By Jemi Ekunkunbor,
Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN), has announced plans to train 100 young entrepreneurs covering the entire value chain of garment making as well as in bag and shoe making, millinery, bead making and fabric painting.

L-R: Ayanfe Oluwaseun, Wasiu Taiwo, Funmi Ajila-Ladipo, Kola Kuddus and Rameed Musalati at the event.

President of FADAN, Mrs Funmi Ajila-Ladipo, disclosed this in Lagos yesterday, while addressing the press on the forth coming FADAN Fashion Week 2017, themed “A Stitch In Time”.
This year’s edition according to Mrs Ajila-Ladipo, will go beyond runway and entertainment, to focus on “capacity building for young fashion designers who will be exposed to new trends in the industry as we empower them to become real partners in the fashion value chain”.

She added that the two-day Master classes will be conducted by proven professionals and experts in the Nigerian fashion industry. “These experts will teach them how to do different things in garmenting that will put food on their tables”.

Scheduled to hold at the Civic Center in Lagos from Nov 18, this year, the Da Viva sponsored show will feature 25 designers both established and upcoming, drawn from different parts of the country and West Africa, who will bring to the runway their creativity.

Mrs Ajila-Ladipo appealed to Nigerians, corporate and individual to support the associations effort to empower Nigerian youth interested in fashion designing whose dreams may be truncated due to lack of exposure.

In his contribution, President of the National Union of Tailors, Otunba Wasiu Taiwo said, the fashion industry is not one the government should ignore since people wear dresses everyday. He urged FADAN to continually clamour for government support even as he announced that with or without government, the first production hub will soon take off.

Present at the press conference were Rameed Masalati representative of Buy Naija, Ayanfe Oluwaseun, Master Class facilitator as well as members of FADAN.

See photos from the event below:

L-R: Rameed Musalati, Grace’s Hat and Modela

L-R: Aisha Mohammed, Ify and Funmi Ajila-Ladipo

Grace’s Hat and another member