Kantis blog: February 2017

Didi's Signature, Fashion Gallery

Africa is a land of colourful and creative fabrics. The ability to transform these fabrics into beautiful clothing fit for celebrities, brides and princesses, takes specialized training and dedication. The hard work involved in making good cloths is rewarded by the appreciation of the customer, especially the satisfied and impressed customer.

For many years the name Didi’s Signature has resonated in the fashion scene. From event red carpets to exclusively designed bridal outfits, Didi’s Signature has long established its name as the one-stop shop for excellence and creativity.

In addition to her many accolades, Miss Ogbodo Chidiebere Stella (founder and C.E.O of the establishment) has formally announced the incorporation of Didi’s Fashion Academy, Enugu. The Fashion Complex is located at No. 24b Brown and Brown Crescent, Independence Layout, Enugu-Nigeria.

Miss Ogbodo Chidiebere Stella (founder and C.E.O of Didi's Signature)

Customers and students of Didi’s Signature and Didi’s Fashion Academy have been assured that with the acquisition of more sophisticated machines and dressmaking equipment, their fashion needs and desire to learn how to make world standard dresses will be met and exceeded. Simply put, Didi’s Fashion Academy has a mission to fulfill the needs of those who love to wear something original, extraordinary, and beautiful and teach students/intakes how to create it.

Celebrity Styled Dinner Dress

Leisure Quest was invited to Didi’s Fashion Academy in Enugu for an on-the-spot appraisal of the state of the art training department, sewing house and fashion gallery.

During the interview that followed a tour of the complex, Miss Chidiebere told the full story about how her dream became a gradual reality. Read the excerpts below:

What Courses do you offer new and old intakes into Didi’s Fashion Academy?

We currently offer training courses in Fashion Design, with intensive training and focus in making Bridals, African Traditional Attires for both men and women, Dinner Dresses and all types of formal and casual Enlish wears. Our students graduate with the ability to partake in any national or international fashion designers competition and excel. They are also trained on how to make dresses to fit all sizes, age and sex of their future customers. Our belief is that at the end of their training programme, they should be competent enough to handle life as an entrepreneur or contribute meaningfully to any formal fashion establishment where they find quality and gainful employment.

What would you say is the objective behind the establishment of your Fashion School?
Our goal is to add value to people who want to start or grow a career in the Fashion, Art and Creative industries by imparting in them invaluable technical skills. The programmes prepare our students for careers in the local and global Creative Industries including Fashion, Art, and Design. With these skills they can start or grow a business as a means of livelihood or as an additional stream of income. In the event that they decide to further their education within or outside the country the skills learned can be used as entry level requirements to higher institutions and they would have been given a strategic leverage and head start that will make them excel. We also believe that beyond the typical white collar jobs, every man or woman should have a skill or learn a trade that they can fall back on at any point in time.

Describe the passion that steered you in starting Didi’s Sinature Fashion House and later Didi’s Fashion Academy:

I grew up as a child with itchy hands, always in love with doing or creating things with my bare hands. In time, I realized I have innate artistic abilities, which found expressions in art works, sculpture, and designs. The prophesy and glamour of that around me was that I will end up studying fine arts, but I disappointed them when I studied marketing. While I was studying marketing I knew I needed a vocation to compliment, and choice of fashion designing came naturally. I took the period of my Industrial attachment to brush up the innate talents. When I returned back to school, I effectively combined my education with fashion designing when I came out from school, while my school mates were still looking for jobs I was already an employer of labour. In no time, the business blossomed to one of the best fashion destination, in Enugu.

The Satisfied Expression

What are your current challenges?

The greatest challenge I have is meeting our burgeoning orders from within and outside Nigeria. Many Nigerians who live in diaspora have heard of our work and seen them first hand at international events and ceremonies, so naturally they wish to wear our designer outfits too. My teeming clients and customers often have over time pressured me to open an academy where my skills and expertise could be impacted to the upcoming generation. I harkened to their call, which in turn led to the founding of Didi’s Academy.

Mini Ankara Gown

Can you throw more light on the services your company has to offer the public:

Didi’s Signature is fully into fashion and designing. We have fashion academy where one can learn how to design, sketch, and sew, We sell Nigeria fabrics, we create designs for female and male and we sew them as well, we also sell ready to wear.

Tell us some of the most significant achievements/impact the company has
made in your particular field of specialization:

Didi’s signature has been able to produce many fashion designers and also made our clients and customers proud.

Lovely Dinner Gown

What Programmes do you offer for new intakes and what background
qualification are they required to have before gaining admission into your
training programmes:

Before anyone can be called a fashion designer you have to go through 3 stages:
a) Basic Stage ( Duration 4 Months)
b) Intermediate Stage ( Duration 4 Months)
c) Advanced Stage ( Duration 4 Months)
The qualification needed is an O-level West African Examination Council certificate. Any other qualification is an added advantage.

Flowing Casual Top

Message to the upcoming/younger generation who want to take up a career
in the Fashion industry:

I would say it takes passion and determination to be in this field. To the younger/upcoming designer you will meet challenges on your way up and so much competition, but if you know and understand what it takes to be a designer you will definitely stand out among equals. Our work is all about been creative, that is what will differentiate your work from others.

What are the unique things that attract people to Didi's Signature
products/wears:

The designs we present to our clients, the way & manner we communicate with them and our ability to keep to time in terms of delivery to our clients. The comfortability of our cloths, empathy of our company staff, the considerable and affordable charges attached to it all go a long way in boosting our reputation.

What is the age bracket for students into your fashion academy?

