Get to know the designer at Audi Joburg Fashion Week : Part 2 - Ifeoma Ayanwu

Our final part of the Audi Joburg Fashion Week designer profile feature looks at the achievements and aspirations of one of Nigeria's groundbreaking female designers, Ifeoma Ayanwu, who designs for her clothing label called Ogodor. Here is her story:

The name Ogodor is fast becoming a household name in Abuja. For those who are not yet acquainted with the name directly would have encountered the beauty, creativity and ingenuity associated with it.

Ogodor is the fashion brand that has taken over the Abuja fashion circuit like wildfire. It is presently a must for all celebrities and happening people in Abuja to have an Ogodor design or accessories in their wardrobe.

According to an Abuja celebrity, who prefers to remain anonymous, “When I receive a special invitation to any function, all that comes to her head is Ogodor”. She adds, “they have perfected the act of dressing you uniquely and you definitely stand out from the crowd”.

Ogodor is owned by Ifeama Ayanwu; a graduate from the University of Jos who has been in the fashion industry for about 10 years but officially launched the Ogodor brand four 4 years ago.

She says the name Ogodor comes from an ancient Igbo word which translate to mean good quality fabric. “We adopted Ogodor because our intention is to project a true Nigerian brand due to our strong belief in Nigeria as one of the best things that has happened to the world”.

Lagos had a feel of her designs is 2006 when she was invited to participate in the Nigeria fashion show. Due to her very enviable and breath taking collections, she was invited back to Lagos to clothe the models at the Nigeria Model Awards in 2006.

Apart from staging her personal show, she has participated in lots of local and international fashion shows, exhibitions and workshops.

Details:

Address - Ogodor
Inside Ascon Filling Station, opposite Chicken House,
Wuse 2 Abuja, Nigeria.
ifyogodor@yahoo.com.

If you want to see what the fuss is all about, get to the Audi Joburg Fashion Week next week, from 21 to 24 January 2009, where Ogodor will exhibit and showcase their latest collection.

Get to know the designer at Audi Joburg Fashion Week : Part 2 - Tarien Malherbe

Next on our designer profile feature is Mother City's young, creative and skillful Tarien Malherbe. Here is what she is about:

Surname: Malherbe
Name: Tarien
Date of birth: 13-03-1986
Age: 22
Citizenship: South African
Language: Afrikaans/English
Preferred language: Afrikaans
Sex: Female
Website: www.non-european.co.za
Email: tarien@non-european.co.za / non-european@elizabethgalloway.co.za
Tel: Office: 021-880-0775. Fax: 021-880-0066
Mobile: Press - Gideon: 082-853-9368. Sales – Martin: 074-100-5869. Designer – Tarien: 084-206-5887
Qualification: Higher Professional Diploma in Creative Arts – Fashion, Elizabeth Galloway Academy of Fashion Design, Stellenbosch, 2005-2007

National N3 subject certificate in Small Business management & Entrepreneurship, Tygerberg College, Cape Town, 2004
Religion: Christian
Hobbies: anything to do with being outdoors / spending time with people / being creative

Tertiary Education

Matric: National Senior Certificate with University Exemption (passed with distinction); Montagu High School

Subjects (all HG): Afrikaans First Language A; English First Language B; Mathematics A; Science A; Biology A; Accounting A

Received academic honours 2000-2004

Graduated top of my class -2004

Achievements – fashion design

* Third place in NCPC South Africa’s Environmentally Friendly Design Competition 2007
* Winner of the Most Innovative Design Award - 13th Annual Old Mutual Vukani Fashion Awards 2007

· First Place in the Fashion Eye Competition - Pursuit magazine 2007

· Exhibited a hat at South African Fashion Week – awarded fourth place in the competition 2005

Exhibitions and Fashion Shows

2008

* Exhibited at Cape Town Fashion week as NON-EUROEAN by tarien malherbe (education range)
* Showed at Durban fashion week as MAYLEAF by tarien malherbe (scarcity range)
* Took part in Cape Town Fashion Festival as MAYLEAF by tarien malherbe (scarcity range)
* Showed at Vukani fashion show as MAYLEAF by tarien malherbe (scarcity range)

2007

· Showed at Durban Fashion week as TARIEN MALHERBE (Vukani collection)

