HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

Okay... it's 11.44pm... at least that's what my clock tells me and I know that my day will not be complete without, not only sending a bday shout-out to me but also to thank you ALL for your wonderful messages.

This time last year, I was a newcomer in a city who started school on her bday. Surely you could have imagined how lonely it was not getting calls because people back home did not have your phone number yet and the people around you had no clue who you were. I mean, I doubt it would have been cool telling people on your 1st day it was your bday.... even though, vain sucker that I am, I did and got just a few polite Happy BDays.

But 1 year down the line, I THANK GOD not only for making the past years a testimony, but also letting me realise how truly cherished I am. I mean, though I am really far away, I have never felt so close to... I can't say home because calls and messages have been coming in from all over the world!

Imagine how good it felt receiving calls 2 days before your bday just because everyone wanted to be the first to wish you a wonderful day! WOW!

OK... let me quickly post it before the day runs out. This MUST be posted 26 February 2008!

Do you really need to study Fashion Design to succeed in the Fashion Industry?

Concepts and Story Boards, Life and Figure Drawing,

Draping,

Garment Construction, Pattern Making, Textile Studies,



History of Fashion,

Textile Studies, Technical Drawing, etc.

These are the all too familiar courses fashion design students d.r.e.a.d... and love to hate... but have no choice really if they want to get their certificates.

But REALLY do you have to endure 3 years of an undergraduate degree or diploma to become a Fashion Professional? I use the words Fashion Professional because obviously not everyone who studies Fashion Design wants to or will become a designer.

The fashion industry is so diverse. I mean you can become a Fashion Buyer / Merchandiser, a Retailer, an Illustrator, a Stylist, an Image Consultant, a Clothes Manufacturer, a Fashion Journalist... really the possibilities are endless.

SO

Why on earth must I study Fashion Design if I do not want to become a dress maker or fashion designer...???

YES YES we know, some of the world's famous designers, John Galliano, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, etc all studied Fashion Design. But do you all know that the billionaire designer, Ralph Lauren, dropped out of his Business course at the City College of New York and NEVER went to Fashion School????

I know what y'all are thinking? Does she think she made a mistake by studying a BA in Fashion Design? Nope. In fact FAR FROM IT!

BUT

I cannot help but wonder why a lot of us feel we need to go back to school to study a course if it is not absolutely necessary. I mean if one wants to be a Fashion Stylist, for example, why does she need to study a course in fashion design? Is this borne out of the necessity to add another credential to her already long list of credentials or is it because she truly believes she needs the requisite skills to excel in her chosen field? I personally believe the latter. To be the very best in what you want to be in, you NEED to learn the basics. But then, this is my personal conviction and the major reason why I chose to study the course..... or maybe I was brainwashed into thinking this way... Hmmnnn...

Truth is that a lot of us have different aspirations. I recall recently, a friend of mine who was so frustrated with the area she was studying the course in that wanted to quit in less than a month. In fact, I BEGGED her to stay.

Now this got me thinking. She wants to have a label and be a reknowned designer.

BUT

Can't she simply just employ dressmakers and illustrators and tell them what she wants and get the clothes produced while she concentrates on the management and business arm of the conglomerate she wants to set up? Surely there are a lot of designers who send clothes to Asia and get perfect results every time. And I know she definitely does not see herself behind a sewing machine for long. And frankly, neither do I... see myself behind a sewing machine that is. I mean, one would just collapse if she chooses to make all the clothes herself.

BUT despite my personal belief, as Pennylicious said...

"Is school necessary for success? These self-made billionaires seem to suggest that talent, attitude, hard work and lots of luck seem to be the vital ingredients for success not college or even high school degrees. Bill Gates, Sheldon Adelson, Larry Ellison, Li Ka-Shing, Roman Abramovich, Paul Allen, Michael Dell, Amancio Ortega, Carl Ichan, Kirk Kerkorian, Donald Newhouse, Francois Pinault, Stanley Ho, Jack Taylor, Y C Wang, David Geffen, Steve Jobs, David Murdock, Henry Fok, Ralph Lauren"..... and of course... the very famous Sir obsessed with playing with words and suggestive book titles like "Losing my Virginity" and "Screw it, Let's Do It".... "Sir Richard Branson".

Food for thought right?

For a summary on these billionaires, go to http://www.pennylicious.com/2006/10/09/billionaire-dropouts/

Reflections (2)

I've been racking my brain for the past 2 weeks thinking of what to write about in the "Reflections" series and decided to tell y'all about a research my classmate and I did last year for our Business Studies Project. Initially, when I did the research, I was so freaked out because I thought I suffered from it till some friends told me I must be silly.

OK... enough of the prologue. Can y'all guess what I'm about to talk about?

Yup.... DEPRESSION!

Before I begin, people... this is not plagiarism ok. I have given honour to whom honour is due in the presentation! Send me a mail if you want the references.

Simply put, depression is a feeling of severe unhappiness and dejection. There are 3 types:

• Reactive Depression which is simply an extension of the normal upset feeling caused by an unhappy event in a person’s life such as death, marriage, etc.

• Unipolar or Endogenous Depression: primarily a biological or inherited condition usually provoked by a form of disappointment.

• Bipolar Disorder or Manic Depressive Illness: Now this is the scary one. It is similar to Unipolar Depression EXCEPT the person also experiences episodes of elation or mania (severe highs), with which the depression (severe lows) alternates.

Although feelings of elation, such as bursts of energy and enthusiasm may seem pleasurable in the short-term, it often has devastating effects in the long-term.

Unipolar and Bipolar Depression are usually called Clinical Depression.
The common symptoms of depressive / manic episodes (of Bipolar Depression) are usually described with the acronym FESTIVAL:

•Feeling – sad, depressed, anxious or bored / elated, enthusiastic, excited, angry, irritable.

•Energy – fatigued, slow movements, everything is an effort / great energy, “never felt as well”, over-talkative or over-active.

•Sleep – waking up during the night, insomnia or over-sleeping / reduced need for sleep and marked difficulty in getting off to sleep.

•Thinking – slow thinking, poor concentration, forgetful or indecisive / racing thoughts, pressure in the head, indecisive, jumping from one topic to another, poor concentration.

•Interest – loss of interest in food, work, sex and life seems dull / increased interest in pleasurable activities, new adventures, sex, alcohol, street drugs, religion, art or music.

•Value – reduced sense of self worth, low self esteem or guilt / excessive and unrealistic belief in one’s ability or having grandiose plans.

•Aches – headaches, chest or other pains without a physical basis / never tiring, being unaware of the physical symptoms of illness such as asthma, having muscle tension at the back of the head or round the shoulders.

•Live – not wanting to live, suicidal thoughts or thoughts of death / thinking that one can live forever, taking reckless risks or, if angry or distressed, feeling suicidal.

