i often wonder why the "fashion designers" in nigeria dont copy things properly, okay we do fashion shows sell tickets or at times do free charity shows,, but are we not forgetting somethingare clothes actually being made, i am sorry to say ,but most of what i see our designers create are mainly costumes.there is a big difference between ready to wear clothes and costumes.when we go out to buy the gucci things,armani shirts,prada shoes,we buy them for comfort{and the usual effizy involved in wearing designer things}.all i am trying to say here is that our fashion designers should focus more on making ready to wear garments which are more functional on and off the runway.and also they make them affordable.i saw a piece on a model made from our very own ankara which sells for about 300 naira per yard being soled for 50000 naira,isnt there a law against such highway robbery?? .i am a fashion designer in the making and i will go into the functional clothes business not costume making, i want to do this to prevent our poeple from petronising too many "okrika" markets , we seem to have a lot of them these days.GOD forbid people start wearing costumes all over the place, i see it happening already,

The point is that it is actually the lack of understanding of the people wearing these costumes not the designers. In shows, a designer is supposed to create something unique and different, that is worthy to be remembered. When you purchase such clothes, u ask 4 it to be altered so that it is comfortable and wearable.

The reason designers create this outrageous clothes, is just to show that they have talent and are imaginative. If a designer creates an everyday attire, this is nothing out of the ordinary and may not catch anyones imagination. The designers trick is to make the buyer think, if this designer can create this complicated outfit, then surely they can create something simpler.

I hope I made sense.

Sholeyb:

The point is that it is actually the lack of understanding of the people wearing these costumes not the designers. In shows, a designer is supposed to create something unique and different, that is worthy to be remembered. When you purchase such clothes, u ask 4 it to be altered so that it is comfortable and wearable.

The reason designers create this outrageous clothes, is just to show that they have talent and are imaginative. If a designer creates an everyday attire, this is nothing out of the ordinary and may not catch anyones imagination. The designers trick is to make the buyer think, if this designer can create this complicated outfit, then surely they can create something simpler.

I hope I made sense.

that is correct
even cloths made by foreign designers for the runway are entirely different from the ones that are sold
run way cloths are supposed to highlight a specific feature in the designers creations
these features a then introduced on simpler designs that are made to be worn

yeah truth,
a one time winner of NFS (cant remba her name)
i can say got that title because of a calabash filled cloth,
am i supposed to wear that

Why r u so crude?

what kind of people are these with no iota of decency
u guys just roam around ruining perfectly good threads
^{*** storms out in disgust***}

If you're a fashion designer in the making or a budding one, then you really need some help because you obviously know nothing about the fashion business.

Allow me to school you darling:

The three Cs of Fashion are Couture, Commercial, Catalogue

Couture (Haute Couture) consists of the outrageous pieces you see on the runway. They are not meant to be worn anywhere but are artistic interpretations of the designer's idea.

Commercial (Ready to Wear) consists of the clothes that actually make it into the designer's store and can be purchased by anyone off the street

Catalog refers to made to order items that are not readily available except upon request.

I think what you're trying to become is a tailor, not a designer. Designers have vision. You don't seem to.

Also, the fact that the ankara costs 300 naira is irrelevant. The designer marks up the price according to how much effort they have put into the piece, who they want to buy the piece (designers don't want just anybody wearing their clothes mind you) or how rare they want the piece to be.

dont know about the ladies fashion but im well into the nigerian themed t shirts and i love the bold statement they make,and some ankara outfits like shirts and that so we can defo wear them and its just the beginning for them as they ll still blow up and reach all corners of africa, especially when u look at nigeria's purchasing power,

lucabrasi:

don't know about the ladies fashion but im well into the nigerian themed t shirts and i love the bold statement they make,and some ankara outfits like shirts and that so we can defo wear them and its just the beginning for them as they ll still blow up and reach all corners of africa, especially when u look at nigeria's purchasing power,

Goodness me, I hope you don't wear those awful "African shirts"!! They're absolutely horrendous and reduce even the most refined man into a classless mess. They should all be burned.

