AFRICA: HER DESIGNERS WHO ARE RARELY MENTIONED.

African designers are rarely known by us, by Africa. Africa has a major potential in fashion, I believe we influence the fashion world. The African print is unique and screams out a lot about Africa. They tell a story.. tales of Africa, its culture, its people. It tells of the beauty of Africa and pride.
Today we feature two African designers who are not only making it big in the fashion world in their native Africa but also globally.

Ajayi is the founder of the eponymous design label. In seven years her passion for fashion has gotten stronger making the label a fashion favourite among the media, celebrities and fashion lovers.

Lanre Da Silva Ajayi

LDA the brand first arrived in the fashion scene in 2005 with iconic 1940's couture signature designs - a result of what has evolved into a much more modern and cutting-edge brand and a full-blown fashion house. The label's collection includes couture, prêt a porter, and accessories such as hairpieces and statement jewellery.
Regardless of the label's strong historical design roots, LDA's creatively combines pattern, print, exquisite and even traditional fabrics to produce day wear, evening wear, gowns and cocktail dresses that bridge time and make the label successful within and outside Nigeria.
An LDA woman is the personification of sophistication, femininity, brilliance and boldness, which are the inspiration for each of her collections. Lanre states "Couture, colour and boldness with an edgy twist are the signature of my designs".
In June 2012 Pitti Immagine W held in Florence Italy included Nigeria as guest nation in cooperation with MTN Lagos Design and Fashion Week coordinated by Style House Files Director Omoyemi Akerele. LDA was part of the designers selected to showcase from Nigeria and present her Autumn/Winter 2012 collections to buyers across Europe.
The brand has also been featured in L'Uomo Vogue, May-June 2012- "Rebranding Africa" Issue dedicated to Africa to show how this continent is moving and developing while trying to get out of a difficult situation of poverty and illness.

Ajayi's works

It was featured along side influential personalities such as Presidents, First Ladies, and Queens, artists, writers, musicians, designers and models, according to L'Uomo Vogue "they are the evidence that Africa is developing and progressing continuously and that only showing its positive side we can change the perception of collective imageries and make it attractive for the production not only of fuel but also of fashion, cinema and tourism. Rebranding Africa is important for the future of this continent and for the millions of young people that live in it".
Also, in January 2012, renowned designer Roberto Cavalli and Franca Sozanni Editor-In-Chief of Vogue Italia and Goodwill Ambassador of Fashion 4 Development made a special trip visit to Lagos and during their time in Lagos Sozanni and the Vogue Italia team made a special visit to LDA's flagship boutique to view her collections.
This visit resulted in the designer showcasing a capsule collection during the Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2012/13 at the initiative "Fashion 4 Development" that supports the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and the unprecedented global effort " Every Woman Every Child ". The event was in organized by Ambassador Cesare Maria Ragaglini -permanent representative of Italy to the United Nations and it was in honor of Ms. Franca Sozzani Editor-in-Chief, Vogue Italia and Fashion 4 Development Goodwill Ambassador. It was also a Fashion Business initiative to attract the attention of potential buyers & investors.
As a result of the visit, on the 4th of May 2012, Vogue Italia and yoox.com's special project (Discovered in Africa by Vogue Italia exclusively on yoox.com) was live on the yoox.com under special projects. People from different parts of the world now have an easier access to buy pieces from LDA through this project.
The brand is also stocked at the flagship boutique and at Temple Muse both in Lagos, Nigeria.
LDA has also created four different collections for international Dutch wax print giant, Vlisco-Urban Beat, Gallery of Poems, Reflet de Lumie`re, Tresor Brillant and Delicate Shades.

