Guardian Life Article 27/10/13 - Perfect Guest

*in collaboration with aisleperfect.com*

Nigerian Wedding Season aka December is around the corner and with bbm display pictures, Facebook statuses, Twitter tweets and Instagram pictures congratulating one newly engaged person or the other you know it’s going to be merciless starting from December 1^st.

Besides being burdened with contributing to bridal showers and souvenirs you also have to contend with finding the perfect outfit. Whatever your mission may be at that wedding; to accidentally on purpose elbow the high jumper beside you in the face as you dive for the bouquet to the thumping beat of Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’. To show other new mums how your body has snapped back after childbirth. To run a steady stream of slander against everyone around you. To find The One amongst the sunglasses clad, suit wearing, inebriated groomsmen…..

Whatever your reasons for clutching your Access Card like your life depended on it and stalking into that venue, you’d want to do it looking like the baddest chick in the room.

That’s where Aisle Perfect comes in; it’s a daily wedding blog providing chic inspiration to the discerning bride. Created by a hopeless romantic, AP inspires through real love stories, the latest in wedding style, planning tips, and much more. It's your one-stop shop for a stylish ever-after.

Wedding websites have recently crowded the Nigerian cyberspace but the first and the best to do it; aisleperfect.com shows us how to own an event by providing weekly outfit inspiration for the stylish wedding guest.

For the Native Wear Inspired Guest

For the Glamorous Guest

For the Avant-Garde Guest

For the Supremely Ladylike Guest

For the Romantic Guest

For the Super Chic Guest

MultiChoice Nigeria presents the Fashion Protégé

Nigeria’s Biggest Fashion Design Competition! MultiChoice Nigeria presents the Fashion Protégé!

In Search For Nigeria’s Next Big Fashion Star!

Hello my lovelies!

MultiChoice Nigeria is on a hunt for Nigeria’s Most Talented Fashion Protégé!

Created to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of MultiChoice Nigeria, The Fashion Protégé is a 5-Episode Nigerian Reality Television Series that will air later this year on DStv’s AfricaMagic. Contestants guided by Mentors will compete to be recognized as Nigeria’s Next Big Fashion star!

In explaining why MultiChoice decided to create The Fashion Protégé, a representative from MultiChoice Nigeria says: “As MultiChoice turns 20, it is important that we invest in our communities that have kept African stories alive and foster the next generation of creative talents. This will create an opportunity for them to tell their own stories through their designs.”

Designers, Fashionistas, Fashionistos, Stylists and Everyone who is fashion savvy, this is an opportunity you cannot miss! Get your creative and resilient spirits energized, as we will test your ability to succeed in the cutthroat Fashion Industry. If you know you’ve got all it takes to make it big in Fashion, then be ready to prove it!

It’s a few hoops to the finish line, but if you’ve got the talent, then you can be on your way to becoming Africa’s most celebrated budding designer. Simply enter the competition by following these few steps:

How to Enter
1. Read all there is to know about MultiChoice Nigeria
2. Design a piece inspired by MultiChoice Nigeria
3. Take a photo of your design and submit via email to entries@ng.multichoice.com. Photo must be accompanied by a short explanation of how design is inspired by MultiChoice Nigeria.
4. Spread the word!

Criteria
Submitted Entries will be judged by a panel of Fashion Experts & a representative of MultiChoice Nigeria for:
• Creativity
• Connection to MultiChoice Nigeria theme
• Quality of Garment

Next Steps
• 30 finalists will be shortlisted for the audition
• 10 contestants will be chosen for the 5 episode reality series
• 1 winner will emerge!

Entry Guidelines
1. Contestants must be between ages 18-35
2. Designer, Stylist, Fashion Enthusiast. Ability to sew not compulsory for participation. However, Creative Direction must be executed by contestant.
3. If already in business; business must have been established for a period less than 2 years
4. Contestants must be based in Nigeria.

Up For grabs is N1,000,000, Mentorship by a renowned Nigerian designer, an International Fashion Trip, a Special Feature Interview on BellaNaija, a Feature in a Top Fashion Magazine & a Lookbook by a Top Photographer.

Entries close 18 November 2013 at 23:59 GMT

For more information about The Fashion Protégé: Visit www.dstv.com/ https://www.facebook.com/dstvng

Posted with Blogsy

Winner!!!!

