couture fashion week 2009 photos: zizi cardow, hallero, house of jola, lanre da silva-ajayi

[model wearing a hallero dress, N38,000 approx]

a while ago, we blogged about looking forward to couture fashion week and later updated you with a few photos of some of our favorite pieces (see here and here). we're very excited to direct you to a site where you can view photos from each designer. click each link to continue:

hallero

house of jola

zizi cardow

lanre da silva-ajayi

xo

in the news: Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation launches National Dress Brand

we're still processing this news item but we thought we'd share anyway. the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation has decided to create what they're terming a "National Dress Brand" for all nigerians. citing ghana's distinct kente cloth and its recognition such that one can hardly think ghana without thinking kente, Otunba Runsewe, the managing director of NTDC, stated at the unveiling of this movement last week that:

“We have decided to introduce a Nigerian Dress Brand that appeal[s] to the dress sense of all Nigeria[ns], depending on the choice, quality and price.” We found the Ankara textile fabric as one that cuts across every ethnic, cultural and social borders (sic) to bring unity and economic development to our textile mills and the people.

“Though, Ankara is mostly used at social gatherings but we want to encourage it more like the Kente in Ghana which has become the order of the day and you can find it everywhere in the world and the people are very proud of it. Why can’t the Ankara rule the world too? Nigeria is big and [there is] no part of the world that you cannot find Nigeria[ns] so let['s] start to use it anywhere we go to show that we have some things unique [to us] too.”

apparently, brands like jewel by lisa, zizi cardow, and amede are working with the NTDC on this project, and NTDC plans to carry out its objectives in partnership with City People magazine.

more here and here.

thoughts?

xo

fyi: elan oct 11

we're super, SUPER excited that pieces from lanre da silva-ajayi's couture fashion week collection are featured in this week's elan...especially since we only just blogged about it yesterday. we're secretly convinced this is a sign we're supposed to acquire the dress above by hook or crook...hopefully it's not sufficiently out of budget to induce a conniption.

this is easily one of the most exciting elan spreads we've seen in recent times. bravo, elan. this is what we're talking about.

o o o

we also spotted this rather insane Hallero piece that we kinda sorta need to have. strapless cocktail dresses have always made us weak in the knees.

sigh. where's money when you need it, eh? 

see the entire spread here ("GALLERY Elan October 11").

o o o

oh, one last thing, designer zizi cardow's also featured in this week's elan, as is lanre da silva-ajayi's hair and beauty routine.

more here and here.

happy reading :-)

xo

looking forward: arise promise of africa collective & couture fashion week

THIS FRIDAY:

see our previous post on the arise promise of africa collective/the african promise collective here. we're also expecting to see designs from jewel by lisa. stay tuned :-)

THIS SUNDAY:



we're also looking forward to seeing spring 2010 collections from lanre da silva-ajayi, frank osodi, house of jola, and zizi cardow @ couture fashion week in NY.

more info here.

xo