Scary eh? If 5 or more of the symptoms depressive and/or manic episodes are present for more than 2 weeks, PLEASE seek professional medical attention!

DID YOU KNOW THAT:

- women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed and treated for major depression. I wonder why?

- depression worsens with age, i.e. the older you become, the more likely you are to get depressed.

- costs of depression is higher than that of hypertension and back problems and comparable to that of heart disease. In fact, people with depression have more sick days than people suffering from other conditions.

- it is a high risk factor for heart disease, high blood cholesterol level, high blood pressure, chronically elevated levels of stress hormones, stroke and low levels of day-to-day functioning.

We all know what can cause depression so I'll just skip that. BUT why do people not seek treatment? Simple. People are either in denial, are ashamed to admit it or are scared of the stigma employees feel may be associated with the diagnosis and the fear of the effect it will have on their jobs and concerns about confidentiality. It is important for employers and colleagues to be smart about depression by recognizing it as an illness and not a personality flaw.

What can we all do to manage depression and help sufferers?

Learn how to recognize the disease by paying attention to morale, absenteeism, dramatic mood swings and low productivity AND reach out to sufferers by having private talks and empathizing with them.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take threats seriously by being vigilant to an employee’s cry for help, e.g. comments like “I want to die” may be more serious than you think.

PEOPLE Depression is a silent killer.

Sufferes resort to vices such as cigarette, alcohol, drug and sex abuse to help cope with the disease. Others resort to suicide! Remember Kurt Cobain of Nirvana? And many other celebrities who slash their wrists?
What we can do to help fight this disease?

• Encourage sufferers to seek professional medical treatment and help them through the treatment.
• Smile at people, even strangers. Remember that a smile not only helps keep you younger, but can also help save a life.
• Offer a helping hand, even when it’s not needed. Do y'all recall:

- an internet chain letter about a 9-year old boy who was on his way home to commit suicide but changed his mind when a boy from school offered to help carry his books;
- the movie “What Women Want” about the “invisible” suicidal office girl who was finally appreciated by her boss.

• Be friendly to people. It doesn’t hurt to have a 5 minute conversation with people.
• Encourage sufferers to mix with people and invite them to socialize with you as most depressive states are compounded in periods of isolation.

Personally, I think the most important treatment of all is a hand of friendship….

Reflections (1)

Yes o!!! I'm back in CPT!!!! Wanna guess what I'm doing right now ... (like DUH! apart from updating my blog...lol...)... ??? Nadda! Zilch! I am just lounging with my friend, Kofo, who's visiting from London. And I tell you.... this is the LIFE! I am havin a real blast before school starts next week.... (groan.... no p-l-e-a-s-e... don't remind me :-( ! ....) The storyboards, the projects.... no puh-lease STOP before I get a headache.

But to be honest, last year wasn't so bad... after all I made a lotta progress. I mean looking back now, I have learnt a whole LAWT!

When I first started school, it was scary to see what I was up against...

NOPE!!!! This is NOT my work.... though I wish it was. This is MJ's work... the best guy in my class...... and yah.... he is an inspiration. I mean the guy can draw..... He is so talented... in fact it must be a crime to be THAT talented!

Let me show you my mediocre work.... at least in the beginning...

My 1st storyboards...


Just check out those AWFUL technical drawings... No wonder I got such a horrid mark! But not bad for my first attempt eh?


My 1st draping exercise...



Yah I used staple pins for that effect.....

Pretty lame work eh? Yup... even if I thought it was the best work, my marks told me otherwise.

BUT I was really proud of myself, after all, I taught myself how to draw.

Ahhh... but you know what they say about practice.... The more I practised, the better I became...





I still think these storyboards and concept board were my best work so far...


Can you spot the difference in the 2 pictures...??? (lol...)

Yah I know... not quite like the original picture but hey this painting took me like 5 days... and I still got a crap mark for it because it wasn't mounted! -10%!!!!!! I almost cried!

The draping exercise...



And THEN I became a guru.... well... in my own way...


These were actually for a competition...

I actually made the dress on the left (though it came out like the maternity wear version...lol... it was like 3 sizes too big...lol...not quite what I planned) and draped the one on the right (look below)...

Draping...

My History project (mine's on the right, Dinny's on the left)...


(Mine's on the right, Dinny's on the left...) Believe it or not, that mannequin has on about 11 items of clothing from the Rococo period) It took me 4EVA to complete the outfit!

Well I don't have all my work here. Trust me, this is not even a fifth of the work I did last year! There's still the fashion show outfit... the actual pictures of the show which I may never get (but I think I have a picture somewhere of me modelling it), my hat for the competition, the waistcoat I made, my technical drawings, the belt I made for Business Studies, etc, etc, etc. I could go on posting and posting but I better wrap this up now before I run out of data bundles. Besides, the last set of pics took 4EVA to upload. I'm beat! Maybe I'll post it next time.

Looking back... I sure know it was by God's grace and determination I got through the 1st year because it was frustrating!

BUT guess what, 1 year down, 2 more to go! And Monday's just round the corner. Let's see what this year brings...

Happy 2008!!!

Let me start by wishing y'all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Yes this is my first post for 2008!

Yup.... there was a reason I chose to post on 11 Jan. I'm hoping y'all will see only one "1" instead of 2 and think I posted it on the 1st instead of 11th. HA! Wishful thinking eh?

Sad to know I've already broken one of my New Year resolutions and the month's not even half way yet.

BUT...

Bet y'all are glad 2007 is over and enough of you have made New Year resolutions right? I know... For me, I made ONLY 1 resolution!

TO GET MY ACT TOGETHER!

In more ways than one. Now this 1 resolution, when broken down, results in like 50 other resolutions BUT I am pleased to say I think I have made some progress so far.

Well.... My holiday's almost over. I should return to Cape Town next Friday (18 Jan) by God's grace.

After meeting with some bloggers on the 6th, I decided I should work more on this blog as well as write more articles related to the reason I started this blog in the 1st place, as a "Fashion Resource site" in addition to just writing about myself. After all a blogger asked me who my audience was and I really had no clue.

So y'all will hear from me, either on this page or on the S&S blog site http://www.fashionmagng.blogspot.com/

Anywayz, I don't wanna say much yet but y'all will definitely see more work on this site by God's grace.

Have a brilliant 2008 y'all!!!!

Y'all have missed a whole LAWT!!!

Really People, I have no clue why I haven't updated this blog since... (wait lemme check)... November 17???!!! What is wrong with me?! Actually, there's a story but I'm not gonna bore you with the details...

First, I am pleased to say I am writing from Lagos!!!! Yayeeeeee!!!! Coming home was a HECTIC journey which I will tell you about shortly and shame to say I’ve been ill since I got home. But I tell you, it’s GREAT to be home!!!