The Winner of the N10,000 voucher from The Red Outlet is Sumbo Eludire, s.eludire@gmail.com.

Will send you an email soon with your voucher.
Congrats!

Posted with Blogsy

Guardian Life Article 20/10/13 - Fashion Week Ready

Unless you’ve been hiding under not just one but several strategically placed rocks, you should know that the Lagos Fashion Calendar is on red alert for the month of October. The GTB Lagos Fashion & Design Week (LFDW) is coming up from the 23^rd to the 26^th of October.

I have fond memories of last year’s LFDW, great fashion, awesome new designers, beautiful people, sparkling events…..and I know this year is going to be bigger and more fabulous.

Now if you are an ardent style blogger watcher such as myself you could not have failed to notice the gorgeousness that was rolled out in the name of fashion during the just concluded Fashion Month that took place in the powerhouse cities of New York, London, Milan and Paris (maybe Lagos…one day?).

Bloggers, magazine editors, stylists, women with no discernible occupation but whom are frightfully stylish and frightfully well-connected, celebrities, models etc. All these people gave us all the life we needed and more with knock-out street style fashion. From Anna Dello Russo to Miroslava Duma to Ciara to Aimee Song…every “fashion person” demographic was represented and we were grateful. International Fashion Week is a twice yearly spectacle and the people watching is half the fun.

Nigeria and most particularly Lagos have people representing us in the celebrities, stylists, people who are popular for no discernible reason, models, etc categories. So we expect to see a healthy dose of street style (well whatever could pass for our own street style, getting papped in the lobby of Eko Hotel perhaps)

.

What is the secret however to becoming a Nigerian Street Style Star?

We all know cameras are tricky, you may have borrowed, begged or stole a knock-off Herve Leger dress with 25k Louboutins, walked as slowly as possible, smiled invitingly (desperately) at the photographers and you still don’t land that Bella Naija/Ono Bello/Guardian Life feature.

What guarantees you get noticed and become the next Queen Nkiru Anumudu or Eku Edewor?

If you are not famous and are looking to put yourself out there and as a result become a target for the comments danger zone in gossip blogs, here are a few tips below:

1) Wear Something Quirky

You know why your borrowed bandage dress didn’t work for you, too ordinary, too pretty, too predictable.

Unless you’re famous and the photogs already know your face, therefore if you showed up to every event looking like you’re going to prom in the 80s a la Emma Nyra they would still fall over you, you can’t afford to play it safe.

Be bold, be out there, be frankly….a teensy bit ridiculous.

Honestly if you pull an Anna Dello Russo and don’t get noticed then you’re just unfortunate.

2) Look Busy/Unconcerned

Even if you're just trying to figure out where Don Jazzy is so you can waylay him later, do it with an important face on. Everyone will think you're responding to a bbm from Omoyemi Akerele. 

Extra points for looking vaguely angry.

3) Be A Label Whore

Chanel Jumbo Maxi Flap bag – check

Louboutins or Guiseppe Zanotti’s – check

Hermes clic clac bracelet – check

Chanel brooch – check

How else will your people back in the village be able to say their daughter has arrived if she’s not armed to the teeth with labels? 

Make sure whatever you have on is monogrammed to the hilt, bend/break your ankles so everyone can see the red-bottoms, take every photo with your bag accidentally on purpose placed in front of you, absolutely refuse to take of your Prada Baroque sunnies indoors. 

How else will the fash-pack know that you have arrived and are waiting in the wings to take your rightful place with them?

p.s. knockoffs are totally allowed, you’d find yourself in tremendously good company.

4) Print-Tastic

If you look like Susie Bubble on acid and give them a print-plosion of life, trust and believe you will land the website cover of Bella Naija the next day. 

I personally guarantee it.

Now the trick is to look like you’ve clearly lost your mind. If at the end you closely resemble a living room in the Seventies then you have definitely hit your target.

Start with something ridiculous, layer with something else equally ridiculous, and then proceed to clash with as many ridiculous items as possible.

I love me some Susie Bubble but Lord knows her style is a mystery to me.

5) Walk The Walk

I mentioned walking really slowly initially and I wasn’t being sarcastic. 

See in Nigeria, our paparazzi culture is not as prolific as its international counterparts.Therefore at these kinds of events there are not enough photographers to satisfy the massive number of fame whores.

