WHEN you want to know how passionate a lady is about her dress sense, check what she wears to complement her clothes. A beautiful necklace will help any lady to get a pass mark in a situation like this.
The assorted array of neck ornaments that we have today can be worn on both African and Western dresses, gowns, skirts and tops, boubous, dinner wear, iro and buba.
So, you complement your good look with it this season.
MANY people believe that being thin is being beautiful. But it is no longer a secret that you can actually be big and still look bold, trendy, stunning and beautiful.
A lady of impeccable class and style in the person of Beat FM Presenter, Toolz Oniru, is someone we respect a lot when it comes to fashion. Yet she is not slim, but she is bold and beautiful. She wears anything that suits her and this makes her comfortable and glamorous.
It is important to take pride on being healthy and looking respectable. Beautiful women come in all sizes and shapes.
The days when full-figured women were severely limited in their fashion choices are, fortunately, in the past. Designers and retailers now realize that offering fashionable plus-size clothing is smart business.
Full-figured women know that who you are is not defined by what size you wear. You can look wonderful and feel great in the body you have. And with so many plus-size women’s clothing options now available at every price point, there’s no reason you can’t look your best. Looking for plus-size petites? A prom dress or wedding gown, goth or rockabilly? It’s all available for full-figured women and teens.
THERE is no denying it that we generally love a great smile with sparkling white and clean teeth, and brushing your teeth regularly is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.
Some say that the smile is the first feature that they notice in others. However, oral health is important in more ways than simply making an impression. If teeth are cleaned properly, it prevents the formation of plague around the gums of teeth. Plague forms easily after food is eaten and bacteria thrive in it. Also, it is essential to cut down on sugary foods and drinks because they damage teeth.
Teeth are an important part of our overall well-being. Therefore, it is important to learn how to brush them properly.
Tips to make your smile inviting
• Replace toothbrush once a month. This is better than using one for three or four months. Worn toothbrush will not clean your teeth sufficiently and a brush’s bristles can retain germs.
• Replace your toothbrush after having a cold in order to prevent a relapsed infection.
• Always use toothpaste that has fluoride -Fluoride, the most common active ingredient in toothpaste, prevents cavities. So you should always be sure your toothpaste contains fluoride.
• Hold toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gum-line
• Brush using small circular motions
• Always brush your tongue and the upper part of the mouth
• Chew odour-killing chewing-gum after every lunch, but if you are at home, simply brush with toothpaste.
• Have regular dental check-ups
• Have your teeth whitening once in a while
• Floss at least once a day
In conclusion, dentists say that the most important part of tooth care happens at home. So, brushing and flossing properly, along with regular dental check-ups, can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
GONE are the days when only women spend thousands on handbags. These days, it has become a trend for guys’ to carry cute trendy office and travel bags. A man’s bag is definitely a very important accessory they cannot do without at one point in their lives. So, strike the right style statement with the precise bag choice!
Below are a few popular trends in men’s bag in 2013 to style their formal and casual attire.
Briefcase bag
It has revamped its look and has taken the centre of being a business or working man’s bag. In order to pull those formal and smart looks go for briefcase bags. While you carry these bags make sure that you are in formals or business attire.
Travel bags
Travel in style! Men travelling bags now come in fashionable styles, adding flair to one’s totality. There is nothing as good as travelling with the right travel bag in order to avoid wrecking either your look or your business prospects.
The bags should not only look good, but they should also be useful and store up the many items men cannot do without like gadgets, accessories – on a daily basis.
Newsboy bag
This is for the casual look.
I love Elohor Aisien’s of Berth Modelling style. Always polished and she knows what works for her and sticks with it.
For her outfit at a fashion gathering recently, she wore a navy-blue trousers pant, light blue long sleeve shirt, with draping silk neck scarf.
Want her outfit? You might check out the different clothes of the same style below
You can opt for a three-quarter sleeve shirt if you like or if you want to look more romantic, knock-off the look with a tiny belt! Compliment it with light-red bow- pumps and handbag.
Elohor has a great eye for mixing and matching effectively. Pair it with a simple wrist watch and off you go!
THE fact remains that the story of the fast -growing fashion industry is not complete without the contributions of highly creative and talented fashion designers whose works are earning the respect and admiration of fashion stakeholders at home and abroad. We present to you some fashion designers who will set the pace in 2013.