Wait... sorry.... have I wished y'all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS???!!!!!! Hope y'all had a better day than I did. Not that mine was awful, in fact it was great! All that FOOD!!! But guess I would've enjoyed it more if I didn't have a drip stuck in my left hand!

No don't panic! It's nothing to lose sleep over.

BUT I managed to pick up some illness that required the treatment to be administered intravenously and since the doctor felt it wouldn't be too nice drilling holes in my hand all in the sake of finding a vein for all 4 doses, he decided to leave the (well dunno what that plastic thingy the drip is attached to is called but I'll call it...) "thingy" in my hand till I finished the dose.

So yah, now I look like a junkie with the thingy sticking outta my hand! BUT at least I was able to spend Xmas with my family as I was totally REFUSED to be admitted. Right now the thingy hurts really bad bc I think it's kinda sticking out and it's a bit swollen.

BUT I thought I'd stop procrastinating and work on this blog tonight. SO I'm struggling to type with my right hand only and it's flipping uncomfortable. So please just ignore my typos!

Well.....

A LAWT has happened in like…. what…. a month since I was last online. What have y’all missed since you last heard from me? A WHOLE LAWT! Let’s see if I can recall all I have to fill you in on before the year runs out. Yah… yah…. yah… yah… oh and yah.. lol… how can I forget… yah…, yah…., yah… lol….. yah and ok YAH! OK let’s start with my horrid trip back home!

I missed my flight!

I was supposed to travel on the 13th but eventually left on the 14th. Will give you a run-through of what happened. Quite a long story....

To be honest, it was kinda like my fault I missed the flight. And guess why? VAT Refund! But wait before y'all judge me, you know the famous sayings "everything happens for a reason" and "every disappointment is a blessing"? Well, I must tell you my whole life is a testimony, especially this past year. The way things worked out for me is just amazing! I must tell you GOD IS GOOD!!!

OK will start the gist from Day 1 when deDuke (let's call him dD) came to CPT. Yah... he was around!!!! Was really happy he came and thank God he did. Not sure he really had a good time though (well not sure he should be having fun really since he was here to write some professional exams) but I was really in a sour mood as I heard I had just lost a very dear friend (RIP AA) the day he arrived. I was quite depressed throughout his trip. But hey dD, you really must visit again. I promise I'll be better behaved!

Anyway, we planned his trip so we could fly back together and though I won't dwell much on the "I told you so"s, we decided to fly a popular Nigerian airline so we could save costs. OK, let's not even talk about how this airline almost made dD miss his exams because they were overbooked and he had to keep going to the airport for 3 days before he finally got a seat! But if it's any consolation, enough people had enough horror stories to tell this December about their trips to Nigeria. Even a Doctor friend of mine had to return to Glasgow because his domestic flight to London was cancelled 3 times and he missed his connecting flight to Lagos. And even then, he was told he had to wait for like 3 days before he could fly. This was after he had already wasted 3 days already loafing around the streets of London!

Anywayz, where was I before I deviated?... Oh yah... my trip back home!

SO I got up really early Thursday 13th morning (well not sure that's really true because I spent all night packing so I didn't actualy sleep but let's not talk about why I chose to pack the night before my trip lest my peeps start to go on and on about how I like to leave things till the last minute) and left my place at 4am (with some fruits, biscuits, yoghurt and juice) so I could check in 2 hrs before my 6.15am flight to Joburg.

Did I get to the airport early? YES I did!

Did I check in early enough? YES I did! In fact all my luggage (and I say "all" because I had excess even after student allowance of 40kg) was checked through straight to Lagos so I didn't have to pick up my luggage at the domestic airport and recheck it in again in Joburg. Nice eh? HA! What a joke! You'll see why later.

Did I catch the flight? YES I did!

Did I arrive in Joburg early enough? YES I did!

So how on earth did I miss my 10.30am flight to Lagos when all I had to do was pick up my boarding pass in Joburg you ask me? I'll tell you!

dD was on another domestic flight and seeing that flight had too many passengers, he was still on the queue trying to check in when his plane left. So he had to take the next flight (6.20am). Well, he also made the flight and made the 2hr flight to Joburg with just enough time to spare since check in closed at 9.15am... or so we thought. So what happened? Part of his luggage, which was technically my luggage (my adjustable mannequin) was missing. So he spent enough time searching for it. When he eventually found it, he came to the international section of the airport. This was say 8.50am or so.

NOW seeing we were both bent on getting our VAT Refund, we went to Customs instead of going straight to check in! Afterall we thought we had what like 20 minutes to spare. HA! What a laugh! When we noticed the Customs official was determined to check every item on the receipt of the people before us, we decided to bust the Refund and check in. And that was when the Airline Manager closed the check-in and claimed check-in closed at 9am and not 9.15.

Hmmmmmnnnnnnn....... boy did we BEG! We begged and begged and begged but the guy said no way that we should rebook our flight for the next day at no cost. Hmmn... like joke o. The guy was just too rude. AND NASTY!!! Bordering on personal! And I was even more upset because he allowed other people check in AFTER our incident. That was when I realised we were going nowhere! Even the people at the check in counter could not understand why he refused to allow us check in dD's luggage and pick up our boarding passes.

Thoughts raced through my head! My goodness! What were we going to do? We had no money, we were literally STRANDED in Joburg and I didn't know anyone in Joburg. And even if I did, how on earth were we going to get into and out of town?

Wait, why was I even thinking that far ahead?! How on earth was I going to get my luggage that had been checked straight through to Lagos.

SO... we went to the customer services counter and spoke to the lady who obviously had no clue that her job mandated her to be nice and courteous to customers. I don't think she had any training whatsoever! My goodness! She was so rude and had such an attitude that if I had anything to do with it, I'd have made sure she was fired! BUT y'all know I'm a nice person who 'd never hurt a fly. So we rebooked for the next morning.

At this point, dD made a comment about every cloud having a silver lining but heck! I definitely could not see anything with the way things were. All I saw were dark grey skies looming!

1st things 1st. How do I get my luggage? The international airline told me to return to the domestic airline since they didn't have my luggage. The domestic airline said the luggage had been sent to the international airline and it was most likely still with them. However, the lady with excellent customer service skills was willing to help trace it. I would, however, only get feedback at 1pm since the responsible staff were in the basement. This was at 10.30am. OK. No issues. I could use the time to inform my folks I would be arriving the next day and see how I could get money. I definitely had no plans of spending the night at the airport!

Guess who came through for me?! Yup you guessed right! BeeKay!!! So I got a loan from him sent to me via 10-minute Moneygram. Phew. Though I had already booked a hotel with my card, I could at least pay for it with cash and get to and from the airport. At this point, I was hungry. Now at least I know why God made me pack the biscuits and yoghurt.

