FASHION & STYLES

THE STYLE NIGTH OUT The fifth edition of the annual Style Night took place last weekend at Tribeca in Lagos. Organised by former model and publisher of FM & B ( Fashion, modeling and beauty ) magazine, Linda Ikeji, the crowd drawing event, is aimed at promoting and celebrating up coming designers by creating a platform for them to showcase their creativity. This year’s event featured four designers,  Ambassador, Chinasa, Collins and Moofa. Ambassador Ambassador’s collection was all male designs, linen trousers and top, suits, blazers and matching shirts. Chinasa’s collection featured an eclectic mix of ankara in short dresses, mixed with other plain fabrics, and spiced with colourful stones.  Her collection was also very young and fun. Collins like Chinasa had a mixed collection of both male and female outfits. Beside the male jackets and trendy jeans ensemble, the female outfits also paid tribute to ankara . The dresses were well embellished with sequins, stones and other materials. Moofa’s collection was set apart by unique detailing on each of her pieces. Her designs were colourful in rich fabrics like damask and embroidered linen. Some of her designs tilted towards vintage with matching hair pieces that the models carried off so nicely. In all, it was a night of music, fashion and lots of fun. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BEING OVERDRESSED Nigerians have been severally rated by women of style as a people with great fashion sense. We love to dress up there is no denying that and this is irrespective of our social status. Both the rich and the poor like to impress. This quest to be the one to be noticed, is perhaps, responsible for why many people particularly women go over board with their dressing. With the many fashion magazines and fashion catalogues on the newsstand, you can almost predict that you will find a space in those magazines if you dress well to an event. But should it be too much? Angela a 30 year old business woman says, she wouldn’t call turning out in a skirt suit at a party where everyone is wearing jeans and t-shirt being overdressed. “I may just perhaps look better than many others there and I don’t see what is wrong with that”. Like Angela, others spoken to also agree that it is better to be overdressed than to be under-dressed. “I’d feel so bad and depressed to come into a place casually dressed while everybody else is all done up says Tolu a banker. “If I dare enter such a room, I’m not sure I’d be able to leave my seat until the event is over because I’d be too ashamed to move around”. While the argument rages, it is better to dress appropriately to what event one is invited. If you don’t know what is appropriate, there is no harm in asking those who know. However, once in a while, people miss the dress code stipulated for certain events. If you are invited to have a drink with some friends, what good will it do to turn out in a ball dress with chandelier ear rings and embellished evening sandals? Even though you may be the best dressed, you’d agree that you’d feel a bit out of place because you are indeed over dressed. When such happens, here is what you should do. Nicely explain to your host or hostess that you were on your way from a very important formal party and because you didn’t want to disappoint her, you thought you should drop by and explain. Exchange a few pleasant greetings and take your leave. If you do feel like coming back, you can then go home and change into what is appropriate for that event. TRENDS Although extreme sexuality has been promoted in previous seasons, with short hemlines, plunging necklines and cut out form fitting designs, the season is currently taking attention away from the clothes and focusing instead on the wearer. Play down statement accessories and carefully pick dresses and accessories that truly grown up and timeless. The 50s is a great place to look to for inspiration. Choosing mature pieces doesn’t mean boring or laid back. Understatement helps to give an edge. Push down your hemlines a bit and be the lady for a change. Match your outfit with a lady-like bag especially th briefcase style shape and you right on time for the season’s look. ADORABLE WEDDING GOWN To adorn a wedding gown is the dream of many young ladies. While many achieve this and have a blissful wedding day out, others who could not get their men to wed them whine and make it an issue in marriage. Deborah Lindquist Wedding Gown The variety of styles and details in modern wedding gowns make it almost unbearable not to be married adorning one. A wedding day for most young girls is like a fairytale story come true. Today, you can customize your wedding to accommodate all the things you’ve ever imagined to do for your wedding. For Titi Johnson (not real names), it was also her dream to adorn a glamorous wedding gown until she found out that a two month old pregnancy was going to come between her and this dream she has nurtured for so long. Pretty Titi was 32 years old when she found out she was pregnant with child. By the time she realised she was pregnant, she was almost two months gone. Although she had been dating Chidi (surname withheld) for about five years, he had never proposed to her but they’ve had a good relationship that friends and family treat them as an item. As a vivacious, party loving and outgoing young lady, Titi was totally chattered by this development especially when she was faced with the early signs of pregnancy that totally threatened her robust social life. She was also