I'm a designer, aren't you?

Not until in 2008, was there a fashion explosion in the Nigerian fashion industry and ever since then the fashion BOOM has been getting louder. There have been several appraisals for the designers who dared to venture into an uncertain world of Nigerian fashion, experiments were made, trends were formed and style was revolutionized. There has been no turning back since then. For over two years now, the fashion industry has become the ‘IT’ industry. It seems like every other day, one new (so-called) designer is either discovered or self emerges. It’s almost like that’s the new best vocation; everywhere you go, one fashion lover or so, proclaim or declares his/herself a designer. Believe it or not becoming a designer is almost clichéd.

A while back, I was having drink with a friend at Prime Chinese, and a few guys walked up to us and somehow, our conversation ventured into fashion. One of the guys proclaimed in disgust saying that “any girl who is jobless can wake up one morning and call herself a designer”, and that I thought to myself what is this guy talking about, but it kinda struck me as true; and believe me, guys are beginning to pick up the bug. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be a player hater or nothing but loving fashion is not enough to make you a designer and it’s beginning to seem that way in Nigeria. All you need to do is get a good tailor who can make all the clothes you can create or most of the time, have copied from another designer and gbam, You are a designer!.

Speaking of copying, that’s becoming a regular trend now. Yes, there is nothing new under the Sun, but I don’t believe everything under the Sun has been discovered; point is there is nothing wrong in being innovative and creative. Which brings me to my next point, When would designers especially the upcoming ones stop using Ankara, Gosh! That fabric is becoming clichéd too! Someone revolutionized Ankara which pushed us to the fashion limelight, Good! But that doesn’t mean everyone should do so! Now if it’s not Ankara, it’s the use of embellishments. Duhh! Poor old Ankara has been used and over used; people seem to forget that there are other fabrics such as Linen, lace, Silk or even tweed which can be experimented with. If cutting up Ankara fabrics and sewing a few designs makes you a designer, then I’m designer too, and so is every tailor who owns a sewing machine around the corner. As a matter of fact, they are the original designers since taking your clothes to the tailor to sew up a style you like has been the trend for ages past (and present).

I was once sucked into this fashion melodrama that I actually registered for sewing classes, so that I could learn to sew and possibly make clothes for people. Well, you can say that I was doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. I liked fashion but that didn’t mean I was meant to be a designer. As you can guess, I became feedback, and so did my colleague in sewing class. She called me up one day and said ”Ebun, I’ve had enough, I’m not coming back! I don’t think this is what I want. I love clothes, but I don’t think I want to make them”. Well, you can say the same for me too. As a matter of fact, I prefer to dress people up than actually making clothes which makes me more of a stylist than a designer. A piece of advice, designing is not the only aspect of a fashion; there’s fashion styling, fashion communication, fashion retailing/ merchandising etc...Find out yourself, the one which really appeals to you or just be a fashion lover, plain and simple. The “I’m a designer” syndrome is so bad that the word “couture” haute or not has lost its valid meaning

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t celebrate our Nigerian designers; we should, and every day for that matter. But we want to celebrate those who have original talent and flair, it’s even more impressive when you are the one to start new trends, and others have to follow. If you have to go to fashion school to acquire more knowledge, then do so. Don’t just be another Ankara cutting, fashion loving, style copying fashionista, and then call yourself a designer. Because if that makes you a designer, then I’m a designer too, and so is everyone else.