Princess Abah Folawiyo and Fashion are inseparable. Her creative concepts flow
in a vision like manner that she finds easy to interpret perfectly. The quality of her
breathtaking and innovative designs are enough to fetch her the crown of queen of
fashion designs. Her knowledge of fabrics combinations, colours, cutting and sewing
were not acquired in any classroom, they were naturally inborn. Princess Abah had
already set up Labanella Creations as a fashion house before she attended the London
Fashion School just to acquire a certificate.
Her passion and commitment to fashion is such that she designs from her heart,
rather than from her head, and so she puts in a lot of loving effort into every design
at Labanella, making sure that what she makes for people are what she would wear
herself.
She founded Labanella creations in 1978, and in 1981, it was formally incorporated
as a limited liability company. The outfit, one of the foremost and most successful in
the country, became a pace setter and has participated in fashion shows, in some of
the world’s major fashion centres such as London, Paris and New York. In 1986, the
company staged shows in many West African countries in a project known as “Labanella
goes Ecowest”. Back in 1963, Princess Abah had emerged as the best designer at VC-10,
award in Ghana. Presently she is the matron of fashion designers association of West
Africa (FADEWA) and the Matron of Honour of Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria
(FADAN)
Over the years, Labanella fashion house had pioneered several trends. According to
her “ I used to make corporate clothes, but when I realized that Nigerian women are on
the plump side, I reviewed my position. I do not subscribe to the trend women squeeze
into fitted clothes.” Her desire to make clothes that suit the figures of her clients largely
influenced Labanella’s inclination to Kaftans, Culottes and Jilabias.
The contributions of Princess Zainab Abah Folawiyo cannot be easily chronicled.
Describing her as a quintessential pace setter in fashion designing who deserves wide
acclaim on the African Continent would not be enough for a woman who lives, breathes
and talks fashion. She has left indelible footprints for thousands of current and potential
players in the industry to follow.
Continue After The Cut........
Perhaps someday, and in her lifetime, she would be given due recognition, especially by
the government of Nigeria. Perhaps one day, her art and contributions would become
a course of study in Nigerian and African institutions of higher learning. When that day
comes, Princess Abah Folawiyo would have received some of what is due her, for her
immense input into the making of a new order in fashion designing.
On May 18th
during the Africa Fashion Week Nigeria at the Eko Hotels, Princess Abah
Folawiyo’s creations will be on the runway as a source of inspiration to millions of
Nigerian fashion followers, including designers, connoisseurs, students and dealers. In
this interview, the doyen of Nigerian Fashion reveals why she supports Afica Fashion
Week Nigeria.
Q: For the first time after several years, you will be going on the runway again for Africa
Fashion Week Nigeria, what is the reason?
Folawiyo: It is a worthy cause, I mean Africa Fashion Week Nigeria. Many Nigerian
fashion designers of excellent quality end up being mere roadside tailors and
dressmakers because they lacked the platform that will give them maximum exposure.
This is the first time that an organization will take up the task of providing this pedestal
to help launch the careers of young people whom would have been lost in obscurity for
lack of showcasing opportunities. I am pleased to have such a thing happening in my
lifetime, to boost my own contributions to the fashion industry. When they called on me
to help, I accepted to do the runway show for them to inspire the younger generations.
Q: How many dresses will you be showcasing?
Folawiyo: oh quite a lot, I hope there will be enough time for me.
Q: Will you make the dresses freshly for the runway or are they old ones?
Folawiyo: oh, there are no old ones! Even though I have retired, my clients still won’t
leave me alone. They keep on coming and persuading me to help them out with what
to wear to this occasion and that. So I find myself making new dresses and still setting
the pace! You see, it is one thing for you to see what others are making, it is another
thing to take it and personalize it into your own custom pattern. That is what I tell all
my students over the years; don’t be a copycat, put something of yourself in all your
designs. So I have a lot of designs that are top of the echelon and were made for my
clients who are up there in the scheme of things in the society. That is what I am going
to exhibit at the runway.
Q: Your creations are usually practical wearable dresses, often plus size. How will they
fit the models that will be on the runway?
Folawiyo: You know I asked them the same question but Ronke, the founder, she said
that they have plus size models that will model dresses created for the real African
woman so I have absolutely nothing to worry about.
Q: your show will be coming up at the gala event?
Folawiyo: yes on the 18th
of May at Eko Hotels. It will be among the final shows to
crown the event. I particularly love the honour of being able to motivate young Nigerian
fashion designers, to tell them that they could still make it. The world is facing an
economic meltdown, there are no more jobs for our youth any where on the globe.
The world has to embrace a paradigm shift whereby young people now create jobs for
themselves and others rather than looking for ready made jobs. The fashion industry is
one of the easiest platforms that enables self employment and micro job creation. This
Festival is one of the best ways to promote the fashion industry. I feel honoured to be
the highpoint of this project.
