The French Institute (Institut Francais), Abuja, in partnership with Mambaah Cafe, held a fashion show during the week with a tagged, Ado. The forum was the fourth edition of the monthly Art Club(MAC).
Ado, which means fashion in Hausa, featured a runway fashion exhibition that had designers whose beautiful cloth pieces were creatively put together to bedazzle the audience and a panel season and had designers talk about their experiences in the fashion industry in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, the Director, Institut Francais, Rafael Pont, revealed that the Institute and France are ready to build a working relationship with Nigeria to help the fashion industry attain global prominence.
In his words: “Institut Francais is here in Nigeria to support exceptional talents. The Nigerian fashion industry is fast growing and we desire to create a relationship with the fashion industry in France; to assist emerging brands with the needed funds to grow their fashion, businesses. Nollywood and Nigerian music industry have gained global prominence; we believe the fashion industry can also attain such heights.”
The curator of Ado, Zainab Husseini, talked about what inspired the fashion show when she said: “Ado is an event that I curated for a friend who worked in the German Embassy. She would always ask me about Nigeria’s beauty and fashion network, the right designers to see, and where to get the right make-up. To find an answer to all these questions, I saw a chance to promote Nigerian fashion businesses that are doing well. The concept of Ado is Afrocentric but contemporary; to have an event that celebrates creatives in Nigeria and to showcase Nigeria’s culture in a wearable contemporary way.”
The panel discussion moderator, Elfrieda Abia, lauded the institute for putting up the fashion show. She said: “I am happy this event happened, and I only wish that there will be more of this kind of event that creates visibility for fashion designers. I am a fashion designer; so, I could relate to all the issues raised during the discussion. I have also solved them, that was the reason I have my business consulting firm to help solve these issues. I hope fashion designers in Nigeria continue to improve the quality of their sewing. If they need the funding, they should also put in the work.”
Joseph Featurekulture is a visual artist and one of the leather designers whose works were exhibited. He said: “I feel great about this fashion event because this is the way to go. It has elevated my brand to a much more audience than before. I call on other investors to also put up fashion events like this to help with visibility.”
Adrian Palox, a fashion enthusiast said: “This is a very beautiful fashion show. It is a perfect replica of what we have in France. Nigeria is such a blessed country. Music now rules over the world and from what I’m seeing the fashion industry is on that path.”
The Cultural Program Officer of the institute, Enya Laine, commended all the participants and said she believed Nigeria has huge potential in the fashion industry. In her words: “Nigeria’s fashion industry has a lot of creative and innovative projects, however, they are not seen, the French institute and the French embassy is trying to be a platform for these creatives to share their love for their Arts, like this event dedicated to fashion.”
