Category: Fashion

TOSIN Aderounmu Arifayan, popularly known as (Tosin Omi-Ata), a former dancer turned producer, writer and actress has four movies to her credit, written and produced by her. In this interview with Olusegun Rapheal, the mother of two opens up on her journey into the entertainment industry and speaks on many other issues.

You studied Banking and Finance, people would have expected to see you in the financial sector; why are you in entertainment Industry?

I love that question. I have been in love with acting as a young girl, it has been a part of me. Entertainment has been what I love. You know I started as a dancer; I danced for Pasuma, Barrister and some other fuji musicians in their musical videos.

So, one of my friends, a co-dancer, told me about a movie auditioning at Ibadan. We went there and got the form and it was a very interesting experience for me. It was during the auditioning that I met Gbemi Shitta-Bay. He introduced me to the late Alade Aromire who was the owner of the project, (Who wants to be a movie star?)  That was the turning point in my life and since then God has been faithful.

What year was that?

That was in the early 90s.

After the auditioning, which was your first move?

It’s Opa-Ibon, written and produced by Jenrade Deji

What was the experience like then?

It was very tough, not easy, but my passion and resilience kept me going. There were so many challenges.

What were the challenges that you faced initially?

There are times when you get to locations and you find that some of the big stars do not want to give you a chance or even allow you to prove what you have got. In addition, a few of them see you as a threat while few of them will give you an opportunity to prove yourself; some will even shout at you as if you are a kid.

In the Industry, who are your role models?

I love Shola Sobowale, Faithia William (Balogun) and Uche Jumbo.

What are the attributes that you see in them that make you choose them as your role models?

These people are great actresses. They interpret roles given to them perfectly and they don’t look down on anybody. They actually encourage the younger ones.

Which movie brought you to the limelight?

It was Omi-Ata, written and produced by me. I never knew the movie would receive that kind of accolades and response that it got. It was overwhelming.

Is that where the name Tosin Omi-Ata came from?

Yes, it was after the premiere of the movie that my colleagues and fans started calling me Omi-Ata or Tosin Omi-Ata.

What are the challenges you face during production and post production?

The challenges are enormous; as a young producer, producing for the first time, there is the pressure of not wanting to fail. Everything is on your mind; from cast to crew, camera, lighting, costume, transportation and make-up. But I thank God because all those things are history.

How rich are you?

I am not rich, neither am I poor, but I can afford three square meals without stress. All thanks to my husband who has been very supportive.

Sometime ago, there was a story going around that you ran away with your husband’s money and SUV, how true is this?

My brother, I did not run away. Yes, we had some misunderstanding then. I want you to understand that there is no perfect relationship or marriage. It was just a minor issue and it has been resolved. Concerning the SUV, he bought the Islander Toyota SUV for me, and more so the man they said I ran away with his money and car, we are together up till now. He is the father of my children.

When the story broke then, how did you handle it?

I felt so bad; it was so terrible. I felt as if heaven wanted to fall on me. People started to say different things and 99 percent of the stories were fake. It was very sad, but I thank God that today it is all over.

Has any male producer asked you out before offering you a role?

No producer has ever asked to go out with me before they could give me any job.

Lesbianism is rampant among the Yoruba actresses, do you practise lesbianism?

Me, a lesbian? No way, I am not! Whether they are doing it or not, I don’t know.

How do you cope with randy men who make passes at you?

I have come across a lot of them. I can’t run away because of them but there is a way we manage them. Also, you can’t run away from your friends, I tell them that I am married. Some will insist but you just have to say it in a good way, not insult them.

Have you ever been embarrassed by a fan?

Not really, but some of them will ask “Se e gbe ibon dani” (Did you bring your gun?)

How will you describe yourself?

I am a very quiet person, gentle, calm, friendly, jovial and intelligent. I don’t have many friends.

Have you received any gift from your fans?

Yes. That was when we were showing my film at Abeokuta. After the event, a man walked up to me and handed over an envelope to me. It was to appreciate my effort on the movie (Omi-Ata)

What are the things stardom takes away from you?