UGONNA OMERUO OF HOUSE OF NWOCHA
Ugonna Omeruo broke into the fashion scene and took the fashion community by pleasant storm. She sparked a new revolution in red carpet couture by embellishing her collections with mesh fabric, feathers, layers and the like. She made a name by churning out fantastic designs. That she draws inspiration from a myriad of sources is evident in her skilful blending of styles, textures and fabrics. Her designs rocked on and off the fashion runway in 2012.
OLAYINKA FASHOLA OF MOOFA
Moofa is one of the most incredibly talented young designers around. This creative designer knows the ABC of the fashion industry. Within a short period, she has carved out a niche for herself on and off the runway. Moofa worked with high quality and exquisite fabrics, showcasing the beauty of velvet, chiffon, satin and lace. She uses quality vibrant fabric to produce contemporary pieces designs that are her signature. Almost all the women of calibre have two or more of her designs in their wardrobe. She’s one lady who’s changing the way we look at lace and satin fabric.
MAI ATAFO INSPIRED (MAI)
A senior Brand Manager turned luxury designer! His work ranges from pretty red carpet glamour to trendy statement casuals pieces. Mai Atafo established and ran his clothing line Mai Atafo Inspired (MAI) which he ran as he worked in a full time job. Mai Atafo Inspired (MAI) specialises in glamorous red carpet dresses for women and suits for men. His designs are versatile, timeless andnotably classicist.
OLAKUNBI OYELESE OF APRIL BY KUNBI
With a vision to be ranked among the best 10 designers in Nigeria, Olakunbi Oyelese boasts a large number of celebrity figures in Nigeria. April by Kunbi is a fashion label that specialises in couture and ready to wear fashion for women who place a premium on the principles of fashion, fit and functionality.
April by Kunbi is one that came to our awareness with sparkling form-fitting dresses that radiate much sexiness as well as confidence. Her wide ranges of highly versatile and wearable collections have lots of shiny sequined fabric the brand is well known for.
TOLANI NKILI ONAJIDE OF NKILI
NKILI is a women’s luxury shirt-making brand focused on bringing light to the traditionally neglected, yet single most important garment in a wardrobe, the shirt. Each piece goes on a journey, from design and print to production, nurtured by the highly skilled production team in Scotland. American celebrity, Angela Simmons, has been spotted wearing the NKILI Tattoo Shirt and British singer, Lianne La Havas, performed in the black NKILI butterfly shirt on her world tour.
HAKEEM BALOGUN OF KIMONO KOLLECTION
This London-trained designer has a multitude of talents. His label caters to the needs of the modern man. Whilst the structured tailoring adheres to the principles of a bygone age, the brand’s appeal is to the diverse, multi lifestyle of the modern day gent. As a student, he said he schooled himself in the vision of the craftsmen at Saville Row as well as keeping a sharp eye on the edgy East London fashion scene. A combination of both disciplines meant he rapidly became renowned for his own unique personal style.
WE all want to be radiant, smooth, and wrinkle-free all year round. But as harmattan months set in, your skin goes through a transition, and this is not always easy to achieve. The once hydrated and healthy skin and lips become chapped and dry. Looking after your skin in this season is very important, as we all know that the harmattan season is always characterised by dryness of the skin and intense cold. And if you are the type with the tendency to suffer from dry skin patches, the harmattan will certainly make your problems worse. All skins need tender loving care (TLC). A lifetime of healthy practice is the best route to a beautiful skin.
Water therapy
Drink plenty of water as this will hydrate the skin
Glycerin and rose water to the rescue
Add some quantity of glycerin and rose water to your body cream, but if you can afford it, let the glycerin and rose water be your body cream for this period. It will make your skin smooth, glow and wrinkle-free, despite the harsh weather.
Avoid hot bath
According to an osteopathic physician and dermatologist, avoid hot showers and baths. As tempting and as enjoyable as it is to jump into a hot shower on a cold winter day, don’t. Bathing in hot water breaks down the lipid barriers in your skin which causes a loss in moisture.
Exfoliate
The top layers of skin cells are either dead or old and make your skin look dull. Exfoliating gets rid of the dead skin cells and reveals newer, healthier-looking skin.
Moisturize
Moisturize and don’t pick at dry skin. Peeling off dead skin is dangerous and will not help to revitalize new skin cells and skin moisturizer that is oil-based, not water-based, to nourish skin from the inside and help balance natural oil production is your best bet. So, slap on plenty of moisturizer.
