Genevieve Nnaji

She is one of the hottest female talents in Nigeria's Nollywood film industry. Apart from being very beautiful she is also a very talented actress and model. She is from Enugu State, Nigeria and has starred in many Nollywood productions. She recently made the cover of MIMI magazine.

Photo Courtesy of Generationnubian.com

MIMI magazine

MIMI is a magazine that covers the issues that interest young african women.

MIMI magazine acording to their website is "a lifesytle magazine that addresses topics from the unique perspective of the African woman aged 18-34. It is a channel through which African woman can embrace their rich cultural inheritance and remarkable talents".

Supported by a team of talented people like Lola Kingo (Editor-in Chief), Mimi Tsiane(Lifesyle Editor), Ndidi Ageyabaum (Style Editor), Joke Babington Ashye and Nani Hapa.

"MIMI hopes to entertain, empower, inspire African women around the world."

Magazine cover courtesy of MIMI Magazine

Kiko Romeo

KikoRomeo website writes "...KikoRomeo is committed to the concept of community development through economic empowerment. We work exclusively with Kenyan artisans using predominantly Kenyan materials.

We are also committed to the discipline of fair trade.The KikoRomeo collections are crafted using predominantly Kenyan cotton, spun, woven or knitted by hand.

The loose weaves are hand woven in Kisumu, the hand and machine knits use Kenyan wools and cottons and are crafted by a Nairobi Women's Group. Our silks are spun from Kenyan grown cocoons, woven, printed and dyed in Kenya by ICIPE (International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology)

Our bags are woven from Kenyan Sisal by Machakos Women's Groups. Our beadwork is carried out by Maasai Women's Groups.

Our buttons, thongs and trims used, are made from Kenyan coconut, horn, bones and hides. We also work with Kenyan artists in the production of our fashion events.

Founded by Ann McCreath the principal apparel designer for KikoRomeo, combines classical training in haute couture from the University of Edinburgh and the ateliers of Rome and Milan, with a passion for the vibrancy and flamboyance of Africa.

Her collections combine the discipline of precision cut and tailoring, with the inspiration instilled by ethnic shape, colour and flow.

Ann has been in production in Kenya since 1997. She has two retail outlets in Nairobi and shows two major collections annually as well as exhibiting her garments extensively throughout Europe. She won second prize in the professional category of the Smirnoff Fashion Awards 1998 and was in the pannel of judges in the millennium awards.

KikoRomeo has a rapidly spreading reputation for the creation of unique and innovative wedding collections and show-stopping evening wear.

The KikoRomeo commitment to maximizing body potential has also created the flattering yet ultimately wearable concept of 'Radical Nairobi Chic'.KikoRomeo design off the peg, tailor-made and haute couture apparel for men, women and children.

KikoRomeo offers a complete range of 'must have' fashion accessories such as ; belts, hats, bags, bandanas and couture jewellery..."

Photos courtesy of KikoRomeo

Depth of Field

TheDept-of-Field website talks about the collective exhibits works of six very talented Nigerian photographers, namely Kelechi Amadi Obi, Emeka Okereke, TY Bello, Uchechukwu James-Iroha, Zaynab Odunsi and Amaize Ojeikere.

Kelechi Amadi Obi has also featured in a Nigeria International documentary.

"...Toyin Sokefun, an economics graduate from the University of Lagos, started with portraiture and later, advanced into documentary and conceptual art photography.

She continues to do extensive work ondocumenting the issues and situations surrounding her as a young female artist, creating images that break preconceived ideas about her generation, her faith, her city and womanhood.

She lives and works in Lagos as a freelance photographer and musician while a strong member of a photography group; DOF (Depth of Field)..."

Photo courtesy of Depthoffield.com

Andre Leon Tally

Andre Leon Tally is one of the top style icons of our time, and he has been an inspiration to many in the world of fashion and design.

Below is an interview he had with Constance C.R White of Essence Magazine a couple of years ago.The writes about how "...Few have survived the fashion world as long as Andre Leon Talley, Vogue's larger-than-life editor-at-large. A front-row regular at fashion shows in New York, Paris and Milan for more than 25 years, Talley has used his influence to champion the work of dozens of designers, including Stephen Burrows, Tracey Reese and Michael B.

In A.L.T. (Villard, $24.95), Talley, 55, recounts the highs and lows of his extraordinary life. He recently talked with writer Constance C. R. White about the book and about being a Black man in a business that exalts White beauty and talent above all others..."