So if you want to guarantee you get noticed, walk into the venue and pause, make sure there isn’t someone famous ahead of you because the persona and their entourage will be taking pictures for the next 30 minutes.

When you have established that the coast is clear, walk really slowly giving the photographers time to notice this new style ingénue with her strategically placed quirky accessory, tapping away at her phone talking to far more interesting people, draped in Azzedine Alaia and clashing prints like her middle name is Solange.

After a successful outing, wait a respectable 24 hours and hit the blogs.

Do you see yourself?

Thank you.

The Guardian Life Team will be keeping an eye out for style stars at LFDW. Show up, show out and catch our attention. You never know, you could be the next Nigerian Street Style Star.

p.s. Hope you guys are still voting for me to win Most Promising Female Blogger at the ELOY Awards.

To vote go HERE

Or text "ELOY" followed by "ThirdWorldProfashional" to 35070 or email "ThirdWorldProfashional" to eloy@exquisitemag.com.

Guardian Life Article 13/10/13 - No Country For Trends

This is a rebuttal to the article I wrote last week on the hot new trends. It is my prerogative to contradict myself.

Fashion trends are a farce.

An astute eye would notice exactly how fashion editors, blogs, photographers, stylists, magazines; in other words, spin doctors; attempt to convince us that each year, each season brings something new. When in actual fact it’s just trends from the year before; bigger, better, shinier…on younger and newer faces.

The fashion calendar is broken up into two seasons; Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter, with each season having its own distinct trend which we must all, on pain of being unfashionable, adhere to.

In the Spring, starting from around February pastel colours come back into fashion; Lavender, Mint, Apple, Cerulean, Ivory, Blush etc, making it seem like we’re trying to atone for the ostentatiousness of the previous holiday month.

As Spring/Summer gains momentum and we start moving forward to the wedding months, starting from April, floral becomes the order of the day. Suddenly everyone just HAS to have something in floral or they’re not on trend at all. Every wedding in this season will have at least 70% of the female attendees in floral dresses or separates.

As the weather gets warmer and layers start coming off, the colours amp up into vibrant technicolour and suddenly neon is the “it” shade. If your yellows, blues and oranges aren’t blindingly fluorescent you might as well move back to the boondocks.

The gloriously hot months of July and August dictate that everybody must be in barely there clothing, with not exactly toned down, but warmer colours. 2011 took that to a whole new level with the trend that refused to die and has apparently become a mainstay; colour blocking; the deft art of intentionally clashing colours as far away from each other on the colour spectrum as possible.

Autumn begins unofficially in September and as the days start to get a bit chillier the light-heartedness of the summer months are suddenly persona non-grata and colours start to get a bit more muted, now instead of a glorious Scarlet, designers churn out identikit clothing in Burgundy, instead of screaming Orange, we get subdued Rust, instead of acid Green, we get Forest. As the leaves fall from the trees the colours get darker and darker, the prints become increasingly sinister, paisley, animal prints from leopard to python to pony to giraffe…….we’re all suddenly serious minded people again.

Then the apex of it all, the month long party that is December, everybody is suddenly draped in sequins and glitter, trying to one up the next person, all culminating in the party night to end all party nights; New Year’s Eve, where you must don your shiniest, most outrageous outfit, a combination of all the trends that made an appearance that year.

After this climax of course comes January, the month of austerity and the cycle begins again.

Think about it, this rotation repeats itself without fail, every single year. There are a few variations on the trends and they are tweaked a bit to show some originality but nonetheless every year we start off with pastels, then florals, the neon, then brights, then muted colours, darker prints and climaxing in glitter.

Therefore, fashion trends are a farce.

As human beings we all believe we’re different from the next person yet strive so hard to look exactly the same. There’s nothing stopping you from wearing animal print in April or sequins in August, or wearing a black jumpsuit and a croc fascinator to a summer wedding.

Now why I love Nigeria and Nigerian fashion is because we have 365 days of summer, we are not constrained by the dictates of Ms. Wintour, Nigerian fashion designers luxuriate in the fact that their designs are not hidebound by changing seasons and therefore have the artistic freedom to churn out gorgeous frocks regardless of what time of the year it is.

After all it’s a party every day in Nigeria.

Fashion rules say otherwise but the only rule is that there are no rules.

Don't forget to vote for me to win Most Promising Female Blogger/Online Editor at the ELOY Awards.

