Emma Lohoues, the Beautiful Imperfection

Good morning everyone,

Let me start this day by giving you the fashion quote that strikes my mind: « I like being a woman, even in a man’s world. After all, men can’t wear dresses, but we can wear the pants »- Whitney Houston.

Now let’s get to the topic.

Today, I’ll introduce you to a lady from my country (yeah), Cote d’Ivoire. For me, she’s the perfect « Rebel Fleur » as Rihanna would say. To be honest, she’s one of the baddest (I mean the best) female celebrities in the country. She’s extremely gorgeous (no homo) and I got a lot of respect for her, her game and her hustling.

Emmanuelle Lohoues aka Emma Lohoues, is an Ivorian actress, born in April 17th 1986 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

From an early age, she’s passionate  about acting: at the age of five, she’s already getting auditions all around Africa. That’s how she’ll be making quick appearances in Ivorian series, including Classe A. After that, she’ll get the role of Estelle in the movie « Le Mec Idéal » (The Ideal Man), after a casting organized by the director Owell Brown.

Thanks to her leading role in the movie, in 2010, she won many awards. Among those, there are: an « Etalon de Bronze » (Bronze Stallion) at the FESPACO and a « Coq d’Or » (Golden Rooster) for the best actress at the 20th  China Golden Rooster&Hundred Flowers Film Festival 2011. She becomes the first Ivorian actress to be called « the best actress » for thanks to the award. Not only that, she also won the award of the best actress at the International Film Festival of Khouribga in 2011, in Morocco and last but not least, a « Coeur de Crystal » (Crystal Heart) at the 28th International Film Festival of Love at Mons in Belgium before flying Cannes Film Festival 2012 to present « Le Mec Ideal » (The Ideal Man) at Cannes Market. June of the same year, she was the Mistress of Ceremonies at the « Écrans Noirs  » (Black Screens) taking place in Yaounde, Cameroon.  She was chosen to be one of the two godmothers at FESPACO 2013 1st Night of the African series.

Those honors went on to one of the most gorgeous young actresses who is the pride of Cote d’Ivoire, when it comes to the movie industry, and she has become, in no time, one of the most loved and adored movie celebrities.

She’s not only an actress, but also a model, who’s already made the covers of some magazines like Tips Magazine, and posed for prestigious photographers.

These are two different covers of Tips Magazine in the same year, 2011.

Here are some other great shots showing the banging hot body of Emma.

Emma Lohoues is limitless. She’s chic, classy and sassy, that’s why she decided to launch a clothing line and store called « Beautiful Imperfection », and the concept was well received by her thousands of fans.  « BEAUTIFUL IMPERFECTION », since it is what it is, is now her trademark, exclusively for ladies. According to Emma, Beautiful Imperfection is BEAUTY!

The clothing line consists of clothes, accessories, bags and shoes!

With that being said, BIP is the  new chic, sexy, classy and swag store in Abidjan. You’ll get whatever it is you need to attract people.

Let me not forget. This a video of an interview with Ayana Webzine. I can’t post the video, but this is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D0eD83Og9I

I’ll give the translation of the video, for those who don’t speak and understand french. Now for all my French/Francophone people, you don’t have to read this. These are her words:

« Emma Lohoues is a young woman full of life, who graduated in Communication and decided to put aside studies to make her dream a reality. It fascinated me to see people being able to play the role of strangers  so I told myself that I could do it too and that I was going to try to do it.  The day I received my award in China, at the Golden Rooster Festival, it was just…wow. Among all those small Chinese and other nationalities, and they call my name, Emma Lohoues, to receive the best actress award, it was unexpected, I always thank God for that, it’s a big gift. I think I’m in my comfort zone and there’s nothing that can make me weak. « 

I’m very proud of her and her achievement, and I pray God that she continues to shine bright like a diamond in the sky. Amen.

On that note,

Peace and Class Lovies!

My craft, my art

This is going to be the last post of the day.

I’ve been showing you some famous designer’s work. I think it’s time to come out of my shell, and show you mine.

I’m inspired by urban fashion, and that’s what I try to portray in my designs. But sometimes, I take this glamorous side, so here you go!

 

 

 

I’m having a problem to upload the other designs, but at least you have these ones. Just so you know, they’re old but not that old, since I drew them in 2013, when I discovered the Promarkers. To have a better view, click on the image.