1pm. I went back to the domestic airline and guess what I discovered. My luggage could not be found! OK now I started to panic! Was told I had to wait for another 2 hours so the man who gave me the news could go and check it himself. He'll call us, he said.

But I wasn't going to wait. I went to the international airline planning to give them a piece of my mind! Where the HECK was my luggage?! The counter was closed for the day! Shucks! Not good. I went up to their offices on the 3rd floor, it was closed! Saw the nasty Manager earlier on the corridor who told me to speak with their luggage handlers. The handlers asked for the tag and told me to wait. After 1 hour or so, my luggage could not be found. In fact, they suggested since I had landed really early, it was possible my luggage was on its way to Lagos! Oh no! I had to wait for another say 30 minutes just to reconfirm that was not the case. By now I was hysterical!

Of course, like it happens in the movies, peeps kept coming in asking about missing luggages. In fact, the guy sitting next to us said his luggage was sent to Dubai by mistake. Oh no! And the stories got worse! No matter now much I tried not to listen to these stories, they just filtered their way into my ears.

Anyway, after like 45 mins, some other guy checked the system and confirmed my luggage was not on its way to Lagos. Apparently, they didn't handle it at all. Phew! At least my luggage was in Joburg. But WHERE WAS IT?! They had no clue!

Anyway to cut the long story short, what happened was that the very "smart" girl who checked me in at CPT entered only the domestic airline baggage tag on the system and not the international tag. Imagine! So the handlers' system automatically rejected the tag so my luggage was dumped somewhere.

The implication? If I had actually made the flight to Lagos, my luggage would NOT have arrived in Lagos but would have been in Joburg! Imagine? At this point, I was ecstatic!!! I knew God loved me. It all made sense!!! NOW I knew why I missed my flight! I almost hugged the guy when I realised this! NOW I saw the silver lining. God does work in mysterious ways!!!!!! By now, I was beaming!

OK wait a minute...I really shouldn't be so happy though I couldn't help it. So where was my luggage? They had no clue! Well I wasn't so sad. At least it was in Joburg! I could live with that! I was asked to come back the next day. But I had also heard rumours about peeps in Joburg stealing/looting people's luggages but I had no choice.

dD suggested I stop by the domestic airline again. We were knackered, after all it wasn't easy trekking from the domestic to the international sections of the airport pushing a trolley full of dD's luggage. But at least we were hopeful! Well we went to the desk and we had to wait. Eventually about 4.30 or 5pm or so, the guy came out wheeling my 2 pieces of bruised luggage!!!!!!!!!!! People!!!! It was the best feeling I had ever experienced!!!!!!!!! I thanked and thanked and thanked and even went back to the international section to tell the handlers I had found my luggage!!!!!

We finally went to the hotel and I S-L-E-P-T!!!!!

Wakey! Wakey! Rise and shine! We were at the airport by 7.45am. We didn't want any more stories! Got there, saw the nasty Manager and the nasty lady, confirmed our flights. Still queued at Customs so our luggage could be inspected for the VAT Refund! Rearranged our luggage so we wouldn't pay for excess luggage since I had lost my receipt, checked in and got our boarding passes. At least now, NOTHING could go wrong! HA! Was that a joke!

It so happened, almost all of dD's hand luggage and half of mine was to be confiscated bc of the liquids and aerosols! My GOODNESS!!!!!! My perfumes????!!! NO WAY!!!! I was definitely NOT going to throw away my bottles of designer perfumes (sorry peeps but these were the latest fragrances and they were EXPENSIVE! Plus I am a perfume FREAK!!!) So we decided to GO BACK to check in the liquids and aerosols. And guess who the last people to check in YET again were?! Yup?! PLUS we had to pay for excess luggage with the last R700 we had on us. Good thing we didn't go clubbing the previous night like we had planned.

AND we were warned to go straight to the plane bc we were already late. We were specifically told NOT to queue for the VAT Refund. But guess the 1st thing we did when we went past immigration?! QUEUED FOR OUR VAT REFUND till we were chased from the queue!!!!

Know what the saddest thing about this story is?

After all we went through, we never got our VAT Refund! What a waste!

Cape Town......

I know…. I have absolutely no excuse!!! Oct 31st was the last time I updated this blog! I should be flogged. It has been very busy here but like I said it’s no excuse!!! Guess I have to work better at multi-tasking and my time management skills.

I still do not have the pictures from my fashion show yet…. and may never actually get them now that I think about it… but hopefully I should get at least 1 shot of my model in my costume.

Right…. The past few days have been a blast. It’s funny how people who live in a city never appreciate the city the way tourists do. I used to wonder why people came from all over the world, enduring 11 hours in the air, to visit Cape Town. I never fully understood until I had the opportunity to be a tourist last week.

My friend, Beekay, remember him from my birthday shout out in September? Well I harassed him into coming to visit because I was bored. Yah Cape Town can be very boring when you don’t know many people. Anywayz, being the darling that he is, he decided to put a gurl out of her misery by visiting for 10 days. Luckily, he met another German tourist on the plane, Wolfgang, who was visiting Cape Town and who happened to be living about 2 blocks away. (which reminds me, I have to call him before he leaves…). Those guys make a formidable team! They’ve been to more places in 10 days than I have been in my 10 months of living in Cape Town.

So armed with only a map, we went on a road trip to Paarl, Franchoek and went whale-watching in Hermanus. We drove in the mountains, by the sea, took pictures, and spent about 9 hours on the road. I tell you, I had a blast!

I rest my case here. Check out the pictures. Most of the credit… like 95% of the credit, goes to Wolfgang who took the pictures.






OK I’d have uploaded more but I got tired. These 2 took like forever not to talk of it beefing my data bundles!

Anywayz….. I look forward to welcoming you to Cape Town. You can always give me a shout when you come.

Yup... the much talked about Fashion Show has come and gone...

People!!!

The fashion show was the bomb!!! I know I promised to upload the pictures. Don't worry, they should be up shortly; emphasis on "should". I didn't have a digicam so a friend's dad took pictures and I'm waiting for them.

I am still woozy from the success of the show. I yelled so much my throat was sore.

Everything that could go wrong went wrong on that day but I know I must have done something before that God was really pleased with because I keep getting out of scrapes...

All was going well! Days before the show, I was ready with my costume, accessories, wig, et all. While others panicked about this and that, I was just relaxing and waiting for the event. Don't get me wrong, I did not sleep at all! I had more than a fair share of stress but thank God I met the deadline! No use spending all that time and money to get a mark LESS 25% or worse... get kicked off the show!

... UNTIL.....

My model cancelled on me.... 11pm the night before the show! Can you imagine????!!! So I was stuck with trying to find another model before the show, hoping and praying that the outfit the outfit would whoever I found. Lucky me I was able to get a model 15 minutes later.... God bless Dinny!