sugabelly:

Goodness me, I hope you don't wear those awful "African shirts"!! They're absolutely horrendous and reduce even the most refined man into a classless mess. They should all be burned.

lol, some are cool tho depends on what you want on them as well,i go with a couple of plain tee shirts and then go through a series of designs and stuffs they have which is the good thing about it,you can have exactly what u want on them and what u think represents your personality/nigerianess, i wear them when i want to be like in your face with some annoying people on campus ;Dand in my class

sugabelly:

Goodness me, I hope you don't wear those awful "African shirts"!! They're absolutely horrendous and reduce even the most refined man into a classless mess. They should all be burned.

I totally agree
some people seem to relate lack of taste with expressing their nigerianess

well if identifying myself as nigerian via my tee shirts,like the jamaicans do,like british do,americans is classed as having no taste then i accept i lack taste,

As for me. . . . i can never wear none of those spastic Nigerian designers!

sugabelly:

If you're a fashion designer in the making or a budding one, then you really need some help because you obviously know nothing about the fashion business.

Allow me to school you darling:

The three Cs of Fashion are Couture, Commercial, Catalogue

Couture (Haute Couture) consists of the outrageous pieces you see on the runway. They are not meant to be worn anywhere but are artistic interpretations of the designer's idea.

Commercial (Ready to Wear) consists of the clothes that actually make it into the designer's store and can be purchased by anyone off the street

Catalog refers to made to order items that are not readily available except upon request.

I think what you're trying to become is a tailor, not a designer. Designers have vision. You don't seem to.

Also, the fact that the ankara costs 300 naira is irrelevant. The designer marks up the price according to how much effort they have put into the piece, who they want to buy the piece (designers don't want just anybody wearing their clothes mind you) or how rare they want the piece to be.

Actually,about haute couture, there are highly wearable ones like Elie saab for instance, and many others as well. Some of our designers are really good. like deola sagoe.but a lot of them are trying too hard to be 'creative', like nikki khiran.

HR.hotness:

I totally agree
some people seem to relate lack of taste with expressing their nigerianess

I'm not saying that expressing your Nigerianness is equatable with a lack of taste. I design Nigerian t-shirts for goodness' sake!

I am saying that those African Shirts (the ones for men that are made from fabrics like ankara) are terribly boxy and unflattering. Perhaps something could be done with them as far as design goes, but as they are now they do noone any favours.

Anuli ph:


Actually,about haute couture, there are highly wearable ones like Elie saab for instance, and many others as well. Some of our designers are really good. like deola sagoe.but a lot of them are trying too hard to be 'creative', like nikki khiran.

I do like Elie Saab, although his haute couture is a bit toned down. In the spirit of avant guarde haute couture though, you can't get better than John Galliano

sugabelly, is that u in that kedu? top??

if so, ur breasts look lovely in it, that shirt was made for whoever is on that pic, blessed

Personally, I like the African print designs worn by Mandela, Gbago (Ivory Coast) and sometimes Kagame (Rwanda). They look very distinguished, albeit in a relaxed, almost casual manner.

@sugabelly
i like that hoody!

Suga belly,
Are those t shirts available for purchase cos i'm loving them!! Really UniQue!!

yea the shirts are okay
can i get one?

young_digi:

sugabelly, is that u in that kedu? top??

if so, your breasts look lovely in it, that shirt was made for whoever is on that pic, blessed

Lol, yes, that is me (in the Kedu and the Lagos Life T-shirts. Not me in the Naij hoodie though). Thanks about the breasts. I do my best.

anonimi:

Personally, I like the African print designs worn by Mandela, Gbago (Ivory Coast) and sometimes Kagame (Rwanda). They look very distinguished, albeit in a relaxed, almost casual manner.

True, but those are older men. I don't mind them on older men because I think their age somehow helps the shirts to tie in with their overall look, but for younger men, they are quite unflattering. They need to be reworked for the younger generation.

ibkaye:

@sugabelly
i like that hoody!