Constance White: What prompted you to write A.L.T.?

Andre Leon Talley: My grandmother, Bennie Frances Davis, and Vogue's fashion editor, Diana Vreeland, both died in 1989. It was a seminal moment in my life. They were my raison d'etre. I wanted to share the experiences I had with them and others over the years.

C.W.: When did you first become interested in fashion?

A.L.T.: At 16. I clipped articles from Vogue when Diana Vreeland was editor. There's a famous picture of Mrs. Vreeland in her office measuring the millimeter of a pearl--wearing white gloves. That picture was on my wall. Some people had pictures of rock stars; I had pictures of Diana Vreeland.

C.W.: And yet you didn't think you would become a fashion editor.

A.L.T.: In the book I recall a story about a relative who asked me what I wanted to do. I said, "I want to be a fashion editor." He said, "You know that's not what boys become."

C.W.: But you kept studying fashion in private, leafing through copies of Vogue in your room, the way some boys thumb through Marvel comics.

A.L.T.: Vogue reflected a dedication to beauty and style that spoke to me.

C.W.: But it took some time for your career to take off. When did you feel at ease writing about fashion?

A.L.T.: When I was 28. As a reporter for Women's Wear Daily, I interviewed the designer Yves Saint Laurent, who was doing a collection inspired by the opera Porgy and Bess. His muse, Mounia, was in a pink suit. It reminded me of the clothes that my cousins wore to church.

C.W.: At well over six feet, you stand out in a crowd. Despite your success, you've remained quite humble.

A.L.T: I've never thought of myself as important or on top of the world. You should never think, I've made it.Whenever I speak to students interested in fashion, I say they shouldn't be above picking up paper clips or making a Starbucks run.

C.W.: How have you managed to deal with the fashion world's subtle and overt racism?

A.L.T.: The only people I felt it from were the female staffers at WWD, who were very insecure about who I was. I just kept going. I once overheard someone say, "Why is Karl Lagerfeld writing to him? What common interest could they have?" I met Karl Lagerfeld through Andy Warhol in 1975. We became friends and still are.

C.W.: You mention the impact of such Black models as Pat Cleveland, Bethann Hardison and Alva Chinn,ruling the runways. Where are we today? Besides Liya Kibede, Alek Wek and Naomi Campbell, there are few Black supermodels.

A.L.T: we have regressed. I often sit at a show and see not one Black model on the runway. Can't they find some Black girls?

C.W.: Have you addressed this with designers and editors?

A.L.T.: I write notes. I make suggestions. I can't believe it when designers say, "I couldn't find anyone" or "She didn't look right in the clothes."

C.W.: Why have so few African-Americans succeeded as top editors at fashion magazines?

A.L.T.: Vogue, Conde Nast, that's not our world. We are not the majority.

C.W.: Who do you think has great style?

A.L.T.: Angela Bassett, Halle Berry and Queen Latifah, who's going to be a big star.

C.W.: Any tips for women who want to have great style?

A.L.T.: Be yourself. Have confidence. Work within your budget. You don't have to own designer clothes to be stylish..."


Photo courtesy of Stevelander.com

Dozie

Dozie's website writes "....Born in England to a Nigerian father and British mother, Dozie spent his early years in both the UK and Nigeria, moving to the U.S. with his family when he was a teenager. The plethora of sounds in his family household ranged from Nigerian pop giants like Fela Kuti and Sir Warrior, to South African jazz gurus like Dollar Brand and Hugh Masekela, to classical composers like Handel and Bach. This early exposure permeated his soul with a love of music that would only manifest itself several years later.

As he got older, his musical tastes grew even more diverse, ranging from RnB mainstays like the Isley Brothers, to piano maven Tori Amos, to beat-maker extraordinaire Timbaland. His musical interests also grew, and after years singing in choirs, from his church choir in Nigeria to gospel choirs in the U.S., he taught himself to play the piano and later added the guitar to his repertoire. The songwriting came naturally, with his multinational background and diverse cultural influences luminescent in his music..."

Photo courtesy of Dozie's website

Kofi Ansah

Alfred Tamakloe writes"....Casting spells on his audience with his works is very characteristic of the Ghanaian designer, Kofi Ansah. His reputation as an avant-garde designer is well known not only to Ghanaians but also among fashion connoisseurs world wide. Kofi's designs have been sold through retail shops in Ghana, South Africa, United States, United Kingdom and
Germany including Sachs Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales..."