Anywayz, we all had to get to Canal Walk at 4.45 pm otherwise we'd be off the show. Anyone who knows my Academic Director would tell you he is a man of his word. Fantastic person... but definitely someone to be feared.

SO I called a friend of a friend who owns a cab company and booked a cab for 3.45pm to avoid rush hour traffic and get to Canal Walk.... max... in 20 minutes. 3.45 the guy doesn't show up. 4, 4.10, 4.15... I start to panic. I still had to pick my model up and get to Canal Walk plus I was out of airtime. SO I ask my neighbours in the sweetest way possible if I could use their phone to call a cab. After calls to 2 cab companies, I was weak! There were no cabs! It's now 4.30!

Finally I was able to get a cab... at 4.45. Where's the first cab guy you ask me? I have no clue and he hasn't called yet. Anywayz, he calls me at 5.30 to tell me he would be unable to pick me up. At 5.30???!!! Anywayz, being the proactive person that I am...lol... I was already in a cab stuck in rush hour traffic... bumper to bumper stand-still traffic. In Cape Town???!!! There's NEVER any traffic in CPT.

Where's my model you ask... since I was supposed to pick her up? Her mother was lovely enough to bring her to Canal Walk! Phew! So we finally met up and reported to the AD at 6.15pm. Luckily he was already aware of the situation so I was still on the show.

But moi, being the vain child that I am, rather than rush to get my model sorted still had to look for a top to wear for the show. I should've been smacked right? So I drag my model into Truworths and spent another say 20 minutes or so looking for a top.

Finally I get her backstage and start to dress her up. Just managed to do something with her make-up. I knew what I wanted but didn't really dwell on it since my previous model was a make-up artist. But guess putting all my eggs in one basket was like the greatest mistake ever.....!!!!!

BUT.... as they say.... all's well that ends well! The show was a success!!! After a third of my Long Island Iced Tea, I was tipsy (yah... I have a very low alcohol tolerance level so sue me)... I get home... tired and happy... but instead of sleeping still spent the next 3 or so hours chatting to a friend... whilst my other classmates went clubbing to celebrate the success of the show.

It's weird though.... About a month's work was up in about 20 seconds. But hey I got my own 20 seconds of fame! And it's a good feeling I tell you!

Oh..... check this out...

During my research on Clothing and Accessories for any active sport of my choice (in my case basketball), I came across this amazing picture.....

LOL..... Now THAT is a dawg with attitude!

This is one of the best pictures I have seen in a while. I think I'll make it my profile picture.....lol... I really can't get over it!

Must I really have a title? 'Cos I don't have one!

Hello People!!!

No I haven't forgotten to update my blog. I have been "hecticly" busy and this is just a short one to let you know I'm still here....alive and kicking. Thank God.

Here's a quick update on my to-do list:

I'm done with my dress and wig! And the fashion show's on Thursday. If you're in CPT and want to come, let me know and I'll order your tickets. It's at Canal Walk.

I'm done with my 18th century costume. Thank God.

My hat's almost complete for the competition.

And I'm about to start with my storyboards for the Old Mutual competition.

I haven't slept in days and though I'm at my best when I'm under pressure, it's really telling on me. I need to stop it!

I'll post the pictures of my work when I'm done with them.

THEN I can start working on my blog based on your suggestions.

Oh.. by the way... I saw the Oprah show about scams and Nigerians et all. Really sad...and upsetting. BUT I really do not understand why Nigerians are enraged. I did not hear the comment y'all are enraged about.

Apparently, word is that she said "All Nigerians, irrespective of their level of education are corrupt". Well.... I heard no such comment. In fact, at the end of the show she stated that she is aware this is just a handful of Nigerians and not all Nigerians are corrupt. Furthermore, one of the guests confirmed that these crimes were not only committed by Nigerians but also Eastern Europeans as well.

Though I didn't start the show from the beginning, I am certain I saw about 90% of it. Well.... except she said it in the first...like 5 or 10 minutes... which I doubt...

Anywayz...

It's 32 degrees today.... perfect day eh? SO I'm talking a walk by the beach. Perks of living in the Mother City and staying right next to the Ocean.

Have a great weekend all!

www.stitchesandseams.com

First let me begin by wishing my lovely nieces, Dupryno (Sept 29) and Lumi (Oct 1), a Happy BDay. Happy BDay you 2!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sure you both had a fantastic day......



AND NOW....... www.stitchesandseams.com



Don’t you just believe it when I tell you we young Nigerians are very busy individuals?! We are the greatest hustlers of all time (please let’s not talk about the bad eggs okay…) and we are just determined to make a success of ourselves.

One of such successes in the making is a friend of mine, name withheld for good reason, is the soul behind the very first and only 100% “Undeniably Nigerian” (about time someone coined something other than “Proudly Nigerian”. I sometimes wonder why Nigerians have to copy other countries’ slogans) online fashion catalogue / magazine!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.stitchesandseams.com/ is an online resource centre aimed at promoting the Nigerian Fashion, Beauty and Style industry both at home and abroad. So you literally see various designers and their concepts online and you can place orders!!!!!

PLUS, and I quote” as time goes on, the site will introduce you to the featured designers and players in the Nigerian FBS industry, provide information on where you can get the best yet affordable products and services for your events, provide information on hosted events, and have access to our style consultants who are able to proffer feasible solutions to your style concerns……and this is just the tip of the iceberg”……

Fantastic, don’t you think…

And guess who has been invited to write for the S&S blog page??? YUP you guessed it! YOURS TRULY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited!!!!!!! To be honest, after the invitation, I also hustled to get on the site as well. I mean, you have to keep at it so he doesn’t find someone else. And hey…..I also want to be part of the success story.

I’ll tell you more about the site as time goes on…..

Check out a snapshot of Lanre Da Silva's page; one of the many featured designers...



Now I didn't choose this page for any particular reason.... so if you are one of the designers on the site, please do not take it personal. Seeing I'm so "IT literate", it took me forever to upload this page. My printer's probably out of ink now.....

SO.....

Do check out the site and dare to make it your welcome page!

Oh....... here's wishing all Nigerians a Happy Independence Day!!! Better late than never they say...

BIRTHDAY SHOUT-OUTS

September used to be an eventless month for me. It was one of the most boring months…..unlike May….where almost every family, mine included, had at least one person born in May. So May was the best time for me to be in seclusion and conveniently be sooooo busy just so I wouldn’t run bankrupt! Birthdays literally started on 1 May….in fact, it starts with 2 people born 1 May, then 2nd, and 3rd…..and it goes on like that. Of course we all know bdays come with cards and gifts!

So yah….at least September was a good month to recuperate from all the February, March, April, May, June, July and August expenses.

But THAT was THEN!