On that note,

Peace and Class Lovies!

CHRISTIE BROWN, The modern woman who seeks a true taste of Africa.

Early in the afternoon, we stopped by the Nigerian coast; tonight, we’re landing on the Ashanti coast, Ghana, to talk about one of the fast rising brands of this country when it comes to fashion. But first, let’s discover this beautiful country.

Personally, I’ve never been there, but I’d love to visit it. We’re actually neighbors (You can see Ivory Coast is on the left side). By looking at that picture, I can say that it looks like a quiet and nice place.

Just like their Nigerian fellows, they also have a fashion week which is held in the capital, Accra and welcomes many designers from around the continent. This year, the Ghana fashion week will take place in October, from the 11th to the 13th (I wish I could go there).

Here are some of the designs presented at last year’s Ghana fashion Week in Accra.

I am not going to lie! These designs are actually blowing my mind. I like the splash of colors. The designs on the two last pictures are from Adebayo Oke Lawal, the CEO and creative director of the hip, fun stylish brand ORANGE COUTURE. I’ll make a detailed post about this Nigerian designer very soon.

Now let’s get to the matter!

The brain child behind this fast rising international brand is Aisha Obuobi, a Ghanaian fashion designer. Christie Brown was founded in March 2008, shortly after she completed the University of Ghana with a B.A. in Psychology.

CHRISTIE BROWN

Christie Brown is a Ghanaian based luxury brand for women that aims to satisfy the stylish urge of « the modern woman who seeks a true taste of Africa ». The aim is to infuse modernism into carefully selected African fabrics that transcends international borders. It’a all about allowing women to be able to experience the culturally rich and opulent side of Africa without having to compromise their personal style.

The label was founded in 2008 with the launch of the brand’s first runway show in Accra. The creative director, Aisha Obuobi fell in love with fashion at an early age. However, the real motivation came from her grandmother, Christie Brown, a seamstress who used to create rich and vibrant garments.  Today the label stands uniquely as women’s apparel and accessories manufacturer and retailer with pieces ranging from beautiful bespoke gowns, practical yet statement pieces to innovative accessories all inspired by the African culture and art.

To date, the label has demonstrated international success. Besides winning The Emerging Designer of the Year Award in 2009 at the inaugural Arise Africa Fashion Week in Johannesburg, South Africa, Christie Brown was also the only Ghanaian label chosen to showcase in the Arise L’Afrique- a- Porter, in Paris as part of Paris Fashion Week in March 2010. At the 2010 Africa Economic Forum hosted by Columbia University, Aisha was invited to sit on the panel for « African Fashion Going Global »; a discourse on making African Fashion a recognizable global industry. The brand has also captured the attention of global magazines including Harpers Bazaar, Vogue Italia, Arise (UK), Canoe 53 Sails, Black Hair (UK), Destiny (SA), and Glamour Magazine to mention a few.

After only a few of years in the industry, Christie Brown has created a strong presence for itself, reflecting the personality and inspiration of the founder, with a continued promise of effortless sophistication in each design.

This designer has, with time, become a household name across the world.

Here are some of her designs.

These wonderful designs are from the TALENSI Collection for Spring and Summer 2012.

Now take a look a these gorgeous accessories!

Oh and did I forget to mention that Alicia Keys rocked some of these pieces for one of Vibe’s issues in 2011?

Also national celebrities feel comfortable in those pieces.

Efya, ghanaian singer, rocking Christie Brown.

Alright, so you all agree with me that African fashion is taking over the world!

On that note,

Peace and Class lovies!

« The House of Marie »: One of the most luxurious brands celebrated in Nigeria

Hello everyone,

Let me start off with the quote of the day: « Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak »- Rache Zoe

In today’s post, I’ll talk about « The House of Marie », one of Nigeria’s most celebrated fashion houses.

Nigeria’s a lovely country. I’ve lived there for 3 years with my parents and I must say that it was an incredible experience. What I love the most about Nigerians is that they’re natural hustlers. They won’t rest until they get what they want. They really put effort in what they do and for that, they got my respect.