"... Ansah stems from a family of artists. His father, a traditional chief from Senya Breku in Ghana's Central Region, is a musician and photographer. The renowned Ghanaian film-maker and twice FESPACO film festival award winner, Kwao Ansah is his brother. His younger sister, Araba Ansah who accompanied him to the Copenhagen fair,is a make-up artist while another brother, Tommy Ansah, main actor in Kwao Ansah's award winning film 'Heritage Africa', is actor and script-writer.

Kofi is a graduate of the Chelsea School of Art, London with honours in fashion design and design technology. His industrial practice after graduation in 1977, took him through Guy Laroche's studio in Paris to that of Cecil Gee in London, thereafter, gaining membership of the British Couture Collection.
"After 20 years in Europe, I returned to Ghana in 1992 to contribute to the development of the Ghanaian clothing industry," he says.


"..In the past, those who dressed in traditional clothes in Ghana, were perceived as uneducated people. So when I returned to Ghana, I made it a point to change that wrong perception. Hence my use of local fabrics of varied shades of colours to create fantasy in my designs so it will meet the different colour needs and perceptions of people, young or old, educated or not", affirms the 47-year old fashion designer.

"Today, the story is different. Everybody, particularly the youth and people in executive positions are proud to wear clothes made from local fabric. This has brought healthy competition among Ghanaian designers and a boom to the textile industry, which I'm happy about."

His input as a consultant to Ghana Textile Printing Company, has transformed the fortunes the company. It has for the last five years, rolled out unusual wax prints onto the Ghanaian and West African markets. They include "Sika Print" and "Ahenfie" collections.

"Judging from the interest shown by fashion enthusiasts and the Danish media during this fair," Kofi says, "I look forward to staging a full fledged hair-raising solo fashion show in Denmark in the future which will linger on in the minds of the audience for years..."

Excerpts of this article taken from Djembe.dk and photos from Kofi Ansah's website

Binti A

Binti is top a Parisian model of Guinean and Lebanese parentage. She has worked with a lot of top photographers including Uwe Ommer,David Sarlak, Stephen Zezza
Photo courtesy of Binti Book

Margareth Lahoussaye-Duvigny

Margareth Lahoussaye-Duvigny website says "...Whatever it is, Margareth does it 100 percent. She can adapt to any surrounding: the ice of the Andros Trophy, the desert of the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles, or the fashion world. She is a hard worker with a big heart, going at full speed, and nothing is going to stop her.

There are models who pride themselves on collecting conquests of the male kind, and there are others who seek personal achievements. In your opinion, to which category does Margareth Lahoussaye-Duvigny belong?

When the magazine Gala decided to dedicate these pages to her, it was first and foremost to tell the story of her adventure in the Moroccan desert, a place she fell in love with and where she participated in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles seven times. "Having had to represent stereotypical, silent women, I really needed a change. What I like about this competition is that I find myself in he desert, alone and challenged to push my limits...."
Margareth is very passionate: she does everything with conviction. When she is not behind the wheel of her racing car, she lends her support to environmental campaigns and works with the best photographers.

Do you remember that beautiful Creole woman on the NEGRITA rum advertisement? or that sculpted H&M bikini-clad beauty plastered on the walls around the entire world in 2001?or the Lavazza campaign by David Lachapelle in chich she appeared dressed in labels?

It's true: this sculpted beauty from Martinique can wear anything she likes. However, she came to the big city to study psychology and become a social worker, a choice far from being a mere show, rotted in a painful childhood. " it was my turn to help children," she says modestly..."

Margareth owes her world fame to the incredibly funky George Michael who chose her to play a part in his video "Fast Love" and of course, to some of the best photographers in the business: Peter Lindbergh for Vogue Italy, Dominique Issermann for Stern and Bruno Bisang. They were the first ones to push her career. They believed in her and made her an icon in the fashion world.

There is also a woman who played a very important role in Margareth's career: Fabienne Martin, former director for the FAM agency. " She asked me to strut my stuff. For black girls, this was a hard business to break into, especially without proper backing. An agency should not only find us work, but also protect us from the pitfalls of the business. I was lucky to find a team that was dedicated to doing just that..."

Photos and excerpts courtesy of Margareth Lahoussaye-Duvigny website.

