Journey from Port Harcourt to Abuja then Lagos – Watch the 2011 MTN LFDW/British Council Audition Show

Nigeria has a rich pool of talent in diverse areas and the MTN Lagos Fashion Design Week in collaboration with the British Council went to three cities around Nigeria, in search of talented young designers, models and creative entrepreneurs.

In the end, Ayotomi Rotimi of Xclamations by Tomi Rotimi won the creative entrepreneur of the year prize.
Here is the Ayotomi’s profile.

Ayotomi graduated from the University of Lagos in 1998 with a degree in Business Administration. It was while at university that she began to explore the business of fashion, selling fitted shirts, scarves and tailored trousers to friends and students to augment her allowance. After graduation she worked at Fountain Trust bank yet continued to design and market her fashion pieces as a lucrative hobby.

After three years in the banking industry and with a growing passion for designing she enrolled in a course at the London Centre for Fashion studies and resigned to pursue fashion design full time. This was almost ten years ago and since then her “lucrative hobby” has grown into a successful fashion label in Nigeria, Xclamations, which focusses on affordable, accessible ready to wear clothes. They design and manufacture clothes and sell through their own two stores in Lagos and their groundbreaking online store.

Their designs are largely influenced by their African roots, evident in their creative use of colours and texture, from “afrocentric” jersey tunics to higher-end occasion wear, all easily identifiable as Xclamations originals by their fit, finish and unique design interpretations.

The finalists for the 2011 Young Creative Entrepreneur of the Year prize were;

• Ayotomi Rotimi – Lagos (Winner MTN British Council Young Creative Entrepreneur of The Year 2011)
• Wonuola Odunsi – Lagos
• Mary Ebubedike – Port Harcourt
• Bimpe Onakoya – Abuja
• Fatima Mamza – Abuja
• Rukky Ladoja – Lagos
• Temilola Osifade – Lagos
• Amaka Ofili – Lagos
• Tale Kevin Agono – Lagos
• Terence Sambo – Lagos
• Adebayo Oke Lawal – Lagos
• Anthonia Adefuye (Toni Tones) – Lagos

While the Young Creative Entrepreneur of the Year prize competition for 2011 is done and dusted, the Young Model of the Year and Young Designer of the Year categories are still open with 12 finalists each. Check out the lists below and also watch the audition videos produced by Bola Balogun of Glam Networks.

MTN British Council Young Designer of The Year Awards – Finalists

• Akpos Okudu – Port Harcourt
• Beatrice Black – Port Harcourt
• Ibitein Thompson – Port Harcourt
• Onanma Okeke – Abuja
• Binta Shuaibu – Abuja
• Xenia Ejidike – Lagos
• Kate Williams – Lagos
• Oroma Cookey Gam – Lagos
• Bola Yinka Obebe – Lagos
• Ejiro Amos Tafiri – Lagos
• Bubu Ogisi – Lagos
• Morin Alatise – Lagos

MTN Young Model of The Year Awards – Finalists

• Sandra Iwuoha – Port Harcourt
• Jummaima Ejiofor – Port Harcourt
• Genevieve Aken – Abuja
• Lateefat Garuba – Abuja
• Chika McKay – Abuja
• Jill Odeh – Abuja
• Amina Jibrin – Abuja
• Oyinkansola Ayodele – Lagos
• Kemi Awoyemi – Lagos
• Naomi Oji – Lagos
• Temitayo Adaramoye – Lagos
• Oluwatobi Fadeyibi – Lagos

Port Harcourt

Abuja