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| Omoyemi Akerele, Creative director Lagos Fashion and Design Week |
MTN announces Young Creative Entrepreneur for 2011, shortlist models
and designers for Fashion Week
Leading telecommunications company in Nigeria, MTN, in conjunction
with Style House Files and the British Council Nigeria, has announced
the winner of the MTN/British Council Young Creative Entrepreneur for
2011 in the person of Mrs. Ayotomi Rotimi, Managing Director,
Xclamations, a Lagos-based fashion designing outfit.
The announcement
came on the heels of a rigorous selection exercise conducted by a high
calibre team of judges under the strictest rules and conditions; and
following a successful audition exercise which took place at the
British Council Offices in the cities of Port Harcourt, Abuja, and
Lagos between 25th of July and 3rd of August 2011.
Mrs. Ayotomi Rotimi, a banker turned full-time fashion designer is
currently making waves locally and overseas having quickly built the
brand reputation of Xclamations in only a short while. She is
currently on a mission to create a chain of sales outlets both locally
and abroad. Rotimi emerged winner having exhibited a strong character
and scored the highest on all of the attributes candidates were
adjudged on, which are; creativity, business vision and originality.
Her label and her online store are fast becoming popular among the
avid fashion watchers and fashionistas.
Rotimi will in September 2011 travel to the United Kingdom (UK) on a
tour of the UK fashion and design industry on the bill of the British
Council Nigeria. The tour is expected to avail her with the much
needed exposure, connections and links to actualise her dream of
opening sales outlets in fashion capitals like New York, Paris, London
and Milan in addition to making her brand truly global. While in UK
she will also attend the famous London Fashion and Design Week.
While congratulating Rotimi, the General Manager, Consumer Marketing,
MTN Nigeria, Mr. Kola Oyeyemi, said that in addition to announcing the
winner of MTN/British Council Young Creative Entrepreneur for 2011,
MTN and its partners on the project have also made public the names of
the 24 finalists consisting of 12 young models and 12 young designers
who will feature in its high profile fashion and design event, the MTN
Lagos Fashion and Design Week in October.
“Although a total of about 230 young models, 133 young designers and
70 young creative entrepreneurs participated in the audition exercise.
This final list represents the successful candidates who will compete
for the MTN Young Model of the Year Award, and the MTN/British Council
Young Designer of the Year Award, both of which will be decided at the
maiden edition of the MTN Lagos Fashion and Design Week,” said
Oyeyemi.
The shortlisted models include: Sandra Iwuoha, Jummaima Ejiofor,
Genevieve Aken, Lateefat Garuba, Chika McKay, Jill Odeh, Amina Jibrin,
Oyinkansola Ayodele, Kemi Awoyemi, Naomi Oji, Temitayo Adaramoye, and
Oluwatobi Fadeyibi. In the designers category, the 12 successful
candidates include: Akpos Okudu, Beatrice Black, Ibitein Thompson, 13
year-old Onanma Okeke, Binta Shuaibu, Xenia Ejidike, Kate Williams,
Oroma Cookey Gam, Bola Yinka Obebe, Ejiro Amos Tafiri, Bubu Ogisi, and
Morin Alatise.
He congratulated the finalists who soon will commence a short
intensive training course under the auspice of the British Council and
urged them to take their preparations for the show seriously, warning
that the big show will require them to be at the very best of their
games when the time arises. The MTN Lagos Fashion and Design Week will
hold from 26th through 30th of October, 2011, and will feature a
combination of fashion and design-focused activities, talent hunt for
international modelling contracts among other local and international
opportunities. There will also be exhibitions of creative works
ranging from arts, interior designs, photography, and architecture to
technology, among others.
Courtesy of MTN, a brand new Hyundai Car worth N4.5 million and
N1million cash prize will be carted away by the Young Designer of the
year and Young Creative Entrepreneur of the year respectively, while
the Young Model of the year will also get N1million and a chance to
enter for the Beth Model’s Elite Model Look Nigeria 2012.
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