Clam Films

Clam films wesbite says that " ....Andy Amadi Okoroafor of was born in Bauchi, Northern Nigeria on February 8th 1966. He pursued his education and a successful creative career in Paris. He is returning to Nigeria to fulfill his lifelong ambition of making films about contemporary Africa for a world audience. He is an acclaimed Art Director in advertising, fashion and music videos based in Paris. His clients have included Xuly-Bët, Jean Paul Gaultier, Kookaï, Virgin, Galeries La Fayette, to name a few.

"....Clam Films is a creative film entity that is rooted in Africa and committed to promoting African creativity and including Africa into mainstream world creativity. Clam is located in Paris, New York, Lagos. We coloborate with people from johanessburg to jamaica. Clam represents the creative work of Andy Amadi Okoroafor and Andrew Dosunmu.Giulia Grassilli is the production consultant for clam films on Relentless...."

Photo courtesy ofClam films

Eva Sagna

Jurgita Fashion Magazine" says....Originally from Senegal ,Eva was born 24 years ago in Paris .She first started her artistic carreer as a dancer with the troup BALAI NIABA directed by her aunt Adele Badgi with who she represented herself in small theaters such as the DIVAN DU MONDE in Paris .

In 1995 she met Almen Gibirila and began her first catwalks shows.Then she 'll work for famous designers in Haute Couture such as Thierry Mugler,Jean Louis Scherrer,Jean Doucet ...Her talent brought her to London and New York where she worked for top photographers such as Ernest Collins,John Lewis or Alain Snaoui .

Eva is passionate by fashion but also by cinema .In 1999 she started a new carreer of actress thanks to the producer Pascal Lombardo who offered her the first role in a short film :Josphine

She also writes fo the luxury magazine CULT OF CHIC and MOVE ON magazine..."


Photos by Ernest Collins courtesy of Jurgita Fashion Magazine"

Bai Ling

Wendy Ide of The Times Newspaper writes that "...At 13 the actress Bai Ling joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army and spent three years entertaining the troops in Tibet. She was a star in her native China by the end of her teens.She claims that an involvement in the pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989 hastened her move to America by the age of 20..."

"..At 36 she's as well known for trashy celeb-reality shows and gynaecologically short skirts as for her roles in acclaimed art-house pictures..."

Some people think she is as mad as a "Bag of snakes" because of the way she dresses, but even at that she has already appeared in movies like "The Crow","Anna and the King", "Red Corner" and "Star Wars:Episode III. She will soon start the shooting of her current movie "Shanghai baby".



Photo courtesy of Bai Ling fan site

Indira Varma

The LES Magazine says"...Indira has spent the last decade working with directors such as Sam Mendes and Harold Pinter, starring in the BBC/HBO epic "Rome", and appearing in films from her first, erotic outing in "Kama Sutra" to, most recently, playing David Morrissey's wife in Michael Caton-Jones's B12..."

Indira is 32, herself marvellous looking, clearly talented, fresh from pounding the pavements in Los Angeles, and one of a generation of British actresses who are winning important screen work by virture of training, experience and charisma rather than a cunning stylist and ruthless red-carpet commitment.

Born in Bath to a Swiss mother and Indian father - both artists who met while studying at Central Saint Martins - Indira is an only child who 'was bad at maths and put on plays by creating a theatre inside my bunk bed'. When she made a decision to abandon her university plans and apply for RADA, she was greeted by nothing but encouragement from her parents, 'being artistic types themselves'. Her mother, however,was concerned enough about her only child's move to London to organise Indira's lodging at the Quaker International Centre just off Gower Street.' I wasn't paying full price for my lodging so I had to clean the brass, polish the piano and help with the washing up..."

Amanda Ghost

In an article in the Evening Standard, Emine Saner writes that "...The song, You're Beautiful became James Blunts breakthrough hit and has earned Ghost an estimated 2 million and growing..."

Amanda Ghost is one of the hottest song writers of her age today and has already caught the attention of Beyonce Knowles who she is currently writing a song for her.

Raised in Enfield, London and once a student of the London School of Fashion, she formerly worked on the door of a London nightclub.

"....Ghost now 30 has needed strength herself, Her father is Indian(though he came to Britain from Trinidad), her mother is Spanish, and in their daughter; the mix of cultures has produced not only an unusual beauty but, eventually, a strong sense of identity...."