A lot.  There was a day I wanted to buy jeans at a small shop at Ogba bus stop. I loved the design and as I was trying to put it on, to test it, a lady just shouted my name: Omi-Ata ati ri e ooo (Omi-Ata I have seen you oo).  I dropped the jeans immediately. I can’t even buy boli (roasted plantain) or corn by the road side again. If I try it, I will pay double price.

What are the other things that occupy your time?

I sell beauty products, fashion accessories, ladies underwears, weave-on, shoes and bags.

As an actress, mother, business woman, wife, how do you balance all these?

It is not easy, my brother. It can be very tough. However, thanks to my wonderful husband; he has been very supportive. When I am on location, he is in charge of home.

How many movies have you produced?

Omi-Ata, Ija Ashewo, Oyinkanmi and Ife Todun.

Folasade Abimbola is one of the young talented women who are making waves on the fashion scene. The Creative Director of LASHADDE BY PRIME88, a Lagos-based fashion house, Abimbola, is also a thespian and the Presenter of Naija Diaries Show on Rave TV. In this interview with Kehinde Oluleye, she shares her passion for fashion and other sundry issues.

What inspired your going into fashion?

Well, after university I wanted to learn a practical skill, something I could combine with being an actor so I could be an actress who could pick her jobs and not be desperate for money. As faith would have it, I was posted to Sokoto and there was the Boko Haram problem at the time. However, instead of going to ask for redeployment like others did, I choose to stay behind and learn something new.

I thought about it and picked sewing because, I have always cared so much about how I look, even when I was a book worm, so fashion seemed like the right fit. I decided to go for it, took the plug and registered to learn. I was into it and in less a month I started making different styles, setting tailoring goals for myself and I was so amazed that I could learn something so fast.  I would go to my place of training, and then come back home and sit up late to practice and then rush off excitedly in the morning to my place of training.  I could say I was obsessed at the time.

Less I forget, I got posted to Benin the next time and sewing and designing helped me be comfortable. As a matter of fact,  I didn’t  want to leave after service year but,  I had to come back to Lagos because of Nollywood and I felt I would have a bigger market here. My ambition is to be a brand in the global clothing line.

For how long have you been doing this?

I have being doing this for 7 years but there were some off periods where I tried to run away from it because of the business aspect of things.  But all I needed was to structure things properly. Besides, like the Yorubas would say “egberun saamu mi ole  sa  molorun lowo” –A thousand Samuel cannot escape God.(laughs).

Being around for a while, what have you witnessed changes in fashion?

The major changes are actually technological and logistics upgrades.  Truth is social media and a lot of android and iOS tools and apps have really impacted how we all do business. Also there are delivery and logistics companies all around now, making it easier to do business with new people everyday. I would also say, Nigerian designers are getting bolder and finding new markets everyday.

And what do you think is the reason for this?

Technology and exposure

Apart from women’s clothing, what other fashion items are you into?

I do just women clothing for now, but in the future we are looking at having a male and Afrocentric accessories line. We create the most delicious looking Afrocentric urban outfits (ready-made Ankara clothes). Plus whatever other kind of outfits you want.

What sort of fabric do you like working or experimenting with?

I love prints!  African prints really do it for me!  I also like fabrics that have some elasticity.

What are your challenges?

First electricity plus the usual other problems faced by entrepreneurs like me.

What is the ABC of a good dress?

A good dress should fit, should be neatly made and compliment the wearer.

How do you operate?

I run both a bespoke and ready to wear line.  That is as Nigerians would call it, my brand does ready-made clothes; and cloths design and styles created for a specific customer,  so if a client doesn’t  want any of the ready-made clothes, we would create a unique style for you.

How will you rate Nigerian designers with their foreign counterparts?

Well, Nigerian designers are really trying, pushing the envelope daily, they are creative. I see some clothes I am absolutely blown away.  Naija don’t carry last.