To vote go HERE

Or text "ELOY" followed by "ThirdWorldProfashional" to 35070 or email "ThirdWorldProfashional" to eloy@exquisitemag.com.

Love and light xx

Best Of The Week - Viral Videos

The internet is the devil, that is a truism beyond the shadow of a doubt. For someone like me who is a new media advocate, in plain speak I'm confessing to being a social media addict. I have seen all sorts of amazing things, but nothing beat (literally) this video I saw yesterday.

Apparently the gist is that the guy in the video invited some girl up to his apartment and his girlfriend aka Alpha Female Before Whom All Alpha Females Must Bow caught him and proceeded to school him in the act of You Don't Cheat On Your Girlfriend 101.

Basically this man knelt down on the ground and didn't do diddly squat while his girlfriend proceeded to slap the beejesus out of him...repeatedly. Now I'm not saying he should have clocked her, but I was very confused as to why he didn't just get up and leave, run away even.

Lets analyze this 6 minutes of comic gold here, I have so many questions for these people.

Why didn't this guy just get up and walk away, like did she super glue his knees to the ground (I'm pretty sure she's capable)? Does she have something on him that makes him unable to challenge her. Why on earth did this man (and I use the word very loosely) just allow himself to be wozed like Jesus didn't die for his sins.

Why did the Mata Hari of this tragi-comedy just stand there mute like her tongue was on layaway? The chick renounced the power of speech that day and did not say pim. Who can blame her, if his girlfriend could beat him up in the middle of the street what on earth would she do to the girl he was allegedly cheating with. I mean if she couldn't protest her innocence why didn't she just leave? Are people unable to walk away from The Girlfriend, what kind of supernatural powers does she possess?

How is it possible that this slip of a girl in Harry Potter glasses has the SOLID BRASS BALLS to beat up a man in the middle of a busy street for suspecting he might have asked another girl up to his apartment? The girl was fresh out of phucks to give and she let everyone know it.

I mean after a while I actually let go of my disgust at the man's whimpers and started to feel sorry for him. What kind of life is he living with such a harridan of a girlfriend?

I don't condone violence at all, this is mainly because I have no stamina and would lose very badly in a fight so I just don't bother, its easy to take the high road when the alternative might involve scratches to the face, permanent injury etc. Basically I never fight so I can't imagine hitting a man like what I just saw above, hitting anybody for that matter. I just couldn't. And Lord knows I won't allow myself to be attacked like this, I'd run away, of course throwing some choice insults over my shoulder but I know mad people and that girl is a few cards short of a full deck, no way I'm hanging around to see what else she can inflict on me.



In awesome contrast, peep this beauty of a video below of a telekinectic prank plaid on some unsuspecting people.

What. A. Trip.



And this one of a Miley/The Roots/Jimmy Fallon acapella version of We Can't Stop.

I really don't care if the girl lets her ass hang out for the world to see, I love We Can't Stop....unashamedly.

Don't forget to vote for me to win Most Promising Female Blogger/Online Editor at the ELOY Awards.

To vote go HERE

Or text "ELOY" followed by "ThirdWorldProfashional" to 35070 or email "ThirdWorldProfashional" to eloy@exquisitemag.com.

Love and light xx

TWP Around The Web

Besides my Guardian Life Articles, I've really been a bit behind on TWP business, but never fear, all things worketh for good.

I have some fab projects in the pipeline I can't wait to share with you guys, some awesome giveaways in the works too.

TWP's 5th Anniversary is coming up on the 24th of October and I know I have to mark it somehow, I've put on my thinking cap to figure out the best way to thank you guys for five years of unbelievable love and support. Suggestions are also welcome, we're all family here, speak up.

Below is a round-up of articles on the internet where I've been featured. I don't think I'll ever get used to the feeling of having people you don't even know think your work is important enough to want to share it with an audience.

Warms the cockles of my heart and stuff.

Here are a few I was able to find, some of them are as far back as several months ago.