· Showed at Cape Town Fashion week as TARIEN MALHERBE (BoetnSaartjie Range & Vukani collection)

· Showed at Vukani Fashion show as TARIEN MALHERBE (vukani collection)2

· Showed at Elizabeth Galloway graduate fashion show as TARIEN MALHERBE (boetnsaartjie collection)

· Invited to take part in the Tygerberg Fashion Expo - a fundraising event for the Tygerberg Children’s hospital

2006

· Invited to take part in Cape Renal Association Annual Charity Fashion Show in Franschoek - a fundraising event for people suffering from kidney disease

2005

· Invited to create fashion from flowers and plants and to show the dress at the Robertson Floral Fashion Show

· Exhibited a hat at South African Fashion Week – awarded fourth place in the competition


Design focus

Tarien Malherbe is a South African designer who creates evolutionary heritage based designs that has an international appeal. She currently designs under the label ‘NON EUROPEAN’ focusing on male and female formal daywear/streetwear.

The label, Non-European, is another way of saying 'Proudly South African' using the language of our previous government - this time to empower and communicate.

Inspiration for this range

This Non-European collection draws on the local education system as a reference point for expressing individual style within the confines of a uniform. The youth of SA have always reinterpreted and challenged their school uniforms, no matter which part of the education system they were in, and this range gives a voice to these ideas.

Design Philosophy

The Non-European brand has an outward focus that aims to empower individuals by creating sustainable job opportunities that utilizes people’s traditional skills and talents.

I love people and I have a heart for the poor or suffering. My greatest joy is to contribute to such people’s lives and to see them grow and prosper. I know my design talent empowers me to make change to individual’s lives on various levels. I therefore enjoy working in the fashion and clothing industry because it is a powerful tool to influence society for the better.

Get to know the designer at Audi Joburg Fashion Week : Part 1 - Thula Sindi

Following on the post about the Audi Joburg Fashion Week published yesterday, we decided to feature profiles of some of the talented designers that will be showcasing their latest collections next week, from 21 to 24 January 2008. The first profile is that of critically acclaimed and successful young designer, Thula Sindi. I witnessed his creativity and flair for fashion when I attended one of his shows at a Fashion Week event last year. Get to know him and his achievements a little bit more.

Thula Sindi matriculated (2001) from the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg and studied at LISOF (London International School of Fashion). His debut was as head designer at Dutch textile company Vlisco - the day after he graduated. He introduced Vlicso's fashion line with a show at South African Fashion Week in 2005, along with fellow designers Malcom Kluk and Palesa Mokubong.

In February 2006 Thula started developing his own range, which hit the runway at SAFW 2006 (a year in which he earned a semi-finalist spot at the Nederburg Rare Fashion Finds Contest). He was also nominated as a finalist in the Marie Claire emerging designer contest in 2007 and 2008.

Thula went on to show a successful collection during Couture Fashion Week in Paris with the assistance of SA Tourism and Dr Precious Moloi- Motsepe. This was followed up with a showing at both the Cape Town and Joburg Fashion Weeks. In November he was nominated as top 10 emerging designers in the FIMA: Afrque est la mode pan African fashion contest which was held in Niamey, Niger.

Thula's Winter 08 collection showcased at Audi Fashion Week in March to much critical acclaim and saw him taking the collection to Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Guangzong in early April of 2008 in association with the Department of Arts and Culture.

Thula showcased his recent collection in Luanda, Angola and in Lagos, Nigeria during the Nigeria's Next Super Model search in September.

Thula has created a special collection in association with Vlisco which was recently shown in Cotonou, Benin on 8 November 2008.

Thula also participated in Mozambique Fashion Week in December 08 and showed his collection in Addis Ababa in January 09.

Thula now produces his effortlessly elegant women's wear from his Rosebank Studio in JHB as well as designing at Gavin Rajah in Cape Town on a freelance basis. His ready to year collection is available from Gavin Rajah store in Cavendish, Cape Town.

The 25 year old designer dresses women on the move like Caprice, Noni Gasa, Busi Lurayi, Penny Lebyane, Bridget Masinga and Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe.

Contact Details

TEL: +27 828476137
EMAIL: thulasindi@gmail.com

Be sure not to miss out on his collections for next week at the Audi Joburg Fashion Week, where he'll be showing us what threads are hot for the season.