NOW 3 of the best people I have ever met on this earth, and who I never really appreciated till I came to CPT, happen to be born in September. So yah, I have added September to my list of eventful months. These three have kept me company right from when I met them, through the toughest times and have stayed by me all through, especially since I came to CPT. I am ashamed to admit that we are still friends today, not by my effort but God’s and theirs. Because everyone knows how horrible I am when it comes to keeping in touch. But my friends, all guys, have realised this shortcoming, accepted me for it and kept in touch!

SO please let me use this opportunity to wish 3 of my “bestest” pallies a very very Happy BDay!!! And of course drop a tiny gift.... (no I'm not a cheapo!)

(....hmmnnnn.....sorry it looks squashed...)

One thing I was addicted to when I was much younger….and I’m talking about early university days, was Internet Chat rooms. I would be online ALL NITE chatting to absolute strangers. The beauty about it though was unlike other people, I actually met a lot of these people…..in person. And these internet pals are 2 of the 3 I have been raving about!

BeeKay started out as just an internet pally till I met him….when…I cannot remember….when he came to Lagos. One of the first, he turned…..no I’m not telling …. on the 12th. He lives in the UK and I talk to him every day,….well almost everyday….He talks to me like I’m next door. And if you know me, you’ll know one of my hobbies is gisting! And boy…..can I talk on the phone!!! One of the greatest complaints I have from friends is the huge phone bills they get. If I had a cent for every text, every compliment, every word of encouragement and every laugh I get from BeeKay, the World Bank would be envious!

Anywayz, Beekay is an absolute blessing!!! I thank God every day that I met him. He really is a darling, a treasure to have!!!!!!!!!

Mukaila…..(actually his name is Michael) turned…..I’m sure you know by now I won’t tell…..on the 17th. He also lives in the UK. This is one guy who…..till tomorrow….it is amazing we are still friends. That guy disses me so much it’s not even funny…..lol… And he forever reminds me of how I lied to him the first time we met online. Really we had been talking for at least 2 hours and I really had to get offline…not because I was tired of talking to him but because I just needed to leave the PC then. Of course seeing that I’m NICE like that, I didn’t want him to feel bad so I told him the rice I was cooking was burning and I had to leave. Original eh?! Truth was……my mom had just come in and being online, that early in the morning, meant my arse was toast! And yah Michael, that is the truth!

Michael is absolutely fantastic!!!! You will laugh so much your sides will ache when you talk to him. I also speak to him really often. He is just amazing!!!

deDuke………(yah…..that's how it's spelt)..... Now what can I say about this guy…..Actually question should be what can I NOT say about this guy??????? First he was never an internet pally. We used to work together. Then he became a friend….and then a confidante. If I start now, I probably would go on and on. He turned……..on the 22nd. He lives and works in Lagos and when I don’t talk to him, which is like almost never, I get a text message…, which come when they are most appreciated. It is kinda freaky because when I think…..”hmmmnnnn……odd! I haven’t heard from this guy”, I get a text message like 2 seconds later!!! Scary eh?

deDuke is simply a fantastic person, with a brilliant sense of humour. His texts are different, some funny, some inspiring and some prayers. He never ceases to disgrace me because he always sends a shout-out before I ever get to do the same. Shame on me eh?

Now the best thing about these guys gurls is that they are all SINGLE!!!!! Wait…no Michael isn’t anymore. Shame! BUT….I’ll keep you posted if anything happens…

So yah….. BeeKay and deDuke are single and (though they wouldn’t admit it and would probably murder me for this), are SEARCHING!!! So if you’re interested, I can hook you up. TRUST me, you can never go wrong with any of them.

Why not take one of them you ask me? Truth is it’d be a battle deciding who to go for. Besides you know what they say about not wrecking true friendship……

SO………….1st bidding starts at.......???

You 3 have a wonderful year ahead and I’m wishing you lots of God’s guidance and blessings alwayz……

Halle Berry Look-alike.......or NOT???!!! That is the Question!

OK!

I had my hair-cut!

YES it did cost me an arm and a leg! (I'm still very sober.....)

NO it looks nothing like Halle's hair cut!

YES I'm very broke!!!

NO, you will NOT get to see the new me with the new hair cut!!!

BUT YES!!!!!!!!! I look like Halle Berry's very distant cousin!!!

LOL!!!

HALF TERM!!!

It’s half term people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Know what that means???

· No school for 2 weeks;
· No waking up early and rushing to school to beat the 9am roll call attendance for 2 weeks;
· No patterns to cut for 2 weeks;
· No tops to destroy….meaning no Mavrou (our name for our Senior Sewing Mistress/Lecturer which means "my friend" in Afrikaans…. though I don’t think that’s how it’s spelt) or Miss A (Mavrou’s assistant) telling me to “unpick” a stitch (how I dread that word)…. Or the words…. “Where’s your quick unpick?”
· No storyboards or figure drawing for 2 weeks; and
· I can sleep non-stop for 2 weeks (and sleeping is one thing I do best….but not better than my flat mate. She literally sleeps all day!)

So why am I not happier than I am now? Because I have a HECK of a lotta homework that’s why!

I have 3 major projects:

· a fashion show coming up in October;
· a history project where I have to make a costume depicting either the 16th or 17th century….or is it the 17th or 18th century??? I need to re-read the brief; and
· a “Hat – Making (Millinery) ”competition which we are all mandated to enter as part of our course marks; the only reason I am entering the competition.

The first thing we had to make as part of the costume for the fashion show was a WIG from scratch. My Academic Director, seeing he’s cool like that, decided his theme for the fashion show would be Shakespeare’s “A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream”. Of course, seeing this project was due during my “phase”, I was so not in the mood. And of course, everyone knows a crap mood only produces crap work. So my wig was crap I have to admit. WORSE, I had to explain how I came up with a concept I never came up with. So NOT only did I waste a lot of money making the crap wig, I also wasted a lot of time and got crap marks because…..yah you guessed it, I have to re-do the wig because I got below 70%. SO whilst others who came up with such fantastic creations, I was weak, and who of course got above 70%, I have to add more baggage to my already excess baggage by re-doing my wig! Sigh……………

YAH…..so I have the wig, the costume, I have to look for a volunteer model, make the shoes, sort out the make-up, ensure the wig fits, and do all the running around for the show coming up late October. PLUS I have to start thinking of making my summer dress, using the 3D fabric I made, which is the end of term project, due mid-November or so.

Then the History Project, due the Friday before the Fashion show. We usually have 1 history project every module and everyone in my class would tell you our history projects are the most demanding projects ever. I don’t even need to tell you much about the project….just look at the title…..”Costumes from the 16th and 17th….” you know I’m not sure which it is….16th and 17th….or 17th and 18th….will recheck and get back to you. And my History lecturer is absolutely marvellous! He is a mountain of knowledge…… so you know you can’t give him crap work!