1) I did an interview recently with business website stephanieobi.com on how I built a business with my blog. You can find the interview HERE

2) Genevieve Magazine online recently did a 'We Love Her Style' feature on me, thanks guys! You can find it HERE

3) I was a wedding style personality for Sugar Weddings! See it HERE

4) I've been featured quite a bit by the good people at onobello.com on a couple 'Who Wore It Better' posts. Find them:

• The Virgos Lounge 'Aggy' Jacket
• ASOS multi stripe dress

And also in a more recent Holiday Style Inspiration post HERE

5) A Style Crush feature by the fab Michi (July baby and my birthday mate)  of uberchicmichi.com HERE

6) A Star Style feature on ameriestyle.com HERE

7) A lovely lovely post comparing me to Victoria Beckham (yes I receive it) by The Fairy Godmother NG HERE

Love and light xx

p.s. Hope you guys are still voting for me to win Most Promising Female Blogger at the ELOY Awards.

To vote go HERE

Or text "ELOY" followed by "ThirdWorldProfashional" to 35070 or email "ThirdWorldProfashional" to eloy@exquisitemag.com.

Guardian Life Article 6/10/13 - Hot Right Now

Changing seasons in the great fashion capitals of the world have once again dictated shifting trends and since Anna Wintour is the Holy Roman Emperor of the Fashion Universe, this change in fashion choices reverberates from New York to London to Milan to Paris and to us here in Nigeria.

Luckily we are not burdened with below zero weather, and don’t have to indulge in buying fall coats, boots or gloves. Our nod to fashions ever dynamic yet still strangely static cycle is restricted to adopting the darker colour palette, stronger prints and more sunny weather friendly attire.

ANIMAL PRINT

Animal prints roll out from around the beginning of October like clockwork. From leopard to cheetah to giraffe to zebra, the feline fashionista is spoiled for choice. This being the 21^st century animal prints are no longer limited to their natural hues of brown, cream, black or white but can be found in more unnatural colours such as red, green, and blue.

Take a walk on the wild side below with this House of Nwocha leopard print dress with structured shoulders.

LEATHER

Leather naturally calls to mind Hell’s Angels, Sandy morphing into a bad girl in the last scene of Grease or James Dean doing his best curled lip impression.

Modern leather is so not the Fifties ideal and oh so different

.

These days leather panels as part of a shift dress; such as the ASOS dress below, show a bit of edge without losing its ladylike appeal and a leather pencil skirt is perfectly primed to take you from the office to Rhapsodys for after work drinks.

GOLD

One of the most precious metals in the world gold never loses its appeal. Looking for a way to warm up your skin tone and add a muted glow? Pile on those gold necklaces. Trying to dress up a dressed down look? Matching gold accessories make you look like you just stepped off a Learjet

.

Excessive or muted, gold works ever which way.

DARK LIPS

Fall (or in our case Harmattan’s) hottest lip shade straddles the colour spectrum from burgundy to deep brown to berry.

Dark lips give the face an otherworldly glow and it is best to keep face clean and eye make-up minimal to further enhance the deep tones of the lipstick.

No need to go full on goth, if you’re apprehensive start with a deep brown shade and work your way up to the deep violets and berry’s.

My personal dark lipstick shade recommendations are NARS Tanganyka, MAC Rebel, Revlon Black Cherry.

PLAID

Whether you’re strolling through the Highlands or just walking into that office building in Marina you will want to be seen in plaid.

Plaid shirts, skirts, dresses and accessories are rampant right now in all shades and patterns. Like this plaid dress with ruching below from ASOS.

OMBRE HAIR

I recently took a dip into the ombre hair pool and I have only good things to report. I’ve always been a strict dark hair girl but retained a fascination with blonde hair. Since I am too chicken to go full on Barbie I started out slowly by experimenting with ombre hair.

The effect can be achieved by bleaching the tips of your hair, this should be done line by line so by the time the hair falls straight the colour is layered through the hair therefore looking like the shade goes from dark to light gradually.

I personally found it enhanced my complexion beautifully, not sure if it’ll work the same for everyone else but it is definitely worth a try.

CAMOUFLAGE

Rihanna can be personally credited with driving the camouflage resurgence. With her collaboration with UK High Street chain River Island consisting mainly of camouflage, the battle fatigue print is experiencing a definite revival.

Camouflage brings a lot of toughness and edge to any outfit.

Seeing as River Island now delivers to Nigeria, you can get a piece of the action by ordering online.

MONOCHROME SUITS

Serve the people Bianca Jagger realness in a classic monochrome pantsuit. This look is clean, crisp and understated yet packs a major amount of oomph.

Wear with an inner blouse, shirt or cami in a corresponding colour for a fabulous three piece monochrome effect.