out.
I can see lots of creativity especially with her use of fabric and some of the decorative cuts.
Definitely lots of potential.








That's it for today!!!
Tell us what u think of Toju Foyeh and of course u know I want to hear about your Val's day adventures!