Photo courtesy of Tunepix

Karima Adebibe

This rugged and very sexy lady of Moroccan-Irish parentage has recently been selected for the role as the new Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider video-games series that was previously played by Angelina Jolie.

21 year old Karima from Bethnal Green in London who was up till her appointment a sales assistant for Top Shop also worked as a fashion model. She was born in the UK and spent her early years growing up in her family's ancestral home of Morocco.

Her first role in a major movie was when she played the minor role of a "Sacrificial Maiden" in the movie "Alien Vs Predator".

Photo courtesy of viejomoeb

Mimi Roche

This young American girl from Dallas is becoming more prominent in fashion modeling industry."..For someone with such a sweet Southern voice, Mimi is making quite a noise..". Her major debut show was in New York, where she has walked for Marc by Marc Jacobs and Rude Girl.

Discovered first by Jack Frost who took her first modeling photos, she was introduced to the Kim Dawson Agency.


Some excerpts quoted from Hintmag.
Photos by Marcio Madeira of Style.com

Jeneil Williams

Yard Flex writes that "...SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Jeneil Williams became Pulse's hottest new modelling sensation when she was named last week as world "Model of the Week" by Models.com, the bible of the international modelling industry.

This exotic teenager was introduced to the international model market in the middle of March, one week before the title was bestowed on her, by Pulse's CEO Kingsley Cooper. She has now given herself and her agency further reason to celebrate by landing and shooting the new Benetton campaign with top photographer David Simms.

Jeneil is following a now established Pulse tradition of its models landing major campaigns or editorials immediately on starting their international careers. Interestingly, the most famous of these, Nadine Willis, is signed to New York models, the same agency that has successfully booked Jeneil for Benetton.

The stunning Jeneil, who sites her flawless skin as her X factor, was discovered in Pulse's Caribbean Model Search 2005 and placed third in the competition. Steven Bermudez who books both Willis and now Williams at New York Models, won out on the now usual bidding war that precedes the international signing of top model talent from Pulse..."



Photo courtesy of Yard Flex

Gucci Westman

In a Time Magazine article, Lisa McLaughlin writes "...Believe it or not, it was a makeunder—not a makeover—that put Gucci Westman on the imagemaking map and got her the lofty position of favorite makeup artist of celebrities like Cameron Diaz and Julianne Moore. As the makeup artist for Being John Malkovich, Westman turned the stunning Diaz into the homely Lotte.

Westman's route to the movie business started in Paris, where she worked as an au pair for the family of a beauty/fashion writer. The boxes of samples sent to the home, she says, "got me involved in playing around with makeup." After attending a makeup school in Paris, she ended up in Los Angeles doing special-effects makeup. Her first big break came when photographer Annie Leibovitz needed bikers covered in mud for a 1996 Vanity Fair cover.

"I did all this research and learned about mud in the Middle East, mud in the South and the different shades," Westman says. One thing led to another, and soon she was doing covers for Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. The 33-year-old achieved another lofty goal when she was appointed artistic director for Lancôme, where she will create new products and palettes. She attributes her success to her ability to make people look as if they authentically belong in a place or situation. A talent that comes in handy, no doubt, when she's touching up Diaz and Moore for the red carpet..."

Photo Courtesy of Vogue.fr

Naomi Campbell

This lady Naomi Campbell, is one of the icons of the catwalk.

Aside from the tantrums she has in her personal life, she seems to have never changed ever since she first appeared in the International limelight 15 years ago. Her appearance in the Madonna's "Sex" book and Michael Jackson’s "Liberian Girl" video reminds us about the controversy surrounding this of lady of Afro-Jamaican and oriental heritage.

She is the last of the original famous super models with included the likes of Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer....

Photos by Marcio Madeira, Olivier Claisse and courtesy of Style.com

Deola Sagoe

Deola Sagoe website says "... Deola Sagoe has given African Fashion in the 21st century the most radical expression imaginable from the deeply rooted African fabrics to all perfectly matched accessories. Deola Sagoe, the two-time international award winner of African designs truly celebrates Africa and Nigeria.

Her refreshing exploration of that which is genuinely African, evokes a subtle nostalgia for history by her favoured use of hand woven fabrics, accessories like cowries, crystals, beads and extensive us of gold. She is adjudged as the African fashion designer who is "best placed to interpret our cultural diversity and artistry, our earthiness and mystery, our colors warmth and passion of the African woman in her simplicity and elegance..."


Photo Courtesy of Deola Sagoe