Ebola-Free and Style-Intense

Most of the world was astonished when Nigeria was declared ebola-free within a few weeks of Case-0, the Liberian man who allegedly escaped quarantine in Liberia and entered Nigeria end of July. I had prayed intensely and fasted like a lot of people probably did. The country handled the situation impeccably. Their trace procedures were impressive and the method with which they broke the news to the few victims is laudable. I had never been more proud of the country. As many non-Americans have expressed, Nigeria handled ebola probably better than the US (Dallas specifically), where a patient provided data that pointed to ebola but was ignored and sent home. The patient unfortunately died while those he had seen for healthcare survived. But I digress  into politics and ignorance.

Life goes on as normal in Nigeria with the dreaded infectious disease behind us, prayerfully. As I reviewed pictures from the GTBank sponsored fashion event in the first week of November in Nigeria, I was  brought back to the memory of how Nigeria handled ebola...both the style on scene at the event and the eradication  (though very different), filled me with a similar kind of pride.

Nigeria was declared the largest economy in Africa some months ago. While a lot of its revenue is from oil and gas, lots of expenses for working class women are in the fashion industry. Nigerians like to look good and most of them know exactly how to do so. A few photos from the event are below. All courtesy of leading Nigerian lifestyle website BellaNaija.

Very lovely simple dress and nice shoes

Fun street style...reminds me of entertainer Patra 

Boys and their sleeveless shirts (and shorts though not here)

Very simple dress street style 

Those sandals!!! And the gorgeous dress/ skirt-set

Awesome look minus the hair

The new long look for men?

Simple dress

I love this white look though my mum is not taken with it

Another long look

A confident woman...need I say more?

A bold  guy

The uniqueness, boldness and creativity of this look excite me

Lace lace lace...gorg!!!

Another simple but nice street style

Zinkata, Lagos

I remember the days when only Western fashion made the big waves in Nigeria. African made outfits were only "permitted" at traditional events like trad weddings and the like. Celebrities and the wealthy wanted to show off their Versaces, Guccis, Balenciagas and Ferragamos. These days, Africans specifically Nigerians are incredibly proud of its own designers. We have Jewel by Lisa, Bridget Awosika, Amede, etc., most of which are making waves internationally... and by that, I mean outside the African continent as well. It fills me up with pride and hope for a continent that could be much farther in wealth and standard of living than it is...

Anyway, as I often do, I was browsing through the bellanaija site the other day when I came across a lace outfit I love: in lime, red, etc. I had to blog about it. Apparently, a Nigerian stylist named Ezinne Chinkata opened a boutique in Lagos, where she sells a whole range of outfits that include Nigerian-made. I have never been to the store but if her outfits fit as well as what she has on below, sign me up. I'll be there. Anyway, if you'll be in Lagos anytime soon or if you live there, you may want to check out the boutique: Zinkata at 13b Awori Road, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos. Let me know how you find it... 

From bellanaija 

Setting a Tray Nicely

There are a number of things I'm learning at this stage in my life, including decorating a space and setting a table for guests, a spouse, family etc. Not that my mum didn't do this (she did) but we hardly had house guests growing up. Also, I didn't pay much attention to such things at the time. I can set a table alright but I want to know how to give it an extra umph.  

Something you observe in good hotels in general, especially in the Asian market, is that they pay attention to tiny details. A tray of food in a hotel room, for instance won't just come with your food. It comes with extra: flowers for decoration etc. 

That is something useful to learn and emulate. Note to self...

Sorry the picture was taken after eating rather than before. Lol!! 

Breakfast in Style Swissotel Osaka

Style is incomplete if fragmented. That is, your outside clothes look good but your underwear/lingerie is old and rusty. Or you pay absolutely no attention to your abode. Even worse, the food you eat. If you are a style figure, pursue completeness. 

Today, I talk food. Breakfast at the Swissotel Osaka took me to the 36th floor with a view of the entire city. Not just any view but a delightful one. Granted, this morning, I sat beside a guy who was slurping soup and making a whole lotta nice. But the view was more than enough to distract me from his unintended  rudeness. 

A waffle, bread and eggs with tea, and I was fine for the morning. 

Eat in style. You'll love it. 

The Belated Intro

Okay. So I just realized I never posted what this blog is about-- goals and all. A name can only say so much, right?

I, like a number of people, am interested in what looks good on me (and others of course). There are certain cute outfits you see on others that you love but woe betide you if you try to rock that outfit with the "wrong" figure. I mean, one has to learn to dress according to his/her figure and size, or an otherwise cute outfit will become blah or puke-worthy. Know what I mean? I learn new things about style everyday and am happy to share.

Style transcends clothes and makeup. It's also about how you carry yourself. A beautiful girl with low confidence is less attractive than a "not-so-good-looking" girl with loads of confidence. You can imagine what both beauty and confidence can do for you. Other than how you carry yourself, your clothes and your makeup, WHAT you carry counts too. I mean your nails (I'm still working on this myself), your purse, your travel bag collection (I steal my mother's), shoes and all. Because I believe beauty starts from the inside, I did dedicate my first blog to just that: inside beauty, happiness, joy, peace, the whole nine yards. So, please look out for random and not so random thoughts on these and many more. Ciao