16 years and above

List of Previous projects i.e fashion shows and competitions organized
or participated in:

For now I am just focused on the expansion of the company

Simple styled peach gown for the natural woman

List of current projects:

We are currently Working on organizing a fashion show and competition to be hosted soon and on a regular basis. I intend to make my academy get worldwide recognition and possibly open up outlets in other cities/countries around the world with special interest in Paris, the fashion headquaters of the world.

On a general note, what would you say are current issues and challenges
in your profession:

·State of electricity and the present recession in our beloved country Nigeria

What is your guiding principle in all you do?

I am a strong lady that believes that there is nothing impossible once there is life and the will to succeed.

See more exclusive Didi's Signature Pictures Below:

Exclusive designs for the bridal train

Visit and subscribe to Didi's Signature youtube page for exclusive fashion videos: https://youtu.be/gnhsleNhkZQ

also follow on intagram @officialdidissignature.

For more information, orders or admission into Didi's Fashion Academy, visit the complex at
No. 24b Brown and Brown Crescent, Independence Layout, Enugu-Nigeria.
Tel/Whatsapp: +234 809 355 7599.

Written by Eloho Ikede.

The Hood of the Woods. World Class movie pose shot by Motolani

Contemporary Art has stretched beyond the 5 old disciplines like Painting, Sculpture, Graphics, Textile Design and Ceramics. It may not be far fetched to surmise that photography has speedily become the 6th branch of art and arguably the most adaptive to our daily life.

Nigeria is a very populous nation which some believe has by far surpassed the legendary 170 million population figures acquired from a census carried out decades ago. Nigeria is the hub of academic knowledge and raw talent in the West Africa region. The contributions of Nigerian Artistes to global music and the film industry can not be overemphasized by any means.

Olorungbon Motolani

27 year old Olorungbon Motolani is a young lady who has brought world class photography within reach of her fans and clients alike. The pictures that are captured from the eye of the lens, tell a story of nature at its finest. The young lady photographer has conquered the natural elements found in forests, rivers, wind and weather to such an extent that each picture tells its own unique story based on the imagination of the one who views it. Motolani who hails from Ekinrin Adde Town of kogi State in the Middle Belt Region of Nigeria, told leisure quest that while growing up, all she ever wanted to be is a journalist, but her parents convinced her to pick mass communication as a career path instead. According to her parents mass communication was "less dangerous".

Working with nature

Motolani says after many unsuccessful attempts to secure admission into the university, she settled for Christian studies and bagged a B.A from the university
Immediately after school she got a job as a call center agent with MTN. But after a week on the job she quickly realized that she didn't want to work for anybody. In her words "for me there wasn't any fulfillment in the job. So I decided to follow my passion and proceeded to enroll under Mr. Adeoye a renowned fashion photographer to learn photography and perfect my talent. That was the best decision I ever made, I have never looked back or doubted my decision.

Young models as seen from the eye of the lens

Nude African monochrome art photo

In light of her determination and result oriented experiences thus far, the admirable photographer says "My message to the next generation is, education is important, you have all the time in the world to grow and develop your talents. Education most of the time magnifier's talent, it makes it bigger and better. Pass through school and let the school pass through you. Secondly, don't focus on money at the begin of your career focus more on the passion and drive, devote yourself to the craft, and watch the money and fame follow.

Sunset in the bushes

MESSAGE TO HER FANS

Motalani has this to say to her fans "thank you, your love and support has kept me going. I am overwhelmed, but I must say this is only the beginning please keep on supporting the brand.

HER BRAND

"Originally I started with "Tolaphotography" but we are rebranding and will now go by "Motolani Olorungbon".

The hood in the forest

Leisure Quest asked the photographer about what attracts her to people especially in a profession where she gets to meet big time celebrities and entertainment industry players. Her reply was: "Honesty is the number one thing that attracts me to people is their passion and the drive for success among others". She went further to share her assessment of her success story:

"My greatest achievement in my professional life is still being written, I don't believe I am there yet. Contrary to what people think. In my personal life however, my decision to have my son as a single mother is my greatest achievement. I bless God everyday".

A story told in the mind

Runway Models (Male)

In a rather philosophical mood, Motolani describes her love for fashion and traveling thus: "Fashion to me is a way of life, it's your mood, an expression of who you are. It's a lifestyle, a culture. Traveling and recreation to me is a gift of living life to fullest. The feeling of experiencing other cultures and seeing beautiful places is just bliss. Even more beautiful is capturing them in photographs. My moto in life (although it might sound a bit of a cliche) is "you only live once" so I see each day as a gift and live it to the fullest without regrets.

For now I haven't gotten international exposure or rather the privilege to travel beyond the shores of this country. But I look forward to traveling all over the world by God's grace.

A super model pose, selected to grace the cover of the first ever print edition of leisure quest magazine

FUTURE PLANS:

"My future plan is to become bigger and better in the photography industry. I want to shoot the "A list models" in the world, cover the biggest fashion shows, shoot portraits of celebrities and of great people who have influenced the the world.

Although in Photography (like every other profession) there are challenges, for example being a woman in a male dominated profession, however to me is it means being unique and different, it's an edge. Also people have started to regard entrepreneurs with the respect they deserve, there is now dignity in labor unlike some few years back".

MOST ADMIRED PERSONALITY IN LIFE

"My father is my most admired personality in life. Everyday I pray to be half the man he is. His work ethics, his openness to people and his generosity to those around him, how he touches lives and how being kind to others puts a smile on his face.

For photo business enquiries you can contact Motolani on Tel: +234 8132474232

See more pictures as caught in the eye of Motolani's lens: