With the FIFA World Cup being hosted in South Africa this year, it seems like all eyes are on the continent, but they are not all looking at football. Fashion designers and others in the world of style are mesmerized by the trend of Afro-centricity, but as an African in the industry, does one have to stick to one’s roots to be successful? Given the current global recession, what opportunities do African countries have to capitalize on as companies seek emerging markets with untapped potential? From business plan to clothing line, if one wants to be in the fashion business, what does one need to know about entrepreneurship in this highly competitive industry?
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OLUCHI Supermodel and the Original Face of Africa Oluchi was born in Lagos, Nigeria on the 1st of August 1982. When she turned 16, her friend persuaded her to enter a competition called Nokia Face Of Africa. This was the first-ever continent-wide model competition, organized by the South African channel M-Net in collaboration with Elite Model Management. She won the competition and as a 17-year-old, Elite Model Management awarded Oluchi a three-year modeling contract. When her three-year contract with Elite expired, Oluchi signed with DNA Model Management. After moving to New York City, where she still lives, she graced the covers of Italian Vogue, i-D, ELLE, Untold, and Surface; she also was featured in Nylon, Marie Claire, Allure, and other national editions of Vogue around the world. She has been the face of campaigns for Gianfranco Ferré, Gap, Express, Banana Republic, and Ann Taylor, as well as working for Victoria’s Secret. Oluchi’s runway experience has been with John Galliano, Christian Dior, Costume National, Chanel, and Giorgio Armani, amongst others, in London, Milan, Tokyo and Paris. She has worked with such notable photographers as Steven Meisel, Nick Knight, and Patrick Demarchelier. She met famous fashion designer Luca Orlandi and soon married him on St. Barths in August 2005 and they are very happy together. Oluchi is a popular model today and is known as one of the tallest models in the fashion industry. Beyond modeling, she serves as a role model for other aspiring talents in Nigeria, especially young girls. In 2008, she launched a modeling agency in South Africa, OModel Africa, with offices in Johannesburg and recently in Cape Town. The 2008 winner of M-Net’s Face of Africa, Kate Tachie-Menson, was awarded a US $50,000 modeling contract by OModel Africa. In 2009, Oluchi hosted the inaugural Africa’s Next Top Model. |
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BUSIE MATSIKO CEO and Co-Founder, Fashion Indie Media Busie Matsiko is Co-founder of Fashion Indie Media, which serves as a platform for independent and upcoming fashion designers, models, writers, and publishers. Ms. Matsiko is mindful of her Ugandan and South African heritage, and she is actively involved in activities that pertain to the continent and has been involved with organizations like the UNDP and Action Against Hunger. Ms. Matsiko currently advises a number of organizations such as Fesman and AngelAfrica, which have an interest on maximization of potential in Africa on strategy and development. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BBA in Management from Berkeley College and has an excellent financial background. She has worked with top-tier companies such as Smith Barney, Oppenheimer & Company, Citibank and SEEDCO in different portfolios.
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AISHA OBUOBI Designer & Founder, Christie Brown Aisha Obuobi is the founder and designer of the Christie Brown fashion brand. She launched Christie Brown in 2008 and by doing so, revolutionized the use of traditional wax print in her home country Ghana, creating new fashion trends to be followed by many. She has been featured in magazines such as Canoe (Ghana), Black Hair (UK) and Destiny (South Africa). In June 2009 she won the award for Emerging Designer of the Year at the first ever Arise Africa Fashion Week in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is mainly self-taught, having learned how to sew from her grandmother, after whom her fashion label was named. She holds an Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Ghana.
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MIMI PLANGE Designer and Founder, Boudoir D’huîtres Mimi Plange, a 30 year old native Ghanian, moved to Southern California at age five with her mother, along with her four siblings. Ms. Plange graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. After completing a major in architecture and minor in dramatic arts, she decided her heart belonged to designing clothes rather than buildings. She then interned at Uuma.com, an internet start-up company that sold luxury and high-fashion clothing; this was her first exposure to the business side of luxury and premium designer fashion. Later she enrolled in San Francisco’s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, completing her degree in 2001. To fulfill her dream of becoming a fashion designer, Ms. Plange packed up her bags, said goodbye to California and headed to New York City. She quickly found a job working as a merchandiser for a New York jewelry firm. She then became a designer, and later went on to start a design firm SB&P Designs and Boudoir D’huîtres. Ms. Plange has spent many years as a consultant in the fashion industry, including stints with Patricia Fields and Rachel Roy before going on to launch her own venture in 2008. Since its inception, Boudoir D’huîtres has been featured in Vogue UK, Marie Claire, NYLON, WWD, Timeout Dubai, Harper’s Bazaar, and Zink Magazine.
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Panel Moderator: ZANDILE BLAY Market Editor, Paper Magazine Zandile Blay is Fashion Market Editor for Paper Magazine and a style columnist for the The Huffington Post. Her work has appeared in InStyle Magazine, Seventeen Magazine, Teen People Magazine, The New York Sun, The Daily News and America Online. In addition she launched the British Vogue recognized fashion news blog, The Blay Report, and the newly created African Style Daily. Ms. Blay earned her Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Syracuse University in New York. She earned her Masters of Fashion from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in London. She currently resides in Jersey City, New Jersey. She is originally from Ghana, West Africa. |