Designed by LDA

The label produces six major collections every year and has showcased locally in Nigeria and internationally including the Thisday Africa Rising Festival, London (October 2008), ARISE Africa Fashion Festival, South Africa (June 2009) and the New York Couture Fashion Week (September 2009), Arise Magazine Fashion Week, Lagos (March 2011 & 2012), the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Spring 2012 Made in Africa by Arise magazine, (September 2011), London Fashion Week (February 2012) and the Pitti Immagine Florence (June 2012).
LDA has been featured in various African and international media including L'Uomo Vogue, Vogue Black, ARISE Magazine, Daily Mail, Essence.com, Fashion Bomb.com, Zimbio.com, WWD.com, ITN News, NTN24.com, ABCNews.com, Reuters UK and Centric/BET.
Her academic qualifications include a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Coventry University and a Masters degree in Finance from University of Leicester.

Lanre Da Silva Ajayi

For her contributions to the Nigerian and African fashion industry, LDA has received numerous accolades and awards for excellence.

She is married with two children.



















ASAKE AGORO

ASAKE AGORO

Asake Agoro, the founder of Asake Oge Couture is another Africa designer to look out for. She is an Award winning Designer and Dress maker of Nigerian origin. She is based in the United Kingdom where she continues to wow audiences with her exquisite designs and high quality Couture.

In 2009, Nigerian-born designer Asake Agoro was invited to present one of her design collections for a fundraiser at the London Metropolitan Fashion and Dance Charity Show. It was this presentation that subsequently led to the official launch of her highly-elegant label, AsakeOge Couture.

Agoro Design

The Couture collection was subsequently showcased March 2010 at the Fashion Fusion Expo also in the United Kingdom. Since then, her skills have continued to grow and the AsakeOge label has since styled artists and personalities for numerous events and festivities, and her label has also been chosen as a runner up for the African Tourism Awards. More recently, Asake was nominated for the 2010 BEFFTA Awards as the Best Female Fashion Designer.

The inspirations behind her eclectic designs come from Asake’s roots. The 2010 haute couture collection features exotic African animals and scenery hand painted with jewel embellishments. The ready-to-wear collection features cutting edge designs in bold prints and tailored silhouettes with the ethnic influence apparent. First seen on catwalks in 2009, the reappearance of wild animal prints and colorful African graphics in the London Fashion week and Paris Fashion week 2010 shows us that tribal prints are here to stay. What was once considered ‘ethnic’ and merely ‘afro-centric’ is now called ‘avant-garde’ and ‘luxe’.

Agoro Design

A 3rd generation seamstress, growing up around the creative energy in a couture household enabled her to design and make garments for herself from the age of 15. Over time, Asake honed her innate skills by working with local tailors to create one-off pieces that soon drew the attention of all those around her, which led to many requests for Asake to create custom garments for this emerging clientele. 

The garments are handmade by Asake or manufactured under Fair Trade using mostly silk, cotton and linen which are natural fabrics. The limited edition ready to wear is a solution to the fashion victim who finds it easier to follow high street trends as AsakeOge rather designs and produces original, contemporary pieces that set the trend. As well as being available online,bespoke services are also offered for that one-off outfit you need to stand out in the crowd.

According to Aseke her biggest fashion faux-pas was when she went through an Aaliyah hip-hop phase her late teens and once wore track suit bottoms with loafers and a bandanna. That was before digital cameras were everywhere. "I have since destroyed the paper photographs!" She says.

Agoro Design

Asake herself says, “Everyone is now keener than ever to embrace the rich and vibrant culture that emanates so effortlessly from Africa, from the textures of the natural cloths to the prints and colors that appear so boldly and combine effortlessly”. “My passion for individuality is apparent in every work I create - for me the wow factor is non negotiable in my hand made garments. I love to enter a room and make heads turn.”

And from the look of Asake’s creativity, she will continue on the path to greatness and people will continue to take notice

Survival of the fittest: The one item in her closet that she will never get rid of is a 100% silk wrap skirt her mum wore in her teens... " its been in and out of fashion and its the one family vintage piece I have got, I shall bequeath it to my granddaughter." She says.

What is the one fashion item you would never get rid in your closet?