My Generation...My Fashion

Fashion in Nigeria today is evolving, and this is one of the best things that have happened to the country in the last decade. We remain the fashion capital of Africa; we are deserving of respect and recognition from the global fashion system; and very well on our way to being one of the most known fashion capitals of the world along side Paris, London, New York and Milan.

With this evolution of the fashion industry, comes the awareness by the youth and their involvement in the industry. I am 24 years old, I am a youth, and this is my generation. My generation has got talent, we’ve got creativity and we’ve got style. However, what we lack is knowledge, understanding and wisdom...invaluable qualities that we can only attain if we pay our ‘dues’, formally or otherwise. Knowing the elements that make up designing, understanding the principles that guide it and being wise enough to make a business out of it is very important.

If fashion designing is coming up with informed creative solutions to the problem of dressing people for their life, solving real problems creatively, and creative problems realistically...then what is creativity if it has no relevance in the real world? We need to know the difference between creating a collection such that every item complements the other, and creating individual garments. We need to understand the principle of finishing. The importance of finishing can not be over stressed, and you can not understand this if you’ve not been made to trim and pick out loose threads on garments...talking about paying dues. We need to be wise to make a business out of our creativity; be sure of whom you are not designing for.

We have to pay our dues by learning from those who have mastered these qualities, having realized it starts with baby crawls before you soar. Designing goes beyond cutting those cloths and joining them as you please. So ask yourself, have I really paid my dues.