confronted with how to break the news to Chidi as she didn’t want him to feel she was using the pregnancy to trap him into marrying her. However, when eventually she summed up courage to tell, him, contrary to her expectation, Chidi took the news in his stride and saw it as a good reason to marry the love of his life and save Titi the shame of having a child outside wedlock. Within a week, Chidi had consulted with his family and the first leg of the wedding preparation was fixed for two weeks time. Twelve years ago on a bright April afternoon, the wedding introduction was done and the wedding proper was fixed for June by which time, Titi would have been over four months gone. From then on, every arrangement was fast tracked. The poor groom was everywhere trying to raise money to marry the girl of his dream but for the party-loving-bride, she had only one worry. How would she look in a wedding gown with a four month old pregnancy? As the wedding plans progressed, so did this thought grow in the mind of Titi and the more she thought about it, the more the idea of a pregnant bride disgusted her. A diva like her would not walk down the isle in a distended tummy and in an unstylish dress. She made up her mind to address the issue and the only way around it, was to get rid of that pregnancy! “Others would come” she had reasoned. When she tabled the matter before Chidi, he was livid with rage and a big argument ensued. To him, the reason for the accelerated wedding was because of the pregnancy . He couldn’t understand why she was bringing this up at this time. Back and forth they argued but Titi would not shift her ground. Along with her conscience, she had the pregnancy terminated and it was explained that she lost the pregnancy. The wedding turned out to be the dream wedding she wished for. She waltzed into church on a fine June morning in a form fitting lace wedding gown. It was the era of lilac and purple so her wedding scheme was obvious. Her make up was flawless, her bouquet well arranged and her train looked pretty in the short ball gown in the wedding colour. She was such a lovely bride that Chidi felt so proud at his choice. He beamed with smiles, his joy obvious to all the guests. The carefully planned reception crowned the activity for the day. A life band gave soul to the wedding party. Bot couple and guests had a good time dancing. There was no boring moment and as Chidi gave the vote of thanks, there was no doubt in the minds of the attendees that this new couple would live happily ever after. And happily they did for the first one year of their marriage. It’s been 12 years since they got married and till date, there is yet to be heard the sound of the cry of a baby in that home. Although doctors can’t seem to find something wrong with her, she has been unable to conceive. In her quiet moment, a thought keeps playing on her mind. Is there a connection between the pregnancy she terminated and her present predicament? Could the hand of the Almighty be against her? That Nigerians love fashion and are fashionable is not in doubt. A few people would do anything in the name of fashion but is it necessary? Should looks come before a life? Should a wedding gown take the place of a developing life? Next time you are buying that shoe, bag or dress, pause to ask. Is anything precious suffering?   THE TREND IN SCARF With weather temperature falling due to incessant rain falls, a scarf tied or draped around the neck will provide that necessary warmth. But beyond providing warmth, a boring outfit could be made to pop with a simple scarf especially if you find a bright cheerful colour that suits your outfit. In adorning a scarf, like other fashion items, a few rules will guide you. -Don’t over accessorize -Make it a pot light accessory and draw attention away from other items you have on. -If you are wearing a pashmina around your neck for example, don’t overwhelm your look with it or else, you’d look like you are being choked -When doing a monochromatic look which is usually very chic but tricky to pull, see that you mix textures or else the look will be boring. THE NEW FACE OF MISS NIGERIA BEAUTY PAGEANT As the nation prepares to mark its 50th Independence anniversary, the nation’s oldest beauty pageant, Miss Nigeria beauty pageant is all set to wear a new face as former MBGN Queen, Nike Oshinowo-Soleye takes charge after a nine year break. Birthed in 1957 with Grace Oyelude as first Miss Nigeria, the pageant stands to represent the highest ideals and to showcase the positive attributes of the Nigerian woman. Speaking during a press conference at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos, Nike Oshinowo-Soleye said the relaunched Miss Nigeria will be different in many ways as it seeks to bring back the old traditional values of the Nigerian people. To this end, she pointed out that the winner of the 2010 edition of the pageant will not be a stick thin model as often prescribed by modeling agencies or the west. “We want to crown a typical Nigerian girl”. Binta Sukai, Nike Oshinowo-Soleye, Vien tetsola and Eni Lawani For the first time, entry is open to Nigerian girls in other parts of the world such as North America, South Africa and Britain while the Nigeria public will be afforded the opportunity to vote for their Queen of choice. Winner of this year’s competition scheduled for September 25th in Abuja, among other juicy prizes will get full scholarship to be educated in an institution of higher learning anywhere in the world, a luxury car and one year salary.