Princess Abah Folawiyo and Fashion are inseparable. Her creative concepts flow
in a vision like manner that she finds easy to interpret perfectly. The quality of her
breathtaking and innovative designs are enough to fetch her the crown of queen of
fashion designs. Her knowledge of fabrics combinations, colours, cutting and sewing
were not acquired in any classroom, they were naturally inborn. Princess Abah had
already set up Labanella Creations as a fashion house before she attended the London
Fashion School just to acquire a certificate.
Her passion and commitment to fashion is such that she designs from her heart,
rather than from her head, and so she puts in a lot of loving effort into every design
at Labanella, making sure that what she makes for people are what she would wear
herself.
She founded Labanella creations in 1978, and in 1981, it was formally incorporated
as a limited liability company. The outfit, one of the foremost and most successful in
the country, became a pace setter and has participated in fashion shows, in some of
the world’s major fashion centres such as London, Paris and New York. In 1986, the
company staged shows in many West African countries in a project known as “Labanella
goes Ecowest”. Back in 1963, Princess Abah had emerged as the best designer at VC-10,
award in Ghana. Presently she is the matron of fashion designers association of West
Africa (FADEWA) and the Matron of Honour of Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria
(FADAN)
Over the years, Labanella fashion house had pioneered several trends. According to
her “ I used to make corporate clothes, but when I realized that Nigerian women are on
the plump side, I reviewed my position. I do not subscribe to the trend women squeeze
into fitted clothes.” Her desire to make clothes that suit the figures of her clients largely
influenced Labanella’s inclination to Kaftans, Culottes and Jilabias.
The contributions of Princess Zainab Abah Folawiyo cannot be easily chronicled.
Describing her as a quintessential pace setter in fashion designing who deserves wide
acclaim on the African Continent would not be enough for a woman who lives, breathes
and talks fashion. She has left indelible footprints for thousands of current and potential
players in the industry to follow.
Perhaps someday, and in her lifetime, she would be given due recognition, especially by
the government of Nigeria. Perhaps one day, her art and contributions would become
a course of study in Nigerian and African institutions of higher learning. When that day
comes, Princess Abah Folawiyo would have received some of what is due her, for her
immense input into the making of a new order in fashion designing.
On May 18th
during the Africa Fashion Week Nigeria at the Eko Hotels, Princess Abah
Folawiyo’s creations will be on the runway as a source of inspiration to millions of
Nigerian fashion followers, including designers, connoisseurs, students and dealers. In
this interview, the doyen of Nigerian Fashion reveals why she supports Afica Fashion
Week Nigeria.
Q: For the first time after several years, you will be going on the runway again for Africa
Fashion Week Nigeria, what is the reason?
Folawiyo: It is a worthy cause, I mean Africa Fashion Week Nigeria. Many Nigerian
fashion designers of excellent quality end up being mere roadside tailors and
dressmakers because they lacked the platform that will give them maximum exposure.
This is the first time that an organization will take up the task of providing this pedestal
to help launch the careers of young people whom would have been lost in obscurity for
lack of showcasing opportunities. I am pleased to have such a thing happening in my
lifetime, to boost my own contributions to the fashion industry. When they called on me
to help, I accepted to do the runway show for them to inspire the younger generations.
Q: How many dresses will you be showcasing?
Folawiyo: oh quite a lot, I hope there will be enough time for me.
Q: Will you make the dresses freshly for the runway or are they old ones?
Folawiyo: oh, there are no old ones! Even though I have retired, my clients still won’t
leave me alone. They keep on coming and persuading me to help them out with what
to wear to this occasion and that. So I find myself making new dresses and still setting
the pace! You see, it is one thing for you to see what others are making, it is another
thing to take it and personalize it into your own custom pattern. That is what I tell all
my students over the years; don’t be a copycat, put something of yourself in all your
designs. So I have a lot of designs that are top of the echelon and were made for my
clients who are up there in the scheme of things in the society. That is what I am going
to exhibit at the runway.
Q: Your creations are usually practical wearable dresses, often plus size. How will they
fit the models that will be on the runway?
Folawiyo: You know I asked them the same question but Ronke, the founder, she said
that they have plus size models that will model dresses created for the real African
woman so I have absolutely nothing to worry about.
Q: your show will be coming up at the gala event?
Folawiyo: yes on the 18th
of May at Eko Hotels. It will be among the final shows to
crown the event. I particularly love the honour of being able to motivate young Nigerian
fashion designers, to tell them that they could still make it. The world is facing an
economic meltdown, there are no more jobs for our youth any where on the globe.
The world has to embrace a paradigm shift whereby young people now create jobs for
themselves and others rather than looking for ready made jobs. The fashion industry is
one of the easiest platforms that enables self employment and micro job creation. This
Festival is one of the best ways to promote the fashion industry. I feel honoured to be
the highpoint of this project.
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PS: Am so sorry have been MIA for a couple of days now, please bare with me, been very busy at work, well am back for you guys NOW! Thanks for always been there.......Love you guys so so much, Bless You.