She owns Joan Ede fashion house which runs a clothing line, fashion school, modeling outfits and more. She has costumed so many beauty queens, and recently she dressed the MBGN Universe. A winner of Niger Delta Fashion Designer of the Year, Joan Edward Oghoyemwen in this interview with ESTHER MOHAMMED expresses her love and passion for designing, and why fashion is regarded as a career for illiterates
YOU started designing at an early age, what inspired you?
God and my mom. From an early age, I love using my hands to create beautiful things. And since I am able to catch people’s attention with the works of my hands, it made me want to do more. My mum inspired me a lot as she kept teaching me all I needed to know because she was a designer herself. From a very early age, I was taught that God is with me in all I do. This also built my confidence and gave me the boldness to be as creative as I could get.
When it comes to fashion I would say it is natural because I grew up knowing how to design as a normal thing. From the age when I could talk I was already asking questions about fabrics and design. As a little child I loved beautiful clothes and I enjoyed watching stylish women come to the house to visit. I started cutting and making dresses for my dolls and then purses for my friends in the junior secondary school.
You are well known for the “Rainbow Tie”, what makes it unique?
The rainbow tie is a unique multi-purpose tie that comes in different colours. It is used on the neck and waist. It was inspired from the need to beautify style and colour any usual, plain or regular look. Joan Ede rainbow tie has won the hearts of fashion lovers, celebrities, and the corporate world. The rainbow tie invented by Joan Ede is not just a design but it is a trend that will out live its designer.
You won the Niger Delta Fashion Designer of the Year. How did you achieve this feat?
My outstanding outfit for celebrities, music videos and great fashion event is what has gotten me the award of the Niger Delta Fashion Designer of the year. My outfits have gone very far. The rainbow tie has gone beyond the African shores. I also dressed the most beautiful girl in UNIBEN 2006, Miss Edo 2011, queen of the south-south 2011, Miss Asaba 2011, current MBGN Universe 2012 and a whole lot of other beauty queens across the country.
What would you say were the challenges when you started?
Unavailability of good tailoring equipment made it very difficult to bring some of my designs alive. Also fashion practice in this part of the world is regarded as a career for illiterates, hence the disappointment from different certain family members and friends made it difficult for me at a point in time. But I find joy in it and decided to push through irrespective of the discouragement from people and the unavailability of machines. When you are happy at what you do, it is difficult to be stopped because you will always see more opportunity in what you do than the limitations.
What is fashion to Joan?
To me, fashion is part of our lives that we cannot do without. It is sometimes a reflection of who we are and how people see us. Fashion is art, fashion is life. My own kind of fashion is an expression of true art and the beautiful life that God has created. This beauty of life also includes us as individuals. My kind of fashion is the type that inspires, beautifies and develops confidence. My kind of fashion adds to the joy and hope of life.
If you were not a fashion designer what will you have loved to be?
I would have loved to be a military lawyer who is a super-model and a dancer. But I would have been a mask dancer so that I won’t jeopardise my military office.
What would you say to an upcoming designer?
My advice for upcoming designers is for them to aim at excellence. In your fashion career your own peace of mind must come first. You must not be in a hurry; be calm and patient. Most importantly, trust God for increase and inspiration because your talent comes from him, he knows you more than you know yourself.
THE colour forecast for 2013 reveals new colours that soothe, renew and even surprise. They are glorious vibrant jewel colours ; we will see them all, emerald, ruby, teal blue, coral, peacock blue, shiny silver, buttery golden yellows, deep oranges, navy and turquoise, all supported by the use of gold, luscious thick creamy creams, ivory and warm white. Warmth, texture, layers, opulence and luxury is key for 2013 and beyond with an Egyptian theme of blues, green and gold’s emerging.
Enchantingly glossy cream, peach, chocolate, ox-blood, wine and energetic black are the other colours to look out for.
The year will see a wonderful mix of gaiety and colour in what we wear and in our homes.
In all, fashion has become more of an individual thing. 2013 should be all about working on what is in your wardrobe, buying new ones, mixing and matching different style pieces to achieve a unique style; and while you do this, remember, fashion is always moving and evolving in an unpredictable way.
Metallic colours like gold and silver are expected to dominate the fashion industry this year.
Dark and military colours like cream and brown will also be the in thing.
Black, white and neutral combinations are most welcome to give that warm feeling.