Not only that, Nigeria’s also rising in the world of fashion in West Africa and in the whole of Africa. They have a fashion week that takes place every year in Lagos (the economic capital), and it welcomes designers from Nigeria but also designers from other countries of Africa.

This is the flyer for the Nigeria Fashion week 2011.

Nigerian women and men got style and a very accurate sense of fashion. Weather they’re celebrities or common people, everybody tries to keep it up.

Here are some of the celebrities with the baddest (I mean best) style.

 

Genevieve Nnaji, Nollywood actress, wearing a gown by Deola Saoge at Ebony Life Tv Launch.

 

 

Toke Makinwa, radio personality, in House of Marie.

 

 

Tiwa Savage, singer, rocking this dress by Hervé Léger.

 

Mo’Cheddah, singer, in a dress by Kunbi.

 

After seeing all this, we can surely say that THEY represent!

Now, let’s get to the topic of the day, which is the famous Nigerian brand and fashion house, « The house Of Marie ».

The mastermind behind this fashion house is Joan Ibuzo. She’s a fashion designer and an entrepreneur.

 

Joan studied Economics at the University of Sokoto (Nigeria) and graduated with honors. She also attended and acquired an Entrepreneurial Management Certificate from the Lagos Business School  of the Pan African University before becoming a huge player in the building of many Fashion/Production related companies. One to note is Silverbird Productions, now one of the very few power houses with fashion and events in Nigeria. She organized numerous shows and events and was very instrumental in the finding of the talented Agbani Darego, who later won Miss World Competition in 2001.

Joan’s been making trend setting designs on and off the past years until 2009 when she officially launched « The House Of Marie ».

Joan’s unique talent and modern vision has fueled her rise as the leading force behind one of Nigeria’s most celebrated fashion Houses. A driven designer whose PASSION has always been FASHION.

THE HOUSE OF MARIE

Launched in 2009, it’s one of Nigeria’s leading design houses and fastest growing brands with a store and distribution center in the United States.

Joan’s transformed House of Marie’s classics such as the Floral Dress pattern and traditional West African attire and iconography into a novel and hugely successful designs. The collections show a high level of sophistication and class. It boats and operates a female full high-end apparel line and a low-end clearance offshoot to satisfy a larger clientele.

Let’s take a look at some of the designs.

 

 

 

These designs are from the Everyday Collection by The House of Marie.

 

These designs are from the John Paul 2014 Aw Eclectic by choice.

I easily understand now why this brand is celebrated not only in Nigeria, but also internationally.

On that note,

Peace and Class Lovies!

Adama N’Diaye: The woman behin ADAMA PARIS

Fashion is multicultural language. Everybody speaks that language, and I think it’s one of the easiest languages. It allows people to express the way they feel, the way they want to be known, the way they want to be recognized, the way thet want to be seen, and mostly the way they want to be understood.

Today, in this post, I’ll talk about a woman who takes the african fashion, or better still, urban fashion to a whole another level.

 

The woman and the brain behind the famous brand « ADAMA PARIS » is Adama N’Diaye.  Born in Kinshasa (Ex Zaire), she is the multicultural designer of this new era.

Her parents are diplomats, so she grew up in between international cities facing cosmopolitan styles, that’s how she’s been able to create her own style.

Adama who lives betwen Los Angeles, Paris and Dakar, is influenced by urban fashion. Her style is very diversified: it reflects the state of mind of the contemporary woman. The opennes to other cultures is now set for all the women who refuse to submit to a reductive image, often defined by a single brand, a single culture.

Adama’s also the founder and the productor of many events: the Dakar Fashion Week which celebrated is 10 years in 2012,  Afrika Fashion Awards and the Black Fashion Week of Prague, Paris, Montréal and Salvadore de Bahia.

She’s also the host of a fashion show called « Africa 7 à la mode » on Africa 7.

Here a some of her fabulous designs.

 

These designs were presented at the Arize Magazine Fashion Week in London in 2012.

 

 

This last design was presented at the Black Fashion Week 2013 in Paris and Montreal.

Well, with these wonderful designs, we can surely say that Adama Paris is on an excellent mission!

On that note,

Peace and Class Darlings.

 

Gilles Touré, the women’s MAN

When it comes to fashion in Cote d’Ivoire, where I’m from, there are names that strike the attention and that’s the case for Gilles Touré.