Louisa Eikhomun Agbonkese is the CEO of Echoes of Africa Initiative. She is a victim of domestic violence and has helped a lot of women who have been abused in one form or the other. In this interview with Ogeneyoma Omaredje she talks about the challenges in the sector, her passion and how the Sustainable Development Goals can make a difference.

What or who inspired you to go into social work?

In September 2015, I was at the United Nations for the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and I witnessed the adoption and began to take an interest in the issues that were being discussed. So, coming back home I joined women 2030, a network that takes a critical look at gender equality issues and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).

We know that when there are development goals and a number of them focus on women and development; If it does not talk about promoting gender equality, the crux of the matter is that it will not favour women and women would be left behind. To ensure that women are not left behind, I became very passionate about the issues I began Lagos women2030. We went on to have a focus group discussion after a research that show’s that women are not even aware of the Sustainable Development Goals so that focus group discussion would be  centered  around  the eight (8) women  SDG’s and that aspect metamorphosed into an action group with 74 members . As we speak right now, there are so many opportunities and my passion is that by 2030 gender equality issues and Sustainable Development Goals ( SDG’s) should be realized.

For example the goal which focuses on gender equality and women empowerment has a lot of targets that needs to be given attention to make life better for our women. This includes targeting and curbing violence against women, ending traditional practice that hinder women’s growth and development, women in mainstream politics. That is not all. There are also those that targets achieving sexual and reproductive rights as well as women’s human rights.

And of course, we also have a target that focuses on technology and the girl child. Moving on you find, goals 5.5 which examines the number of women in parliament. That is something that I am very passionate about because if you look at the political scene in Nigeria, you find that the women are left behind when it comes to decision making. The truth of the matter is that we have the capabilities; we are not getting to the positions, not just because we are not capable but because there are structural barriers and that is why we have been able to achieve our dreams and aspirations in the political sector.

So this is my passion and I want to see that by year 2030 women are not left behind in all the relevant sectors.

What is the focus of your organisation?

I work with Echoes of Women in Africa and we promote

peace and security for African women and girls. We strongly believe that when the society is not saved, the women are not saved; women cannot achieve anything in insecurity. Once a woman does not have peace she cannot become a doctor, she cannot become a leader, Governor or President. So when conflict and violence is affecting women, they will only think of surviving. In the process, they will become poorer, homeless. On the other hand, when women become heads of household, they will become widows and of course singles parents. Our passion is that when there is an end to violence and discrimination which is also a form of violence women will get there and achieve the goals, explore the potential and become partners in progress.

What were you doing before this and what was the experience like?

Just before going into Development work I was trained as a teacher, I did English education and I worked in the media, both print and electronics for a while. Then I got married, sadly in that marriage I experienced violence and I never knew at that point that there is hope for the victim of violence. I also never knew that I could be a victim of violence but unfortunately I became a victim. So seeking for help from that violence led me into working with Human right organisation where women have been saved from violence.

After my experience, I worked briefly with a human rights organization then I went back to the media where my passion was rekindled once more. I kept coming into contact with a number of issues and  when I went to the African Union for peace operation I was sent to the gender desk. There I was monitoring the effects of violence on women and it then dawned on me that this is a huge area to work on because women suffer as victims in the area of communal conflict.

So that led to the establishment of Echoes of women in Africa, a non governmental organization which later founded the women2030 initiative. So, this has been the vision driving Lagos women2030 and we are bringing together women organizations, women human right defenders and people who believes in gender equality.

The initiative is just one year old and you can see the turn out and the number of person, members, because it is the passion that is driving the organization.