Win with Transporter 3

Jason Statham is back with the 3rd instalment of his thriller blockbuster Transporter movie series. Transporter 3 opens at cinemas nationwide this coming Friday, 16 January 2008, but we had a pleasure of attending an advanced screening last week. Please click HERE to see our review of the movie and to get clues to the questions below.

To make more exciting your big screen experience of the successful franchise, United International Pictures (UIP) and YEAHBO.DOT.NET are giving away 5 hampers consisting of the following movie memorabilia:

• 5 Transporter 3 Black t-shirts with the title treatment on the front.

• 5 Transporter 3 Black caps, alos with the title treatment on the front.

To walk away with a hamper, just answer the following easy questions:

1) What is the actor's name that plays the villain in Transporter 3?
2) Which European country is Jason Statham from?

Together with your answers, please send to yeahbo@yeahbo.net, the following details :

Name and surname;
Contact number;
E-mail address;
Your age;
The city where you live; and
Tell us how you learnt about YEAHBO.DOT.NET or yeahbodotnet.blogspot.com.

Good luck!

Designers display innovation and excellence at Audi Joburg Fashion Week 2009

Fashionistas throughout the world, that time has come again! Choosing to eschew a predictable path in the line-up for the third annual Audi Joburg Fashion Week, the premier autumn/winter collections are set to be the most exciting seen on a South African runway to date.

Some of the highest quality established designers, including Thula Sindi and Fabiani, are showing their autumn/winter collections this year. However, many of the collections are from the edgier and developing designers, ensuring that innovation and surprise is also firmly on the agenda.

Suzaan Heyns, Heni, Abigail Keats, Chimera and Stefania Morland have all established reputations for the unconventional and beautiful. David Tlale is seldom shy of drama as well as exquisite detailing. Artistic Soul is capable of redefining urban men’s wear. And of the debut collections, Tarien Malherbe has already developed quite a following among the fashion forward crowd, having tapped into trends well ahead of the usual curve.

Commenting on the line-up for Audi Joburg Fashion Week, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, chairperson of African Fashion International remarked, “It is our aim to ensure that both the global and local interest and commitment to South African fashion is kept at an all-time high. By providing a schedule that is innovative, exciting and of the highest quality, we are able to showcase South African design talent, comparable to any in the world.”

Taking place at Sandton Convention Centre over four days from 21 – 24 January 2009, this is the first time Audi Joburg Fashion Week has been scheduled to ensure that designers are able to get their collections in store, and in fashion magazines, for South Africa’s winter season.

Tickets to Audi Joburg Fashion Week are available from Computicket. For more information, full show schedules and highlights from previous winter collections go to www.audijoburgfashionweek.com.

Bride Wars is fun and heartwarming

The newest chick flick on the big screen, Bride Wars, sees Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway explore the intricacies of friendship, in a playful way.

Liv and Emma, played by Kate and Anne respectively, begin a friendship at a wedding reception of one of both their mothers' friends. As their friendship grows stronger, they become unseparable despite their observably contrasting personalities. When they find love and ultimately get engaged to their respective boyfriends, their hidden true feelings about each other are revealed. It all begins with their wedding planner mistakenly scheduling their weddings on the same day.

As they compete to see which wedding will succeed with less mayhem, their friendship goes through tumultous trials. With the realisation that their relationship as best friends is more important than any other factors of their lives, they ultimately reconcile.

Bride Wars is a feel-good movie with lots of fun and lessons to be learnt about friendships and other relationships in life. It's heart-warming and provides a catalyst for the viewer to look back at their relationships and try to mend whatever may have been wrecked in theirs. To that end, the story was relatable, with a sense of cohesion that makes it a real and believable one. Kate and Anne displayed an amazing level of chemistry and played their parts awfully well. The humour they brought on screen also added to the credibility of their characters.

Overall, it was a fun movie. It will definitely sit well with the women audience. Not to say the male species will not enjoy it though, as it was a hilarious and also provided a lot of male perspectives to subjects tackled in the movie through the male characters. The end also hinted a possibility of a sequel. Without giving too much away, there is also another milestone in their progressive lives happening in their near future on the same day.

Bride Wars opens at Nu Metro cinemas nationwide on the 23rd of January 2009. Be sure to check it out.