And then the competition…… I don’t even want to think about that. I mean I just made a hat in school and it was just hideous. But hey…..I take solace in the fact that I can make a hat! But you can’t submit a horrid hat for a competition can you?

So yah…that’s a snapshot of my half-term.

BUT NONETHELESS…….

I am so excited!!!!!!!! I’m about to have a hair cut! I get excited whenever I’m about to get a new hair style. BUT it is going to cost me an arm and a leg. Anyone in Cape Town would tell you that the beauty and hair industry (sorry for the unconventional term) is the most expensive industry here in Cape Town. You literally have to ask for a bank loan to get a decent hair style in this city…..or any other city outside Nigeria for that matter!

BUT….like I said earlier….with spring comes hope. And with hope comes a new outlook…..and…,you will agree with me, a new outlook deserves a new look. And what better way to get a new look than a new hair style!

Need less to say I have had the same hair style for 2 months now, I can pull out the corn-rowed-weave by tugging on it. And NO it doesn’t smell because I clean and condition my scalp regularly thank YOU!

And guess what style I decided on? The famous Halle Berry crop:

And I know it will suit me. Hey!....I’m allowed to be vain ain’t I?

The Truth……

Well the truth (which, as they say, will set you free) …..and the honest truth (like there’s any such thing as a dishonest truth) ….is that I was going through a phase…..an all-time low…..and if I had blogged, you would have felt it through the blog. And I didn’t want that…. SO I decided to stay away till I felt better. Needless to say that THE WORK was absolutely “hectic”….lol….that’s a new slang I learnt here. Hectic is the safest word to use when you can’t quantify/qualify anything … or have run out of words or the situation/product/service/etc. is just simply literally hectic! lol…

So yah…(another slang I learnt)…..I stayed away…. And now I’m back!

A lot has happened in what … a month ….. (WHAT??? 1 month) …since I have been away. Oh… lest I forget, thank you for the e-mails I received from people asking where I have been. Believe me, those e-mails went a really long way I tell you.

So yah where was I? The lot that had happened eh (and yet another slang)…? To be honest, I can’t really recall much of it. BUT one thing I do remember is the fact that I had the unhealthiest of meals during this period!!! I was just eating and eating it wasn’t even funny (lol…. and here’s a slang/phrase I learnt as well….) ….You name it, I had it….bangers, greasy chips, pizza, fizzy drinks, burgers, hot dogs …..goodness….. I should be smacked! Thank God, I walk a lot….. and ... yah ... I do walk a lot around here… seeing there’s no car!

So yah….lucky for me….I snapped out of my phase. Can’t really tell what it was but a lot had to do with the fact that I was bored….. and life was a home-school, the occasional movie/drinks/clubbing routine. People who know me would tell you I am an “all over the place” kinda person. I guess…that’s what you get for going to a place where you know absolutely no one! Sometimes I wonder why I came to Cape Town… but I guess it’s best to go to places where you don’t really know people…..that way you can really discover who you are without “influence”.

PLUS not only did I totally wreck my brand new 3-week old Nokia N76 (and NO I wasn’t drunk) but worst of all, I found out, by accident, that my neighbour had a set of keys to my flat!

How did this happen? Well…I’ll tell you.

I rushed out one morning without my phone and my assignment due that morning. Of course, there’s nothing worse than working all night on a project and then handing it in late…because that meant -25%.....or ZERO after 24 hours! My sister was around on holidays so she was with the keys to the flat, in the flat. I yelled and yelled, banged and banged and generally created a scene. But whilst every other person in the block heard my yelling and banging, I cannot for the life of me understand how my sister did not hear it. My knuckles are still sore from the banging! She claims it was the music I left on! Ludicrous I tell you, because I never turn the music on loud for fear of my neighbours. I was warned when I moved in about some guy who stayed above me and how he complains about the noise.

ANYWAYZ, this concerned neighbour comes out and asks if there was anything she could do. I told her I didn’t think so but explained I was trying to get in anyway. She comes out with this bunch of old keys she said she had and said maybe one could help open the door. I was still arguing when she tried the 2nd key and voila! The door swings open! My jaw LITERALLY hit the ground!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now what could I do? I reported her to my agent who told me she’d sort it out. That was over a month ago! BUT how do I challenge the woman, who did me a favour that morning by asking for the keys back without making her feel bad?

I’m still stuck on what to do because I don’t want her to think I’m accusing her of anything. BUT I tell you I am really worried. NOW I sleep with my keys in the lock, whilst hoping no-one goes into my flat in my absence!

THIS… coupled with other matters just made me want to go back home! Wait….. could it be that I was actually home-sick? You know it never occurred to me that that could be the reason until NOW! One thing I do know is that I MISS not working … I mean I have been working even before I left university so being stuck as a full-time student is not easy for me.

But thankfully, phone calls and friends got me by. I still have a concern though… no I'm not telling on this one... but I’m working on getting it sorted.

BUT HEY!!!! It’s Spring now (though Cape Town is colder and wetter than ever)!!! I mean Jo’burg is in the late 20s and early 30 degrees with fire alerts but the lovely Mother City is still around 16 degrees, struggling unsuccessfully to get to 18 degrees.

BUT with Spring comes beauty and hope! So yah….I’m hopeful…..(reminds me of my alarm tone which I absolutely love but everyone is absolutely sick of….Twister and Faith Evans). PLUS I went for a church conference “Dare You To Move” or "Dare You NOT To Move" as rephrased by one of the speakers! I had a blast I tell you. What better way to start the season.

Before I call it a day, I’d like to wish all Moslems a “Happy Ramadan”. Eat for 2 whilst breaking your fast!

Y’all have a wonderful week ahead!

BACK!……..After a long break…………

Yes…yes….I know…….I have been incommunicado for a while. WOW! I just looked at the date! It's been over 1 month!!! How time flies......

Anyway....yah...I've been away. But for good reason, okay…. Why? Well… do you want the truth or something else…..?

It Continues...

I am inspired!!!! I actually have comments on my blog. I was so excited to read the first one, I had to send the person an e-mail. And yes, I loved the buzz I got from the first comment! Thanks a bil!!! I see I’m going to enjoy this!

Back to blogging!

It’s amazing how throughout my life, the things I hated the most were the things I ended up doing. Check these out:

• I always hated Mathematics but I ended up studying Economics in university (which I loved by the way;
• I hated Business Studies in secondary school (because my balance sheet could never balance in Junior High) and I worked in an accounting firm. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I had to write the professional accounting exams (ICAN) …and my balance sheets still did not balance;
• I could not stand Clothing and Textiles in school. I chose Food and Nutrition instead and HEY!... look at me now… I’m studying Fashion Design.
  
  

Need I continue?