Let’s talk about some memorable moments in your life and career? I have a lot to share and last year  I was recognized for excellence  by an organization that gave me an award. That is a  memorable moments for me and for the work I do, one of such moments was in March,  last year when an organization  “Women tribe audience”  recognised me and they took me to Washington DC on their 20th anniversary. The experience was great because they asked me to speak about my experience as a human right defender, it was quite memorable and that was a wonderful experience for me It was awesome because my speech touched the crowd, an international crowd of that standard and it was well commended. For me, this naturally reinforced the fact that though, I am doing this work there is nothing to show when it comes to finances but the fact is that I am touching lives, creating awareness and I am engaging with government. That is my passion and if you see us today doing this work under the sun ,we didn’t get funding for it, but passion for having  peace in Nigeria  as well as ensuring that women and girls are safe is what is driving us and we are here not giving up . So, I am happy each time I see a woman smiling, when I see victims becoming a survivor. It is therefore wonderful, when I see laws implemented for the  improvement of the lot of women and this goes a long way to show that the efforts that our women have put in place , is not in vain.

What are the challenges you encountered?

This work is full of challenges but we are not deterred by all of that. I remember in 2014, when I went to Maiduguri, Borno state on a fact finding mission with the mother’s of the Chibok girls,  it was not an easy experience. I got to Mano I had to go by road, the roads were desalted it was dangerous, I didn’t go with any insurance, because of my passion. The girls, about 300 were missing and the government was living in denial.  I and another organization partnered and went to Borno and met with the mother’s of the girls. It was not an easy trip but the fact that those women were alive and children were missing was is really satisfying  for me and the team We came up with a report which we published in the media  even though that trip was dangerous, if anything had happened to me there wouldn’t be any insurance for me and my children to fall back on. Another risk from government, is not making the civil space to be available, they are bringing repressive laws. For example, you can get some kind of funds and it would be returned because the government would say that the amount is expressive. But government itself does not fund NGO’s, when you get funding from outside the country you would be put in the spot light you would be asked a lot of questions and on some occasion and the money returned. Another area is the risk of our job  and the law enforcement people. There are areas that you would want to do your report but again, you would be at risk I have been in a matter involving the rape of a minor by a police in custody. That way very risky for me, writing the petition, going to answer questions and eventually I became under threat, I had to relocate my office from that area because the divisional of office where the officer was working was also domicile where Ecohes of women was resident, so with the threat and even this allegation and the suspect and the family came under threat. Even the journalist that made the report was threatened, I was threatened and I was a member of the police community relations of that particular police station.

Each time I love handling cases like this, I remember the, case and girl safety is another area of threat is in our culture. Our culture is against women empowerment and when you are talking about gender equality women empowerment you are fighting with culture. So there is bias, threat when you are working with across rural areas, I have been in a case when I did write a up on female ancestors in my own village and I was summoned by the elders. They said I have committed an abomination, summoned me and made me go on my knees before the council of elders. That I had provoked the gods that they don’t have female ancestors that I must appease the supervisors.

The Plussize Fashion Week Africa (PFWAFRICA) team is calling on designers to showcase their designs at this year’s edition. Plussize Fashion Week Africa (PFWA) is a fashion runway show that highlights plus size models and apparels. This year’s edition is set to hold on Saturday, November 3, 2018, and Sunday, November 4, 2018 at the Main Banquet Hall, Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The year’s event will feature a plus size runway fashion show, #AfricaNextPlussizeModel competition, a fashion gala night, a master class and exhibition booths to create a unique shopping experience for consumers.

The founder of PFWAFRICA, Mrs. Temi Aboderin-Alao, spoke about the journey so far, her vision for the event in subsequent years and also the plans for this year’s edition and what is to be expected, and also the inspiration behind the theme #beautifullyme.

The members of the panel at the press conference included Ms Yetty Ogunnubi (Head Publicist and CEO.YD Agency), Miss Olubukola Akanbi (PFWAFRICA Project Coordinator), Dumebi Agbakoba (Award Winning Chef), Feyi Luther (Chef), Immaculate Dache (Music Ariste/influencer), Nkechi Blessing (Actress), Monalisa Stephen (Actress), Mor Okonwo (Music Artiste), and Modavi Couture boss.

PFWAFRICA, according to Aboderin Alao, is aimed at maximising the growing focus on the plus-size fashion industry and also the promotion of the African culture. This year’s Plussize Fashion Week Africa is themed #BeautifullyMe and it as all about self-awareness and body positivity.