Style Noir By Quintessence Would Express African Culture, Textile - Jude Oni-Okpaku

 

The Managing Director of Quintessence, Mr Jude Oni-Okpaku on Tuesday said Style Noir, a Fashion Show organized by Quintessence would further express African culture. 

Oni-Okpaku in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the fashion show themed "Style Noir" is about a fresh approach to dressing and on cultivating a look that is modem, elegant fun and expressive of African culture and the exhaustive look at African textile sources.

He said African fashion has influenced western fashion for as long as it has existed and that subsequent fashion shows would continue to keep the Nigeria Fashion industry on the world map.

"The difference now is the current outpouring of creative talents isn't from the big western brands "inspired" by Africa, but instead from African designers making inroads into the western arts scene.

"In the past few years, there has been a steady outpouring of creative talent from across the continent from photographers, furniture designers and fine artists, to jewellery and fashion designers.

"Quintessence has always been and is a platform for showcasing this diversity and talent of the region. More fashion shows like this would also help showcase African textiles to the global space," he said.

Mrs Oyemi Afolabi, a writer and fashion enthusiast who commended the fashion show said she was impressed  as all the fabrics used were sourced from Nigeria which makes show unique. 

"This will go a long way in showcasing the textile industry here. This will also appeal to the young ones and to the other people going on holidays, that they can just come to Quintessons and pick up one or two textile." She said.

Afolabi added that there is more to be exploited in the Nigeria Fashion industry as there are varieties of African textiles to be showcased. 

Ms Toyin Igbon, a legal practitioner and a fashion enthusiast said Style Noir is an exposure for African arts and culture through African textiles. 

"This is a representation of the Nigerian fashion industry and it is something that has been up and coming for a very long time. 

"It has its own niche which is carved into the world and I think a lot of people around the world have been and are continuing to recognize it as a force in the fashion world. 

"Style Noir exhibits lots of color, lots of vibrancy and lots of creativity which is what I think defines Nigerian fashion," she said.

Mr Fayemi Adebola, a designer said Quintessence is a great brand with over 30 years of existence and putting up great Fashion shows.

Adebola said Style Noir would go a long way in contributing to the progress of the Nigeria Fashion Industry adding that further involvement of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council would be a plus.

You know, we can only do what we can but a lot more can be done. We, designers in Lagos, continue to do what we can on our own and we will continue to do what we can because there's very little encouragement from the government." he said.

He added that some of the challenges of fashion industry in Nigeria is the fact that designers do everything themselves with little or no support. 

"You have to do your own stuff yourself. You have to be the designer, the marketer and the sales rep. You have to do everything yourself. 

"In other places, designers would focus on the creative aspect of the business and other people would promote them internationally and help them with the marketing, the sales, promotions. 

"It's not like that here so the time to create is taken up by unnecessary stuff like trying to market your stuff by yourself. It is a problem and there is little we can do about it. We just have to make the best of a bad situation." he said.

Source; NAN