Yay!! Lots of people love this hoodie too! AND, it comes in black! I sell them online: http://www.barcelagos.com

AlexisJay:

Suga belly,
Are those t shirts available for purchase because i'm loving them!! Really UniQue!!

Yep, I sell them online. See above. But I can't ship to Nigeria at the mo! It blows. You have Yardy and OBJ to thank for that one. I'm having a sale in Abuja right now, there are still some KEDU t-shirts left and some Lagos Life ones too I think. I'll post the shop address here if anyone's interested.

iice:

How often do they have these runway shows? I'd like to watch one. . .
Errhhh ok, if there's some link to watch some of them

And yes those T-shirts are cool

I don't think Nigerian fashion designers have a regular time table for runway shows, but hopefully in a few years, we'll be going crazy over fashion week. Thanks, I'm glad you like my t-shirts. Got tired of all the tired (no pun intended) "Nigerian T-shirts" out there, and even though I'm in school to learn full on fashion design, I adore T-shirts, and started designing and making my own. This is the result

princesa:

yea the shirts are okay
can i get one?

Of course you can get one, even though it depends on where you are. I can't ship directly to Nigeria (OBJ and his amazing policies) but right now I'm having a sale in Abuja. In general, from the online store I can ship to anywhere in the USA, Canada, the UK, the rest of Europe, and parts of Asia. But not to MY OWN COUNTRY!! It is so FRUSTRATING!!!! Seriously, I hope OBJ gets his just desserts

it will improve

Sugabelly !!!!!! Holy Kabumka , tha thang beneath the T-shirt rocks ma world. Where can i get them T-shirts especially the one u have one, i wanna get it for ma gurl maybe her titties can inflate a bit. Truthfully the titties, another word for T-shirts looks good

Nice stuffs you have. What does Kedu stand for?

kedu means hello in Igbo.

Hmm Sugarbelly,you adverts here will get you a lot of customers for your Tshirts.
The men are already salivating .

young_digi:

sugabelly, is that u in that kedu? top??

if so, your breasts look lovely in it, that shirt was made for whoever is on that pic, blessed

Builder:

Sugabelly !!!!!! Holy Kabumka , tha thang beneath the T-shirt rocks ma world. Where can i get them T-shirts especially the one u have one, i want to get it for ma girl maybe her titties can inflate a bit. Truthfully the titties, another word for T-shirts looks good

Has anyone heard of Oluwafemi, O'Shady & Tony Tigana in Lagos? They are the best Nigerian Designer

Has anyone heard of Oluwafemi, O'Shady & Tony Tigana in Lagos? They are the best Nigerian Designer

iice:

sugabelly, i love what you are doing. . .keep on trucking jare
You said sale in abj? Errhhh where abouts? I need to get some of those t-shirts
I checked your site too, awesome! I see one hoodie that my bro will adore erhhh is see the smallest size is a small for women erhhh how small is a small?

Hmmm, what hoodie is that? Some of the hoodies are specifically meant for men, and some are specifically meant for women. For example, the Naij Hoodies, the Tortoise 'MBE' Hoodie, and the 7 Deadly Sins hoodies are meant for Women, while the Omo Zodiac Hoodies are meant for men.

However, I DO take custom orders, so if you'd like one of the female hoodies made for a man, then I can do that for you. I can also put your face (in cartoon form of course) on a t-shirt. email barcelagos@gmail.com if you'd like one of those.


Also, the sale is at:

Rococo Pink

QueenFem Plaza (second Floor - the blue plaza opp. the Mr. Biggs)

Aminu Kano Crescent ,

Wuse II

Abuja.

LOL @ Holy Kabumka! I'll be laughing at that one in my sleep. Who's checked out the site?


Tell me if it was any of the first two hoodies:

I wish you the best in your business.
This is really good.

wow, those are good, checked out the website i'm definately purchasing a few of those 

Sugarbelly do you have a contact in Lagos?