He’s one of Cote d’Ivoire greatest fashion designers, and also the women’s man.

Just like me, he studied Economics and graduated from it, but didn’t pursue a career into that area. Instead, he studied fashion for 3 years in Paris, and obtained an internship with Paco Rabanne (how lucky!). After that, he came back home and started blowing everybody’s mind, and he really did.

The most interesting part about this designer is that all his clothes are made of Ankara. Well maybe not all, but most of them, and that is something I really admire. He keeps the african roots alive, and I understand why every woman in Cote d’Ivoire swears by him. He’s the MAN!

He takes the Haute Couture and makes it its own, makes it in the african way. His designs are the perfect mix of elegance, class and style (always style).

He works in collaboration with great names when it comes to Ankara fabrics. Among those, you can count: VLISCO and UNIWAX. These two houses of fabrics are classified among the best prints and those prints reflect excellently on clothes.

Plus, I have to say that he has charisma!

Here are some of his designs and you’ll agree with me that the MAN has got what it takes to make a woman go crazy about his designs. Any woman would want to own a whole dressing full of his designs (I’d actually love it).

 

You agree with that this is one mind blowing design. I love the fabric, the colors and how the model is rocking it.

 

This dress was designed last year for the 50th anniversar of the independance of my dear country. I would wear that anyday. He designed it in a very elegant and classy way.

This was last year, when Gilles teamed up with UNIWAX. See what I was talking about? The prints reflect extremely well on those dresses. I looove them.

To be honest, I’m very proud to have this man as one of my idols and wish that one day, I’ll have the occasion or the luck to work with him and come up with a whole collection for women, exclusively women.

On that note,

Peace and Class darlings!

My best instruments of art

Hello darlings,

I am not a fashion student. Well, yes I am, but I don’t go to a fashion design school. I think I’ve got the talent, but I’m still in the process of learning, like I always say. I always try to get better.

I started dawing at the age of 13 and since then, it’s something I really enjoy doing. Most of the time, I easily get inspired by anything, anyone, and also by myself.

For my drawings, sometimes I think selfishly (I admit it), because I draw things that I would wear, but then again, I remember that some people like my style and I say to myself that they wouldn’t mind wearing something inspired from me.

When it comes to the learning process (Yes, I’m still in the learning process),2 main websites allowed me to take my fashion drawing to another level: idrawfashion.com and fsketcher.com. With these websites, I learned how to render sequin, latex, leather, and paterns. Also how to draw fashion models faces, positions and all that. « Fashion drawing for dummies » also helped me a lot to understand the fashion models caracteristics, which position is the best for your design, the different views in fashion.

When it comes to fashion drawing, colors are very crucial when it comes to fashion drawing, colors and details are very crucial, because they determine how you want your clothes to look, and also of your collection and for that, you’ll need to use the best pencils, markers, etc out there. Personnaly, I only uses Promarkers. I think they are the best out there, they blend excellently. I discoverded those on fsketcher.com recently and I’m very happy with it. For pencils I use Crayola pencils, also very smooth and blend well. I don’t use any watercolors yet. For the paper, I use marker paper and I’m seriously in love with it, it also works as tracing paper but it’s not. With those elements, I feel like what I have in mind easily comes to life.

I don’t pretend to be a teacher or something like, I’m just sharing what I learn daily.

Peace and Class Darlings!

Self Introduction

Hii darlings!!!

I’m Esther, aka Etoile aka Irawo (which means star in Yoruba), 19 going 20 (in less than 2 months). I’m from Cote d’Ivoire (West Africa), currently living in Montreal, Canada.

I’m a crazy, psycho person…naa, I’m just kidding! I’m crazy but mostly shy, thats why I express myself through my hairstyles, my clothes and all that.

I’m the tomboy kinda girl. I’m a big fan of sneakers (Jordans, Nike, Addidas, One Star,…). Don’t get it twisted, i can be a girly girl.

I like fashion. I might not be the most fashionable person, but i got my own sense of fashion. What I like the most about fashion, is drawing it. I express my fashion thoughts on papers. I love fashion drawing. That’s the purpose of me creating this blog. I wanna share my knowledge in that branch with you. I’m still in the process of learning though.

So, i guess that’s all about me.

Peace and Class darlings!