Sunday’s Show
Last Sunday was the final showdown for the first Abuja Fashion Week to be sponsored by motor giant Mercedes Benz. The final runway show saw its biggest audience since its launch on Wednesday and saw a long list of celebrities with senators, diplomats, famed bloggers, singers, household names and notable aid workers stretched across the front row.
The entertainment was at its peak with performances from internationally acclaimed label, Chocolate City, a pop themed violin performance from Nigeria’s Got Talent finalist Azuka and sassy vocals and dance movies from singer Sarah. There was an elegant surprise in the entertainment section as the managing director of Mercedes Benz in Abuja, the official sponsors of Abuja fashion week, wowed the audience with his tasteful display of the Tango dance. The final show was designed to make sure the event went out with a bang and it certainly was the best effort compared to the other runway shows in this event.
It was a full house by the time the show started and fascinated faces could be found at every turn of the head.
image: http://cms.dailytrust.com.ng/cms/newsimages/Full%20House.jpg
Nineteen designers displayed their work to the packed audience and the entertainers went all in with their performances much to the audience’s glee. The entertainment did not go off without an appreciated party crasher who seized the opportunity during a short break to display his Nigerian dance moves. He eventually caught the eye of the hostess who noticed eyes swarming to the balcony above, which prompted her to call for a round of applause for the unknown person.
The Nigeria Experience
The foreigners at the show, which included Argentinian ambassador to Nigeria, UNICEF chief communications officer and director of Fifth Chukker, got the real Nigeria experience when a power cut occurred mid-show in the middle of designer Hafsat Sani’s (The Cicadea label) display. However, that didn’t kill the spring in the models’ steps as they walked on to the barely lit catwalk with no upbeat music to boost their styles. There was noticeable frustration from Nigerians and a civilised aura from anyone who wasn’t but the enthusiasm quickly picked up when Hafsat walked out in a black fitted evening gown. There was a nice touch of shimmering silver embroidery on the short sleeves and the whole dress wrapped so beautifully around her petite frame.
Aisha Abubakar Achonu
The wife of Athen Nneji Achonu famously dubbed ‘one-armed senator’ was among the much-loved celebrities at the final show. Aisha Abubakar showed off her designs for her label bearing her name. She generated quite a lot of excitement from the audience who were in awe of her beauty and evening gowns and bowed to a loud cheer from the audience when she walked out for recognition (like she needs it).
Traditional meets Denim
Label ‘Oroko 7’ showed off the versatile nature of denim with Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa traditional options. The audience was left quite amused by this bold display of traditional attires as they were flaunted on the catwalk for all to see. This unique approach was a head turner and now we wait to see if this trend will jump in or stay out!
Bumpy affair
The runway- although at its best –was still a somewhat a bumpy affair with models ‘threatening’ to fall as they walked on to the catwalk in some of the most demanding designs. You could catch the flicker of the eyes and the reflex of hands to hearts as the audience gasped in fear. Daily Trust would like to report zero casualties only because the models with their determination, managed to let things run without a fall.
Makeup craze
Nigerians showed off their love for makeup both on the runway and on the ground. It was a makeup craze as the models walked out with bold eye shadow and lip work and donned perfectly tweaked eyebrows on their colourful skins. BM PRO makeup, the official makeup sponsors of the Abuja Fashion Week with an international reach, gave a model their wonderful touch before sending her off on to the runway to show off their art. The nod of approval was apparent from the constant nods that were hard to ignore from mostly the female members of the audience
Fashion in Abuja
It was clear from the variety of designs throughout this fashion week that there was no set theme as a range of designers displayed clothes fit for all sorts of occasions. Work was produced from young adults and adults. Three things were clear however; there was a lot of sequence, a lot of lace and there were hardly any male designers and male clothes.This says something about fashion tastes and the gender commitment in Abuja. It was left to two men and one woman to display some male options.
This however did not rebut the fact that it was all glitz and glamour because a lot of the male options were loaded with embroidery and bathed in a variety of different colours. The designs portrayed Nigeria’s love for glamour and heavy decorations enhanced with beaded and twinkling accessories.
What we learned from Abuja Fashion Week
The purpose of this fashion show in Abuja was to provide a platform for people to display their talents because the government isn’t doing enough to help, the chief organiser, Yusuf Abubakar said.
The show in its splendor over the course of five days, provided workshops and runways for those eager to break into the fashion industry. Sponsors and celebrities were called to the event to recognise talent from models, musicians and designers. The fashion show evidently provided the basics for those skills to develop but the turnout was low when you look at Abuja’s population and position in Nigeria. This hindered efforts to create awareness on a wide scale. Enthusiasm was evident online but this didn’t reflect on attendance. Fashion is much more appreciated in Lagos according to one of the organisers, Maryam Laushi, who was present at the Lagos Fashion Week. However, the hard efforts by the organisers were obvious and the determination means this event could see a better reception when it returns next year now that the foundation has been laid.
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