But one thing I knew for certain was that I loved consulting! As far back as I can remember, I had always wanted to be a consultant. I recall being the first point of call when people had issues (and no I’m not psyching myself). And I thank God, I have been lucky! Since I left school, I have worked in consulting firms. And to me…. Going into fashion is still some form of consulting.

Leaving my office was a tough one! I loved my job!!! I loved my office!!! I loved the people I worked with!!! But I knew I had to do this. I didn’t want to go through life, living with the “what if I had” syndrome. What’s the worst that could happen??? I go back to accounting she?...if my dream goes up in smoke which it won’t by the grace of God.

So I packed my bags and left for Cape Town, about a month late for classes. I had to wrap up on certain jobs in the office and yah… I was a Valentine’s Day consultant as well. Despite spending my Easter holidays in school, I never caught up…till now. Don’t even let me tell you what I went through in the first month. Errr…. Actually let me give you just a little of what I faced:

• My bank draft took 10 days to clear;
• I stayed in hotels for the first 2 weeks, changing hotels 3 times. Cape Town is a tourist city. February is right in the middle of summer. The weather was excruciatingly hot! There was a design exhibition in Cape Town and all hotels were fully booked!!! So I had to change hotels 3 times lugging my excess baggage (about an excess of 20kg including 30kg of my mother’s baggage allowance – YES I came with my mother and NO I am not spoilt!) all over the place.
  
  Needless to say the first Sunday, there was a power outage. Yes o, they took light in SA! Thank God I was not stuck in the shoe-box of a lift.
  
  
• Accommodation was something else. I finally found somewhere to stay but I had to leave ASAP. Spent only a month. I mean the rules were just too much! I had only 20 minutes in the bathroom!!! Moi? Female??? 20 minutes??? I thought it was ludicrous. Don’t let me even start with the rules.
  
  ETC. ETC. ETC.

Of course being a Nigerian didn’t help too much because trust…. people were wary of Nigerians and frankly our reputation here is not fantastic.

School was something else. I came right in the middle of classes and had to sew my first skirt which of course I messed up since I couldn’t even thread my machine. And I had story boards to complete. Storyboards??? What on earth are those??? Oh did I mention the 15 apples I had to draw, the figures I had to sketch, the 5 9-head fashion figures, draping with calico….. blah, blah, blah.

Please don’t even let me continue. I’ll give the gist in bits.

Enough of the past for now.

Last week was Cape Town fashion week. Yup! I had a very long weekend!!! Thursday (Women's Day) through to Sunday. I spent the whole weekend sleeping (which of course is one of my hobbies I must admit)! I did not do a thing!!! Ah.. well yes I did. I watched the movie "Vacancy". I feel so sorry for myself. But hey I deserved the sleep! I hadn't slept for days! I mean I was up for several nights, not sleeping a wink, working on my belt for Business Studies, my 3D fabric refabrication, my storyboards, my technical drawings, etc. Then I'd go to school and be wasted throughout the day! Those of you who went to Ife know what I'm talking about. Jacking all night, going straight to the exam hall and pouring it all out. Thank God we do not have exams here.

Yah as I was saying, Cape Town fashion week. Guess who was here. Our very own Deola Sagoe!!!! I was tripped!!!!!! Sadly though, I did not see any of her designs because I was misinformed about the times for the shows. I got there after her show. But just seeing her name on the schedule was good enough for me.

The show I saw, however, was really inspiring!!! My goodness those models are S-K-I-N-N-Y!!!!!! It must be illegal to be that skinny! I mean one model kept adjusting the bodice of her dress! Now being a budding designer, I’m not sure if I should blame her for being unprofessional on the catwalk or the designer for showing off ill-fitting clothes.

BUT all in all, it was a pleasant experience!!!!!!

Seeing that I may go on all night, I have to stop here and continue with my assignments. Business Studies for tomorrow and Technical Drawing for Thursday. Y'all don't want me to lose 25% for late hand-in or ZERO for hand-in after 24 hrs do you? Yup stringent rules eh? Now I'm back to burning the late night wax, trying to keep up with school work. To top it all up, I have the flu. It has refused to stop raining here!

Y’all have a wonderful evening!

The Beginning...

Why am I blogging, you ask? I dunno. I've been on other blogs and found them quite interesting, entertaining and my current link to Naija since I'm away from home.... for now. So I thought to myself, why not start something yourself?! To be honest, I always wanted to do some freelance writing and this is my chance to do so. So here I am.... doing what I always wanted to do... and hoping someone out there reads it with encouraging comments - which will definitely urge me to write more. Don't worry, I'll spice up the page with pictures and stuff shortly.

So where do I begin? A bit about myself I guess. Ok.... here goes...

I'm a graduate of Economics from OAU, Ile-Ife. I worked in 2 consultancy outfits for a total of about 5 years before I got this brainwave and decided to change my field to Fashion! Yup... Fashion!

How did it all start, you ask me? Well I’ll tell you. It all started when my tailor wrecked my clothes. I was furious! How can a tailor who has been sewing my clothes for all of 2 years (… and counting…) wreck my clothes? She has my measurements and I have gained a maximum of (…what…) 5 kilos since the 1st set of clothing.

And an idea began to form in my head. I thought to myself…. “Wait!…. I can make these things myself. After all, I know what I want and can picture it in my head.” All I need to do is learn how to sew. And that’s how it all started.

It wasn't easy, I tell you. I can neither draw nor sew. Believe me, even a straight line without a ruler seemed an impossible task. I tried to go to a sewing school here in Lagos but it didn’t quite work out so I decided to look offshore and decided on South Africa. I bought myself a book “Drawing for Dummies” (the last copy at Nu Metro, Silverbird) and "Figure Sketching for Fashion Design.

Now, here I am, almost 2 years after conceiving my idea in a cold environment (it's winter here) studying a 3-year undergraduate degree in Fashion Design in a place I know absolutely NO ONE!!!!

Some people look at me and think I’m crazy. “How can you…” (they ask me) “leave that promising career (yah I worked in one of the Big Four accounting firms and had only about 3 more stages of the ICAN exams left), decide on Fashion. Fashion!!!” My supervisor in University sent me a text message saying… and I quote “I feel so worried about this your choice of career. How did you arrive at it?” {Come to think of it, I have not responded to his text message. I had better do so sometime this year!}

To be fair though, I have received only encouragement from people. A few laughs here and there, a few harmless cynical comments and a few wide-eyed stares. But hey… life is all about risks and I took my first major one, armed with lots of faith in God. And the 1st year is almost over with me still in 1 piece!!!!

It has not been easy I tell you! The sleepless nights (literally), the assignments, the challenges, etc. One thing I know... it has been an eventful year for me. I'll tell you more as time goes on.

And so my story begins... with a name. My name is Tope (or Temitope as they call me here). But y'all can call me TWayne! ... (the TW in block capitals)